These Two Black Tech Women Members Want You to Network
By Rosa Otieno, Lead Contributor — Black Tech Women || www.rosaodie.com
Black Tech Women members are gaining access to top opportunities across the technology sector. The community of 3000+ professional women engages and develops members with national events, job opportunities, and monthly articles on tech.
Carrie Wilkins Averbuck grew up with a mother who was the first black female vice president of Intel and a father who was a chemist & teacher. With early insight into careers in technology and education, she found herself inadvertently following in her parents’ footsteps by landing positions in education and venture capital.
Carrie reached a crossroads when she started a family and had to redefine her professional goals.
Black Tech Women helped Carrie find her dream role at Tote + Pears, an agency that designs products, services and experiences for women.
Learn how members Carrie Wilkins Averbuck and Sandra Rosenfeld advanced their careers with support from Black Tech Women.
Carrie Wilkins Averbuck, Content & Social Media — Tote + Pears
- Tell me about yourself. What should our readers know about you?
I am a black female creative that cares deeply about black women. My mother was always pushing against the odds and making her own way on her path to senior leadership. I want to remove those odds and raise my kids around educational and professional success.
My career goals were heavily influenced by a desire to help the community. I grew up seeing disparities in resources and wealth in the Bay Area and decided to work in early childhood development and education, leading after school programs for young students. Later, I transitioned to social venture capital and observed how nonprofits were seated and funded.
I’ve done a lot of nonprofit work and supported agencies through my writing. I took a break from the work to have children. When I overcame some postpartum symptoms, I seriously evaluated what I wanted to do next with my career.
I stumbled upon a job opportunity with Tote + Pears through Black Tech Women where I could leverage my expertise in content creation and secured the job! Currently, I manage content and community for Tote + Pears and am a mother to four kids. I also manage real estate with my husband, Jacob.
- What made you decide to work at Tote + Pears?
After I had my second baby, I really took the time to think through what was next for me. As you can imagine, it’s really hard to reflect as an individual once you take the additional responsibilities of raising a family. However, I knew I needed to pursue my ambitions to be personally fulfilled. While I was not actively searching for a new role when I saw the job post in the Black Tech Women community, I did know what type of role would be the next step in my career.
Amber Anderson is Co-founder and CEO of Tote + Pears and a product management and strategy expert with over a decade of experience. She is also bright, warm, funny, and smart.
Amber utilized the Black Tech Women community to share that she was looking for marketers with strong writing skills for Tote + Pears. I did my research on the company and saw her articles in Forbes, American Express, Huffington Post, and NPR. I was very impressed and honestly felt a little overwhelmed by the opportunity. The agency brought women’s voices to the forefront of design, products, and experiences, acknowledging women’s diverse and multidimensional experiences.
I was attracted, not only to the opportunity but also the Tote + Pears mission, and decided to go for it. I personalized my approach and highlighted my experience as a woman of color and a creative, mentioning how my values aligned with the values of Tote + Pears.
Although Amber received responses from over 100 people, she was intent on having women of color represented on her team. She knew the power she held as the cofounder of her company and her unique ability to empower women of color with opportunities.
- What advice would you give to Black Tech Women?
First, evaluate what is missing. We live in an age where tools and resources are accessible. Your passions and interests might be something you can cultivate now and be more fulfilled. Evaluate what you are passionate about and get clear on that. Do your homework, do the research, and be prepared when an opportunity presents itself.
Also, having a rich network like Black Tech Women is such a valuable resource. When I found the opportunity with Tote + Pears, I reached out to Anndrea Moore, Founder & CEO — Black Tech Women. I asked what I should be saying about myself and how to demonstrate my value. She connected me to a marketing strategist who owns her own firm in Oakland, Alicia Johnson. Alicia wrote back to me promptly with a wealth off information. That really helped me get prepared.
The most important advice I can give is to check your fear. Fear is a powerful vice. That’s the biggest thing that gets in the way for me. Keep it in control and don’t let it stop you from pursuing opportunities.
Your passions and interests might be something you can cultivate now and be more fulfilled. Evaluate what you are passionate about and get clear on that. — Carrie Wilkins Averbuck
Sandra Rosenfeld — Product Marketing, ServiceTitan
- Tell me about yourself. What should our readers know about you?
I am very passionate about marketing and have a decade of experience in the function. I tell stories, work across teams, and showcase the value of products for clients.
My personal passion is volunteering and giving back to the community. Previously I was on the board of directors for an after-school program and continue to look for ways to donate and volunteer. I really enjoyed that opportunity.
I help young people learn relevant skills and be successful in their lives.
- What is your day-to-day life like?
I work with the product development team to determine what features and products are launching and translate the relevant launches to existing and prospective customers. Product positioning is a big part of driving the go-to-market strategy.
Internally, I ensure that the broader organization has relevant details about upcoming launches, including key product facts, what is most important about the launch, and what is most relevant for different types of customers.
My job is to answer the most important questions for customers like,“What is in it for me?” and “Why should I care?”. I maximize each opportunity, share key messaging with prospective clients, and disseminate information across teams. This work allows us to promote and sell our products and impacts our bottom line.
- What role has Black Tech Women played in your professional career?
I’ve been a member of the Black Tech Women community for a little over a year and really appreciate how we care for the personal and professional success of each other. I am also happy we take the time to recognize ourselves.
Black Tech Women introduced me to ServiceTitan, a company I would have not known about otherwise. With a referral from another member, the hiring process was very fast, and I landed the job six weeks after I applied.
Networking can be daunting but is critical to finding new opportunities. Fortunately, many people are willing to help, and I have seen this firsthand with Black Tech Women. I encourage others to break down networking into steps and take a few steps at a time. Let people know what you are doing and give them a way to access your work.
