Moriah Baxevane-Connell (she/her)

Moriah Baxevane-Connell (she/her) is an expat-American living in London. After accidentally falling into tech while at university, Moriah has embraced working in this fast-paced, ever changing environment. After spending almost five years at Microsoft as a SQL consultant, Moriah moved to the UK and obtained an MBA from the University of Oxford. Throughout her career, she has stayed focused on initiatives that encourage, promote, and support women in tech through conferences, speaking engagements, mentoring programs, and more.

1. How did you get into tech?

I entered university as a math major, without any sort of idea or plan of where I wanted my degree to take me, what I wanted to do with my career, or where I wanted to be in five years. (Spoiler alert: this becomes a recurring theme in my life.)

I had to take a C++ class as part of my math degree during my first term and walked in without even the slightest idea of what computer programming was. After four months with an unbelievably patient professor, programming finally clicked, and I realized I enjoyed it. Many conversations with three of the female IT professors in the department, several trips to Grace Hopper Conference, and a presentation by a PwC consultant later, I finally changed my major to both IT and Psychology and had a direction in life — technology consulting. From my attendance at GHC, I was connected to Microsoft, and I received a job offer to join them post-graduation as a Technology Consultant based in Seattle.

2. Where’s your hometown?

Brodheadsville, Pennsylvania — a tiny, rural, town in the middle of the Pocono Mountains, with no sidewalks and approximately six traffic lights within a 30-mile radius. Just to give you an idea of how small-town it actually is, my high school had the first day of buck (deer) hunting season off every year; ‘Tractor Day” was an annual tradition where students drove their tractors to school; and every Friday night the whole town was at the high school football game.

3. What’s a time you faced a struggle, and how did you deal with it?

Starting out my career as a young woman in tech was eye-opening. If I had $1 for every time I was asked to get coffee, reserve conference rooms, order in lunch, book a place for dinner, take notes — or even organize a colleague’s baby shower! — I would never have had to take a loan out for my MBA in 2018, that’s for sure.

In my short career, I’ve been called ‘sweetie’ in meetings in front of the customer, had my answers to technical questions ‘fact-checked’ by male counterparts countless times, been told to focus more on technical work instead of attending and speaking at ‘lady conferences’, and the list goes on and on and on. What’s worse is these are not isolated incidents; I can imagine most (if not all) women reading this are nodding in understanding as they’ve experienced similar, or even many of the same, things. This ongoing struggle is one I’m passionate about changing for future generations, and all of my past experiences above only fuel my push for greater awareness, more allies, and continued support across the field.

4. What’s a time you did something you were immensely proud of?

As I alluded to earlier, my life has never really been planned out. I’ve never had a five-year plan, or even a one-year plan, and my focus on the future has mostly been on having a job where I can travel, learn new things, and work with interesting and smart people.

However, ever since 2006, I’ve had a dream of living and working abroad — specifically the UK. I spent years at my first job doing everything I could to get myself across the pond, and succeeded in spending a few months in London over five years on short projects, but it wasn’t enough.

When many of my colleagues of the same age started leaving their jobs to get MBAs or attending MBA programs part-time, I thought they were crazy. Go back to school?? No way, no how. Until I realized it meant I could be one step closer to 16-year-old-Moriah’s dream. I decided in December 2016 that I was going to attend an MBA program in the UK the next year, and less than four months later, I had studied (read: crammed) for and taken the GMAT, applied, interviewed, and accepted an offer at the University of Oxford’s Said Business School for the 2017–2018 MBA cohort. I’ve since been able to stay in the UK, living and working in London and accomplishing a ten-year-old goal!

5. Favorite food?

Too many to name, but at the moment I’m craving a classic bacon, egg, and cheese on an everything bagel. Oddly specific, but I can’t explain how much I miss it; I have yet to find it here in the UK.

6. Favorite book?

Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez. I’m attempting to memorize all of the incredible statistics and information she’s given in this book, which is proving to be impossible, but it doesn’t stop me from quoting what I can remember at any chance I get.

7. If you could try another job for a day, what would it be?

For the last 5+ years, I’ve been cutting my own hair, and recently I’ve begun doing it for a few friends as well. While I don’t have any 5-star Google reviews yet, I’d love a job out from behind a computer, working with my hands…hairdresser or baker would be top of the list!

Mayuri Raja (she/her)

Mayuri is a Software Engineering Intern at Google and rising fourth year at the University of Texas at Austin studying computer science and completing a certificate on Asian American antiracist activism. In her free time, Mayuri volunteers teaching computer science to middle school girls in underprivileged areas. Since grade school, she has thought about how to give a voice to those who are often forgotten. When she was in middle school, she attended a career day talk by a software engineer. Although her interest was piqued by the subject matter, she noticed that she was the only woman in the room. This made her decide that she wanted to be a software engineer so that the next generation of women do not feel alone in that setting.

“I was very involved in my high school's theater department, but I was one of five people of color in the whole department and the only person with dark skin. Living in a very white suburb in Texas meant that people weren't as open-minded as I would have liked, and one director routinely excluded me from being considered any role that wasn't specifically written for a person of color. I knew it wasn't a matter of my skills because other directors were casting me in lead roles, but I was too scared to speak out because I knew I'd be jeopardizing my chances of being cast in the future if I did. Finally, my senior year, the last thing I did for the theater department was a one man show. The assignment was to pick a deceased famous person and act in a ten minute show as the chosen person. I saw my chance, and I took it. Through the character of Fatima Meer, an Indian South African apartheid activist, I spent those ten minutes on stage taking a very public stance against racism in a community that wasn't ready to hear such a raw critique of their own behavior. I called out my theater department's casting methodology, and I called out my peers for seeing nothing wrong with it. It felt good to finally say what had been on my mind all those years, and it was also the moment that I stopped hiding my opinions for the sake of my own success.”

Source of Inspiration: The group Communities of Color United in Austin.

Book Recommendation: Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Annie Jean-Baptiste (she/her)

Annie Jean-Baptiste is Google’s Global Product Inclusion Evangelist. She is passionate about making the web and Google’s products work for underserved communities and ensuring that Google is a place where everyone shines for their differences. She’s responsible for working with Google product teams on the creation and execution of their diversity strategy, and formerly created programs related to Diversity talent management/career development within several technical product areas within Google. Outside of Google, Annie is an American Heart Association spokesperson and a One Young World ambassador, focused on healthy lifestyles in underserved communities. She most recently was featured in Sheryl Sandberg’s Option B campaign to help people find resilience in the face of adversity. She has also been covered in Vogue, Essence, Milton Magazine and the Boston Globe. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with degrees in International Relations & Political Science.

What’s something that’s on your mind this Black History Month?

We need to build products for everyone, with everyone. Not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because all people deserve to be seen. When we do that, we’ll fully reflect the beauty and diversity of our world. We’ll leverage the brilliance of Black people and all underrepresented communities to innovate to our full potential.

Suezette Yasmin Robotham (she/her)

Suezette Yasmin Robotham is a speaker, educator, connector, coach, and leading “Black Girl in Tech.” She has more than a decade of leadership experience, with expertise in talent acquisition, diversity & inclusion initiatives, leadership development, strategic planning and relationship building across various industry sectors.

Suezette has been tapped as a speaker by a number of organizations across the U.S. and Canada for her thought leadership in authenticity in the workplace and diversity and inclusion. She has been a featured TEDx Speaker (TEDxBeacon Street 2015). Suezette is passionate about the power that can be realized in spaces where vulnerability, empathy and authenticity are encouraged. She is devoted to using her talents to connect others to the people, opportunities and resources that will help them realize their highest potential.

What’s a challenge you’ve faced and how did you get through it?

A quote I live by is: “You are built not to shrink down to less but to blossom into more.” — Oprah

In my career, I’ve come to learn that challenges are a valuable nutrient in the fertilizer that helped me bloom professionally. One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced is finding my leadership footing in spaces where my style is fundamentally different from that of the people who typically occupy the space.

Before joining Google, I did a great deal of work in the educational sector, working with large urban school districts and education reform organizations like Teach For America, The New Teacher Project and The Achievement Network. As I transitioned into tech, I had to look at myself and ask an important question — Do I adapt or do I help this space evolve? It became evident to me that I was brought here because I had tremendous value to add.

What’s something you’ve done that you’re really proud of?

I am really proud of myself for traveling the world…BY MYSELF. I think solo travel is, by far, the best thing I have ever given myself permission to do. And I say “permission” because I allow myself to be freely and wholly myself without being held back by fear, worry, doubt or overthinking.

I think that far too often people don’t take the opportunity to see themselves beyond the space they are in or the work that is in front of them. But the options around us are unlimited. I have been blessed to experience new cultures, sights, food, languages, art…even dating…and so much more through my solo adventures to places like Australia, Mexico, Panama, Barbados, France and, most recently, Mauritius.

Sheree Haggan (she/her)

Sheree Haggan is a Staffing Services Associate Lead at Google. She embraces an authentic voice as an empathetic advocate of diversity. She is an out and proud biracial lesbian, who aims to rekindle kindness in humanity through strategic event planning with transformational content and leveraging strong and diverse partnerships within the tech community.

She has worked in the mental health field as a life coach, in academia as a Multi-Cultural Program Coordinator, and has spent the past few years working to improve opportunities for underrepresented populations within her role at Google.

1. When did you know you wanted to be in tech?

My brother Sayid submitted my resume to tech companies when I was job hunting for a diversity role in academia. He saw my potential in the tech industry before I did. When I received an email that Google wanted to interview me for a role in People Operations, I decided to move forward purely to practice my interviewing skills, but I felt that the tech industry was out of my realm of expertise.

The moment I saw myself finding purpose in the tech industry was while reading Work Rules by Laszlo Bock, in preparation for my first interview. Suddenly, I was no longer interviewing for practice, rather to fulfill my purpose. Laszlo says, “If your goals are ambitious and crazy enough, even failure will be a pretty good achievement.” So, even if I didn’t get the offer, I knew I had to give it my best.

2. Who is a role model that you look up to?

My older sister has been a lifelong (s)hero for me. They say you can’t be what you can’t see. I could never see my own potential, so my sister has always been the person to show me who I could become.

As a child, I had a speech impediment. I was made fun of when I spoke, so I made the mistake of not speaking and was highly introspective. My sister became my voice and safe harbor until I found the strength and ability to speak my truth. I went through speech therapy, studied Communication, and was able to get the resources that I needed to tell my story. She not only brought me along, but involved me equally. I walk in her footsteps daily, using my voice to advocate for those without one.

Andrea Gibson has a poem where she says, “Fear is only a verb if you let it be.” My sister taught me that emotions are messengers meant to tell us something. Fear is meant to inform us and keep us safe. Sometimes, it misunderstands situations. Fear does not understand the difference between a situation that will grow us vs. break us. So, rather than take fear for face value, we have to use discretion and filter the fear with logic. Humans are unique in that we have the ability to operate with intellect whereas animals operate with instinct.

When I was afraid to speak, my sister taught me that fear is natural. She talked me through the fear and helped me discover that my fear was rooted in a false understanding of the situation and that the risk of not speaking held a stronger consequence than the risk of speaking and messing up. It was a total paradigm shift for me. Now, I crave public speaking because I know the power and impact of my own voice.

3. Where is your hometown?

I was born and raised in Southern Idaho. It is a small and conservative town. My family was one of very few black families in the community. We experienced a lot of racism. People filled my brother’s locker with KKK posters in high school, they wrote “n*gger” all over my campaign posters when I was running for student body President, and my dad was fired from his job solely because of the color of his skin. It was a tough place to be raised, but it taught me so much about privilege and oppression. I know what it’s like to be different, but I was also raised so conservatively that I know what’s it’s like to not know difference as well. This lens has allowed me to have empathy for people who do not know better and hold those who do accountable.

4. What’s a challenge you’ve faced in your career journey?

Coming from a low income close-knit family, every day away from them is a struggle. Sometimes I feel like I am choosing a career over experiencing life with my family. I miss out on a lot. I missed the birth of my nephew, countless birthdays, and so many everyday memories. With every visit, I am watching my parents and nephews age and realizing the great sacrifice I am making. However, I have to make these sacrifices so that future generations in our family can have and do more. I learned a term called “transitional character”. It is the person in the family who, in one generation, changes the course of the family’s lineage.

I come from a family who works very hard. However, I also come from a lineage where poverty, obesity, addiction, and a lack of education were all too common. My sisters and I have decided to change that for our children. I studied and worked hard to attend and graduate from college. I have one sister who is a nurse and another who is a Marriage and Family Therapist. I am very proud of who we have become and the impact we will continue to have. I have always had a job and a side hustle. I have to take risks because I didn’t give up living a life close to my family for mediocrity; even if mediocrity by society’s standards is better than the life that my family had before.

So, on top of working at Google, I’m currently writing a book and developing a speaking career. I am refining my character daily and challenging myself to be more kind, tenacious, and creative. It is hard. Sometimes I want to pack up my things and move to Idaho to live a simple life. However, when I think of my nephews, nieces, and the children that I hope to have — I remember that I was blessed with the responsibility and capability to transform their lives, and I choose to stay.

5. Describe a time you were proud of yourself.

I kissed a girl for the first time at age 14. My entire world changed. I had a closeted relationship for a few years and when we broke up due to religion, it was one of the most painful things I had ever experienced because it was not only my first heartbreak — but I had to suffer it alone.

I grappled with my sexual orientation and decided to try to change. I became immersed in church and thought that if I tried hard enough, maybe I could be attracted to men. I thought it was working, when in reality it was just that I hadn’t come across another girl that I was attracted to.

In college, I found myself attracted to a girl and it terrified me. All the years of trying to fight the way I felt and one girl walks into the room and it felt like it was all for nothing. I met with a friend who gave me several pages of Bible verses to meditate on. I did and the next week, the feelings I had toward this girl only intensified.

I had a choice to make. I chose to live my truth. I asked for her to stand by me when I came out. I knew what my life was but did not know what it would become. I mourned the loss of my friends, family, straight privilege, and the persona I had created. However, now I find joy in learning about and living freely as the person who I truly am. I am proud of myself every single time I choose to live my truth, knowing that it comes at a cost.

6. What’s something that’s been on your mind a lot lately?

The ability to choose joy in what you do.

I carry a lot of responsibility. I feel I am the one who will transform my family financially. There is freedom in financial stability. I aim to provide my family and future generations with that freedom. So, sometimes I have taken jobs that I am not happy doing with the belief that it’ll be worth it because it is a ‘stepping stone’. However, I’m realizing that in doing work that I am not passionate about, I am not maximizing my potential. I can advance 10x faster doing what I love, even if it is a temporary setback. I suppose it is like a slingshot approach. One step back so I can spring 10 steps forward. So this year, I am focused on taking purposeful risks and not compromising joy and my passion for a stepping stone. I prefer to sling shot over stepping stones.

7. Favorite food?

Pão de Queijo is my addiction. It is a Brazillian cheese bread.

8. Mac or PC?

Mac.

9. If you could try another job for a day, what would it be?

I’ve always wanted to be a speech coach for people who are struggling to own their voice. I believe that the best speakers are those who are most afraid to speak. They have spent a lifetime listening — and it is from them that I feel the most wisdom is housed. I’d like to help provide the tools and develop the skills necessary to give power and a platform to those who fear public speaking the most.

10. If you could give your 18-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?

Loving people does not mean giving them full access to your life. Sometimes the best way to love toxic people is to cut them out completely. There are people who take our joy and then there are those who amplify it. I wish at 18, I would have surrounded myself solely with those who amplify joy.