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Tech Tuesday: IWD + Nerdy Diva Team Update

Hello and Happy Tech Tuesday! Here’s what’s going on in our world!

Join us in welcoming new additions to the Nerdy Diva Team:

🎉 Hellooo! My name is Sharee Silerio and I’m excited to announce that I have joined Nerdy Diva as a Tech Writer!

It’s truly an honor to serve with Shanae and support Nerdy Diva’s mission to increase diversity in tech, economic empowerment, and inclusive design. I’m grateful for the opportunity and looking forward to experiencing the magic we’ll create together!

Now that you know what I’m doing at Nerdy Diva, here’s a little bit about who I am.

I’m a St. Louis born and raised writer and award-winning filmmaker with film and television credits from projects on cable and streaming platforms such as Netflix, Oxygen, Comedy Central, MTV, Prime Video and more.

My latest work is a celebrated short doc called Black Girl, Bleu, which was born from my personal challenges with mental health after the unexpected passing of my favorite uncle.

In 2020, I launched 11 Stars Studios, a film, television, digital and streaming production company focused on telling stories where African American women and girls exist as full human beings on screen and feel seen, heard, loved, and affirmed beyond the screen.

From documentaries to digital series' and narrative films, my mission is to use intimate and authentic storytelling to explore the truth, magic, and beauty of being human. My dream is to continue telling stories and creating content that cultivates empathy, encourages vulnerability, and moves people to confront their biases.

An enthusiastic student of life, I have an MA in media communications from Webster University as well as a BA in communication with a film studies certificate from St. Louis University. To learn more about me, visit shareesilerio.com.

From now on, every Nerdy Diva newsletter will come from me. As you’ll see, the newsletter has been redesigned to include vibrant colors, bold headings, an image display refresh, and more. Reply to this email to let me know what you think! Here we go!

Here’s what’s on our diversity and inclusion calendar:

Tuesday, March 8th is International Women’s Day, a global day to celebrate women’s social, economic, cultural and political achievements. Every year, it focuses on challenging the inequalities women face all around the world, and this year’s theme is #BreakTheBias.

The goal is to inspire everyone to imagine a gender equal world. A world that is free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where differences are valued, respected, and celebrated.

Many support the day by raising awareness, lobbying for gender parity or contributing to fundraisers for female-focused initiatives.

We’re honoring the day by highlighting a crowdfunding campaign we have supported and believe in. Keep reading for more details.

Take a look at what Nerdy Diva and its Founder are up to:

🎉 Our Founder Shanae Chapman recently joined HashiCorp as a Senior UX Researcher. She’s working on the newly formed Research + Insights team within the Design Organization. Shanae is looking forward to growing her career there and is excited for what’s to come!

👩🏾‍💻Nerdy Diva became a member of Black Women Talk Tech, a collective of Black women tech founders and innovators.

📰 Shanae Chapman and Nerdy Diva featured in HashiCorp blog post to wrap up Black History Month. Read it at HashiCorp Voices: How the Blacksmiths ERG Supports the Community.

📚 Nerdy Diva attended Hacking With the Homies, a virtual conference focused on helping Black and Brown Software Developers level up in their careers and learn new technologies. The organization’s Co-Founder Mack Hendricks also works at HashiCorp!

Listen in to catch the gems we’re dropping:

🎙 Shanae was a guest on Networking, it’s your Superpower, where they discussed networking, creating space for women in IT, design and business, and more. Click the button below to listen.

Listen to the Podcast Episode

Check out the causes we support:

Nerdy Diva supported the fundraiser for the Distributed AI Research (DAIR) Institute, a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by Dr. Timnit Gebru.

Dr. Gebru, a Black woman, was fired by Google in December 2020 for raising issues of discrimination in the workplace, where she was serving as co-lead of the Ethical AI research team.

She created the DAIR Institute to build “a space for independent, community-rooted AI research free from Big Tech’s pervasive influence.”

Click the image below to learn more about DAIR plus help them reach their goal!

We’re excited to meet and engage with you online:

Together in community,