Jen Consalvo

Tell us your story.

In my last semester of college I decided to take an “interactive media” course which was really an intro to computer programming. I was hooked and immediately started looking for a job where I could grow my skills. I met this awesome producer at an interactive media company who hired me on as a production assistant where I learned more about coding and building products for specific audiences. He encouraged me to get involved in every aspect of our productions, so I could learn about all the components. I was able to sit with the designers, developers, QA team, work with legal, business development, etc. I’m so grateful for that early experience! That class and first job really shaped my career.

What advice to you have to share with other women and young girls?

Don’t let anyone disregard you. Stand up tall, speak with conviction and know that you have something valuable to offer. Learn as much as you can – but make sure at the same time, you’re building your confidence.

Pass it on!

There are larger than life people like Oprah who stand as inspirational role models that I really try to understand and emulate. But it can be difficult to relate, so I also look for inspirational moments and acts, such as a previous manager who went to bat for me, a group of women who work consistently to help each other, a founder who continues growing her company against all odds – those are the daily inspirations for me.

The Women in Tech campaign exists to help redefine what women in technology means in the 21st century. Started independently by a group of professional women who, after many impassioned discussions about women in tech knew we wanted to expand this definition beyond ‘traditional’ technology skills. To us, it includes most every current, emerging or evolving role within an organization. By featuring leaders and emerging leaders across industries who embody this we hope to collectively ‘stand up’, be proud of our place in the digital world and inspire young women or those new to the ‘tech space’ to get involved.


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