International Women’s Day: Paving the Way for Future Women in Tech

Terese's journey in the tech industry

Starting Out in Software Development

When I started my professional journey in the software development space, I often found myself being the only female in a room full of men. While I knew I wanted to make the leap into technology, I didn’t fully understand what taking that leap would mean for my career development. Simply being present and seen was my first step in dismantling bias towards women in technology roles. At times in my career, I can remember having to “earn” the attention of team members and decision makers of individuals different than me. Being someone who enjoys a challenge and honestly, a good competition, I let my talent lead my career rather than my gender.

How Technology Has Evolved

If I take a step back and look at how organizations are structured in 2025, technology is no longer a single-thread industry vertical. Rather, successful companies position technology investments as a cornerstone in their organization. Technology, software development included, provides organizations with competitive advantages to meet and exceed their customers’ expectations. Knowing that change is a constant in our everyday lives, I’ve been able to fuel my career with this mindset to not only evolve my personal skills and trajectory but also hopefully influence the gender-balance in the teams that achieve those customer-driven results.

The Importance of Diverse Teams

As I look at the landscape before me, I can’t help but think of ways to empower more women in software-related roles. One of my favorite aspects of software development is the malleability it provides to create something tailored. This organically lends itself to the need to create more diverse teams comprised of a wider array of talent and contributions. Since the complexity of the world we live in seems to compound faster than ever and the rate of change continues to accelerate year over year, women have a strong opportunity to advance and shine in existing and emerging roles.

Signs of Progress

While I still find myself in rooms full of men, the instances of that occurring have diversified. We still have ground to cover when it comes to more women representation, but I have had the opportunity to interact more with women in key decision-making roles and highly skilled technical positions.

Advice for Women Entering Tech

If I were to give another woman advice on taking the leap into a technical role, I would encourage them to embrace a learning mindset. Be ready to study, try something new, and adjust. In the technology space you must be willing to continually evolve and adapt to the evolving customer needs that challenge your career every day. By challenging ourselves to nurture women in STEM career paths, no matter where they are in their career, we will continue to make progress in a more diversified workforce.

— Terese Acou