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May 23, 2024 32 mins

From thinking she wanted to be an athletic trainer freshman year of college to graduating with a bachelors (and masters) degree in information systems, Deena McKay, scrum master and host of Black Tech Unplugged podcast, is no stranger to the nonlinear trajectory of tech careers. In this episode of The American Dream podcast, Deena and Elias discuss the role of a scrum master, Elias argues if it’s really worthwhile, and the two agree on the need for adaptability and flexibility when paving your way into tech.

Check out Black Tech Unplugged, a podcast focused on telling the stories of Blacks in Tech to assist you with developing your own tech path, on their website anywhere you listen to podcasts.

  • (01:12) Deena’s backstory
  • (01:36) Chicago tech scene
  • (02:21) Deena’s journey through tech
  • (10:31) What is a scrum master?
  • (12:30) What’s the difference between a scrum master and a project manager?
  • (16:45) How a scrum master fits within the rest of the product organization
  • (17:50) Elias challenges the scrum master position
  • (23:00) Black Tech Unplugged
  • (24:40) Deena’s top tip for networking
  • (28:30) Deena’s parting advice
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