Meet our next guest, Cydney White!
From MIS to Tech Leadership | Cydney White on STEM Careers, Business Ownership & Work-Life Balance
In this inspiring episode of All Things STEM With Ashley, Cydney White shares her powerful journey from studying Management Information Systems (MIS) to building a thriving career in Technical Program Management. As both a business owner and full-time professional, Cydney opens up about how she balances entrepreneurship with career growth in the fast-paced world of STEM and technology. She shares valuable tips for success, how to navigate career transitions, and the importance of time management, leadership, and confidence as a Black woman in STEM.
Whether you’re a college student exploring MIS, a professional looking to transition into program management, or an aspiring entrepreneur, this conversation is full of insight and motivation to help you reach your goals. Tune in to learn how to thrive in tech, build your personal brand, and create balance while pursuing excellence in both your career and business! ✨
Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more empowering interviews with STEM professionals, leaders, and innovators!
Cydney White is a business operations strategist and digital transformation leader with a strong track record of driving innovation within a complex organization. Based in Dallas, Texas, Cydney holds an undergraduate degree in Management Information Systems from the University of Alabama and most recently received her MBA in Strategy and Entrepreneurship at Southern Methodist University in December 2024.
By day, Cydney serves as a technical program manager, responsible for working cross-functionally to align product, engineering, and business teams on producing an integrated roadmap that supports enterprise-wide initiatives. She currently manages a $400 million book of work across 12 product portfolios, ensuring strategic initiatives are executed and communicated to executive stakeholders with precision.
Beyond her professional work, Cydney is passionate about mentorship, representation, and community. Cydney is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and she’s currently building her own platform, Cynsus.
Cynsus is focused on putting diverse businesses on the map, where she highlights diverse founders—particularly Black entrepreneurs and people of color. Her goal is to create an inclusive environment where diverse founders can access capital, mentorship, and the opportunities they need to succeed.
Resources Mentioned in this episode * I DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS: Rewrite Your Rules: The Journey to Success in Less Time with More Freedom by Morgan DeBaun
#managementinformationsystem #TechnicalProgramManager #stemcareers #womeninstem #Blackwomenintech #entrepreneurship #careergrowth #worklifebalance #AllThingsSTEMWithAshley
From MIS to Tech Leadership | Cydney White on STEM Careers, Business Ownership & Work-Life Balance
In this inspiring episode of All Things STEM With Ashley, Cydney White shares her powerful journey from studying Management Information Systems (MIS) to building a thriving career in Technical Program Management. As both a business owner and full-time professional, Cydney opens up about how she balances entrepreneurship with career growth in the fast-paced world of STEM and technology. She shares valuable tips for success, how to navigate career transitions, and the importance of time management, leadership, and confidence as a Black woman in STEM.
Whether you’re a college student exploring MIS, a professional looking to transition into program management, or an aspiring entrepreneur, this conversation is full of insight and motivation to help you reach your goals. Tune in to learn how to thrive in tech, build your personal brand, and create balance while pursuing excellence in both your career and business! ✨
Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more empowering interviews with STEM professionals, leaders, and innovators!
Cydney White is a business operations strategist and digital transformation leader with a strong track record of driving innovation within a complex organization. Based in Dallas, Texas, Cydney holds an undergraduate degree in Management Information Systems from the University of Alabama and most recently received her MBA in Strategy and Entrepreneurship at Southern Methodist University in December 2024.
By day, Cydney serves as a technical program manager, responsible for working cross-functionally to align product, engineering, and business teams on producing an integrated roadmap that supports enterprise-wide initiatives. She currently manages a $400 million book of work across 12 product portfolios, ensuring strategic initiatives are executed and communicated to executive stakeholders with precision.
Beyond her professional work, Cydney is passionate about mentorship, representation, and community. Cydney is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and she’s currently building her own platform, Cynsus.
Cynsus is focused on putting diverse businesses on the map, where she highlights diverse founders—particularly Black entrepreneurs and people of color. Her goal is to create an inclusive environment where diverse founders can access capital, mentorship, and the opportunities they need to succeed.
Resources Mentioned in this episode * I DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS: Rewrite Your Rules: The Journey to Success in Less Time with More Freedom by Morgan DeBaun
#managementinformationsystem #TechnicalProgramManager #stemcareers #womeninstem #Blackwomenintech #entrepreneurship #careergrowth #worklifebalance #AllThingsSTEMWithAshley
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Hello everyone, and welcome to All Things Sam with Ashley.
I'm super excited about today's episode.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
We have Sidney.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
White here with us. A little bit about today's guest,
Sidney White. She is a powerhouse and business operations and
digital transformation based in Dallas, Texas. Sydney brings a wealth
of experience as a technical program manager, where she oversees
a four hundred million dollar portfolio and alliance teams across product,
engineering and strategy to drive innovation at scale. She holds
(00:43):
a degree of Management Information Systems from the University of
Alabama and recently earned her MBA in Strategy and Entrepreneurship
from SMU. Outside of her corporate role, Sydney is deeply
committed to mentorship and representation. She is the founder of Census,
a platform dedicated to putting diverse business on the map
by spotlighting black entrepreneurs and people of color and helping
(01:04):
them gain access to capital, community, and opportunity.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
I'm so excited to have her on our show. Let's
welcome Sydney.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Huh Hi, thanks for having me, Thank you, thank you
for coming.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
I'm so exciting the hear so thanks for the opportunity.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Of course, so we're gonna get started and kind of
learn about your journey. So can you tell us a
little bit about yourself and your journey into where.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
You are now. Yeah. So I'm Sydney White.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
I born in Birmingham, Alabama, grew up in Memphis, Tennessee,
and then went to the University of Alabama, where I
got my degree in.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Managed Information Systems.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
After college, I made my way to Dallas and I
have been working for a large fortune fifty telecom company.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
For the last almost eight years.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Been a lot of great experiences. I've done a lot
of different things throughout the business. Outside of work, I'm
a thirty one year old, a normal thirty one year old. Yeah,
just do a lot of different things in and around Dallas, exploring.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
And so that's me.
Speaker 4 (02:07):
Gotcha, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
So, Sydney, I want to ask what first sparked your
interest in STEM and how did you decide to pursue
it his career. Tell us your journey.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Yeah, So, I feel like I kind of had an
untraditional route to STEM because growing up high school, middle school,
math science wasn't necessarily my strong suit. Not that I
didn't do well, but I had to work at it right.
And so I was the one my friends would like,
(02:38):
do their homework in class in fifteen minutes and like
I'm going home sitting at the kitchen table for like
an hour and a half, like yeah, Dad, help me, Yeah,
figure this out. So I was always stronger in English
history things like that, So I never really considered STEM
right and then went to Bama.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Was kind of all over the place, Okay.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
So I started as a PR major and then I
went undecided for a while. Then I was like, okay,
I'm gonna I'm gonna be a physical therapist. Ye, so
I went to the biology school. Kay, No, that was
not for me.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
And so then I went to the business school. And
so I had an uncle at the time who was
in or not at the time, but.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Is my uncle.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Yeah. I went to work for him.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
When I got back to Memphis, he uh is in
hospital administration. So I went interned for him. I was like, okay,
I'm gonna do hospital administration. Went back to BAMA for
sophomore year and to start taking some of the business classes.
And then that summer and they said, hey, by the way,
we're gonna revamp this program, so you've got to.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Take a year off. I didn't know that, and and
I was like, what, I don't have time to take
a year off.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
And so just so happened that summer I was in
Avonte where I was on the freshman orientation team working with.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
The business schools.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
So then I got to meet all of the different
professors for each of the majors, and then I met
the director for the MS program and so just got
just talking to him, and he was just like, Oh,
this is the perfect program for you. You'll get hands
on experiences and we'll get to work for different companies
and this is you know, when you get out of school,
(04:34):
you're going to make this much money. We guarantee it
for all of our students.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
And I was like, Okay, sign me up. I can
do that.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
And so once I really got into it, I loved it.
The classes were smaller and overall it was a great experience.
So I think not everyone has to have that traditional route.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
And some people know I'm going to be an engineer,
I'm going to do this, but sometimes you have to
fall in and just let God work. I agree. That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
You keep for sharing that, So, Sidney, can you share
any role models for mentors who have influenced your journey
in STEM.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
So, so I want to call out two mentors that
I've had that have helped me be successful on my
journey in corporate and in STEM. So and as a
black woman, I think it's important that everyone has at
least one white male mentor.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Okay, and so.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
My white male mentor has taught me so much, spoke
my name in rooms when I wasn't there, and so
I think that's super important.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
It is. And then second, and I.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Saw this on TikTok the other day and I was like,
oh my gosh, this is literally the best boss I've
ever had.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
But when I was first starting out, this girl was
saying like, you.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
Need a ghost writer manager or ghostwriter mentor, and like
what that is is essentially when you first start working,
you know, you come out of college and you're like, oh.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
I'm on my stuff, I know how to do this.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
But then it's like, okay, well we want you to
send this executive freef and then you just put it
together and anything, Oh this is perfect. But then your
ghostwriter is like, send it to me first and they
will redline it and just teach you how to like
speak that executive speak or put yourself in the best light,
and they're not looking for the credit, but they're making
(06:35):
sure that you.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Essentially are putting your best foot forward. And so I
had a.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Manager like that that really taught me how to move
and think and how a leader thinks and that has
paid dividends in my career. And then outside of people
that I know directly, I Morgan Devond.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
She is CEO of Blavity Afro Tech.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
She is just someone as far as like what I
aspire to me, is such a role model.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
She's an entrepreneur, she's really involved in tech. She is
a woman, a mother, and she balances it all so well.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
And I'm actually reading her book right now, So I
just think she's someone that everyone should follow.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Yes, you want to check her out, I'll put it
in the show notes for sure.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
We're going to do that in the show notes. Well,
very cool.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Thank you for sharing that.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Now, can you share with us were there any challenges
you face growing up that made pursuing a STEM career difficult?
I know you spoke about already, the math and science
homework and things like that. Were there any other obstacles
in your journey you had to overcome?
Speaker 2 (07:43):
I think that.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
I wouldn't say when we talked about obstacles in the
traditional sense, like you know, I came from a pretty
stable home and I lived a life of privilege. But
I do think that as far as pursuing it was
more so the exposure that I didn't have that exposure
to know what careers I could do with a STEM background,
(08:09):
or like what was even in miss or idiot, anything
that would have steered me in this direction.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
I didn't necessarily have that exposure.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
So I think things like what you're doing with all
things in is so important.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Yeah, that's so true because we don't know and it's like, okay,
I'm getting this degree.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Now what what roles are there?
Speaker 1 (08:31):
It doesn't have to be like everyone is civil doesn't
have to build bridges and buildings. There's other parts of it,
the conceptual design, things like that, the bhinder scenes, the office,
day to day secure and contracts. But you think, oh,
I have to go build a bridge or a house.
So yeah, thank you.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
And I think that's why it took me so long
in college to figure out. But that's good because I
had a bounce around and actually try every single thing
and like get immersing and like, oh, actually, I don't
want to do this.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Right, But that's good.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Before you just got to grant something and hated it forever.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
Yeah, you know, so that's good.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
So now I want to get into if you could
explain an overview of what MIS is and what it entails.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
So MIS stands for Management Information Systems.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
You might see it as CIS, which is computer.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
Information sism information systems BIS. So my sister has a
degree in BIS from misbe State, which is essentially management
information systems. And so really MIS is the intersection of
business and technology. So how is explained to me when
I was in college is like, here's the v business
(09:40):
technology and then MIS is like everything in between that
kind of bridges that gap.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
Yeah, thank you that's awesome, Sidney. Thank you for giving
us an overview of what MIS is. That was wonderful.
And it's true that so many people don't know what
it actually entails, and like you said, it's so many
different names, so I'm glad you got to share that
with us.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
I now want to.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Get into your accomplishments. So I went to ask, what
is one project or accomplishment you're particularly proud of during
your STEM career?
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Or journey. It could be anywhere high school to now
or so.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
One project that I really really loved and enjoyed in
my career is helped roll out Salesforce at my company,
and we also did the third party tools that integrated
into Salesforce. So essentially I got to build the sales
tool stack for my company and I loved it so
much because I really got to.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Become immersed with my end users.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
So I really got to know the sales teams and
really got to work with the leaders.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
And seeing you know, I manage the.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
College higher sales program so people coming in straight from
college didn't know anything about selling, but being able to
use the tools to.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Be selling in two weeks to working with.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
More sellers that might have been struggling, weren't hitting their
quota and then saying hey, this is what this does.
This is how it's going to help you be more
efficient in your day to day and seeing them get
off a plan and start meeting their quota like that,
(11:19):
to me was such a rewarding experience. Now it was,
it was challenging because it's hard to get people to
change their habits.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Yeah, change management is a whole thing, but within that first.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Year, we were able to influence eighty million dollars in
revenue just with the sellers that were on the platforms.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
And then we went to scale. And so that was
one of my.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
Favorite ones, just because I'm a people person and so
getting the opportunity to get out and really talk and
understand people's pain points has been something that.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
I really enjoyed. That's amazing.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
Congrats on that. That's amazing. So now I'm going to
get back to mis Okay, okay.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
We see AI everywhere today, artificial intelligences everywhere. We look
it on Google, on our phones, it's working with self
driving cars. How do you believe that raging technology such
as AI will shape the future of management information systems?
Speaker 2 (12:19):
I think AI is going to allow us.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
To be more strategic and think more strategically instead of
doing the I guess mundane things and updating task and
doing different things and systems like, for example, I manage
the roadmap at my company, and so I'm working all
the time with different teams, whether they're in product or engineering,
(12:46):
and said, hey, what's your day, what's your day?
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Yeah? Is what color is this? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (12:50):
And I think that it would be AI is going
to help us. For example, was in the meeting this
two weeks ago working with our AI team that hey,
can we create an AI agent that looks at historical
data and can predict based on the type of project
(13:15):
how long this should take. So now I'm not relying
on people to put in dates. I'm relying on AI
to give me a date and predict it, and then
I just need a person to validate that that information
is correct. And now I'm not waiting on people to
give me information. I'm able to predict, and now I'm
(13:36):
able to strategize.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
And so I think that's how AI is going.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
To move us because we're less reliant on people for information,
but we're still going to need those people to be
strategic to change how things work within a company.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
That's amazing, that's so honest. Yeah, and that's a real
life example. Well that's what a lot of companies are
looking into. How can we utilize it and still have
a person for the minimal tasking for care. So now
I want to talk about how it interacts with other disciplines.
Speaker 4 (14:13):
So I know MIS is super.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Great because it's between business and technology, but how does
it interact with other disciplines such as computer science, mechanical engineering.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Or civil engineering.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
So MIS is pretty broad and who we get to
work with. So I typically work with product engineering when
it comes to computer science or software developers, but when
it comes to mechanical or civil engineering, I don't do
as much work with those disciplines. However, I think it
(14:46):
just depends on the company and the project. So and
I guess an example I could use is when I
first started out at my company, I worked in construction engineering,
and so I was in a warehouse working on things
like process improvement and figuring out how I can bring
technology into the warehouse because a lot of times there's
some lag there as far as getting them up to
(15:07):
speed when doing things more tech forward.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
So I think it just depends.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Everyone has a different story, and that's a good thing
about MIS.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
You get to do a lot of different things.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
I thinks is just like that stepping stone or launchpad,
and you get to kind of define which route you
want to go.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
Good thank you.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
So again we just talked about how it was broad,
it can and work with a lot of different fields,
But what are some different career paths within MIS that
people might not be aware of?
Speaker 3 (15:41):
Yeah, So I think people go a lot of different ways.
Like I said, so, I have a friend that was
in the MIS program with me that is in cybersecurity,
people that work in data governance, people that go on
to be hardcore core software engineers. I have a friend
that just launched an app that went through MIS with
(16:02):
me that coded, is on app and is now an entrepreneur.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Other one tech consulting is big.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
A lot of people that come out of the MIS
program go into consulting, and I think that's a really
great way to go as well, especially just starting out,
because you get a lot of different experience working on a.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Lot of different projects. So I feel like the sky's
the limits. Good.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
So now the audience knows all the different things that
are possible.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
So that's great.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Now we already talked about how AI changes things. How
do you see the field of MIS evolving over the
next five to ten years.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
Yeah, I, Like I said, I think that we're going
to become more thought leaders. I think consulting will be
playing more of the consultant role, helping companies to think
strategically and think about their bottom line and how they
can implement technology and do certain things to get to
their end goal versus, like I said, doing the nitty
(17:08):
gritty of updating dates and doing all these different things.
It's going to more so be like strategic broad and
I will say that it also depends again on the
company that you're because how a thing company doesn't versus
a fortune five hundred right, that's been around for one
(17:31):
hundred years.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
It's not always apples to apples. It's not.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
But I do think that we're going to become more
strategic leaders versus the people do me.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
Yeah, I love it. Thank you. You've had such a
great journey. It's been so greating everything about it, your gyms,
your tips or success. I want to ask how you
transition into the program management role and tips for navigating
that change.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
So I would say that my transition into program management
was pretty natural, just because I came into my company
through a rotational program and so the program with actually
a three year program. Now i'm my company, I don't
think it's as long, which for me worked out because
I had a lot of time to really get immersed
in a lot of different.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Areas and then the things that I didn't like, I'm okay,
see y'all later. But I came in and I.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
Started working in the construction engineering warehouse, which I did
not like. But with MIS I was able to start
working and improving processes and then learn a lot about
the company culture, how to navigate, and then move on
to the program management role.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
And with MIS, already had.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
That those tools in my toolkit per se. So that's
what made it pretty easy to transition. So I always
tell people that if you want to get into program
management and maybe the role is available, start with the
company and just try and get your foot in the door,
because I think pivoting is always possible.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
Absolutely excellent.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
So, now we're gonna lean into your personal business. Okay,
and tell us what the name is again, Census.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Thank you, soll us about your business Census. So, Census
is a membership community and digital platform that highlights and
connects diverse founders to mentorship, investors, and just resources in
general to help them develop their businesses better.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
I love it. It's needed. Yeah, it's great.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
So that's wonderful that you saw need to build it.
So what motivated you to start your business? Yes, so
a little bit of a story.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
But so in twenty twenty two, I went to Afrotech
and I went an looking to explore the career expo
and just see, oh what else is out there, and
I just started meeting all these founders that were just
really out there grinding building the thing. And so at
the time, I was in business school, and so I
(20:15):
came back and I was thinking, oh, like, I want
to work with startups and I want to help get
them funded and I want to help them build their thing.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
And so I was learning more about venture.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
Capital and at the time, just a lot of the
stats that were coming.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Out were like, you know, less than one.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
Percent of black founders get VC dollars, less than two
percent of women get VC dollars. And I was just like, oh,
I want to do something that can help me be
a part of the change. And so wanted to get
into VC or at least try and learn more about it.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
And so I was.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Paired up with the mentor through school of a local
venture capitalist, and I went to him like, I don't
want to learn more about venture capital and I want
to see more black founders get funded, and he was
just kind of like, well, that's not really a problem,
(21:19):
and he literally said that.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
That you know, if a founder can't get in front
of me.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
They don't have grit, And I'm just thinking to myself, Oh,
black people are the people with the most group, So
I don't believe that at all. I just think that
they don't have the access, more the network to get
in front of the right people. And so I found myself,
as I was trying to learn more, kind of facing
(21:50):
what I believe.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
A founder would face, being like, oh, this is our
our bubble. What are you doing trying to get in
here and learn more? And so I thought to myself.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Okay, well, what if I build something that brings.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
The people to me? And so essentially what we're doing
is building a census.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
So I'm starting with getting founders on the platform, working.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
To get angel investors on the platform.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
Our end goal is to start doing some matching using
AI so that you, as a founder can come on
and put your profile in and say what you're looking for,
and if there's an investor.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
There, let's match them.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
And the investors on the platform, I ultimately will have
our end goal of seeing more women and black people
founded or funded.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
Excuse me.
Speaker 3 (22:41):
But then also the other part of it is just
highlighting and if I can highlight someone and highlight their
business and help them get.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
A few more customers to sustain their business. That's a
win for me. And so that's really what Census is about.
It is a.
Speaker 3 (22:57):
Passion project where I'm just really like putting my all
into let.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Change the narrative about black.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Owned businesses, women owned businesses. I want to see more
succeed and I think that these are some of the
best businesses. And a lot of times when investors invest
in diversity, they win. Yeah, so it's a win win
for them. Yeah, they're the ones that don't invest, that's
(23:30):
their problem.
Speaker 4 (23:30):
You're right, good. I love it. That's super great.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
Like in the Journey and then like how you met
someone in Bitch to Capital and you spoke up and
it's like it's it's not just about grit, it's more
to it.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
Yeah, And I would say the one thing about me
which can be good and bad sometimes, but if somebody
tells me no, like.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
Oh, it's all going. Yeah. I feel like since this
is like.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
My little piece of the pie right and fixing the problem.
And I know that it's a systemic issue that I
can't solve alone, but it's me raising my hand to help.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
Yes, I love it.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
So where where can others find out more about Census?
Tell us about your platforms, what are you on?
Speaker 4 (24:16):
What is it called? And I'll also put in the
show notes, but just.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
To say it.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
Yeah, So since it's dot io, on ig TikTok, Instagram,
and cinsus, I it's also our website, so I try
to keep it pretty simple so you can find us
pretty much everywhere.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
Perfect and just spell it out one more time and
Census see why in s us. Okay, thank you, because
we will be on a podcast by the time of
your episode air, mean that you're gonna hear it. Yes,
that's excellent. So now we're going to get to how
you balance your career and your personal business. So how
do you manage work life balance with a demanding STEM
(24:53):
career and still get to build your own business. Tell
us about that and navigating it.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
I think work life balance is tricky, Yeah, because it's tough,
and I think that I've had to establish more boundaries
and because I.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Would say probably.
Speaker 3 (25:15):
Three or four years ago, I was probably the most
burnt out I've been.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Stress has been hurting my health.
Speaker 3 (25:24):
So I was like, okay, time to reevaluate and really
get clear on my boundaries.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
When it comes to work.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
And so it's crazy because I know everyone's saying like, oh,
I don't want.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
To be back in the office.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
But it's actually helped me a lot with establishing establishing
boundaries because I go to the office, I get what
I need to get done, I'm strategic about it, I'm wanted,
and then I leave try to leave work there if
I can, so that when I come home, I'm able
to really pursue what it is that I want to
pursue outside of work.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
And I think that it's doable and we can.
Speaker 4 (25:59):
Have it all and do it all.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
It's just we have to first believe that we can
and then to just set up the systems to help
us do it and stick to it.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
So and I have.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
Told one of my bosses recently, like, when I'm out
of here, I'm.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
Not checking that, so let's do it now.
Speaker 4 (26:22):
And so being able to.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
Communicate that, where earlier in my career I didn't, I
was always like, oh my gosh, like if I don't.
And I think another thing too that I realized is grinding, grinding, grinding.
No one's gonna tell you to stop working, so shut
down on you and your body will tell you but
(26:46):
if your VP is you're working, working, working, and they're
still getting everything they need, they're not gonna.
Speaker 4 (26:52):
Be like they're just like, they're not gonna be like
take a play does.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
So it's just one.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Of those things that and then which I'm kind of
going a couple of different ways with this, but and then.
Speaker 4 (27:06):
You still may.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Not get rewarded for doing all of that.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
And so you'll see people that might be doing less
than you getting.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
Promoted quicker or whatever. So I think that what's for
you will be for you and you don't have to
kill yourself doing it.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
And so that's where that's something I've learned, and it
definitely took me some time to get there.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
I think things come with age. I do too, but
it's good.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
And now we can try and tell the world, y'all,
because sooner.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
Maybe somebody will get it sooner than me.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
And you know, I think my sister is what twenty six,
she's gen z and they're a whole different. They get it,
they get it, they got old, and I'm like, teach
me your way.
Speaker 4 (27:51):
Here's my boundary.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
You can have a cross me if you want to.
It's nothing for me.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
Yeah, So honestly, get a gen er in your life
teach you a lot that's good.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
Thank you, Summy you told us about senses.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
What is some advice you would give to those that
want to start a business.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
I would definitely say start with your why, I think,
and for me, I've always been.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Like, oh, I want to have my own.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Business, and the things that I've done before now have
been because I'm trying to make some money, right, And
I'm not saying that that's not good, right, But in
order to stay committed and see it through, you have
to know why you're doing it, because there are.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
Going to be times when you're just like why am
I doing this?
Speaker 3 (28:42):
And then being able to go back to that and
this is why this feeling.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
I want people to be included. I want people to
be able to.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
Fund their businesses like this is my why, right, So
knowing you're why, and like I said, I'm reading Morgan
book and she talks about your passion principle and like
figuring out what it is that you're passionate about because
that is.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
What's going to sustain you to go the distance. And
so essentially start with your why. And then also two
I have a couple of different things.
Speaker 3 (29:17):
The second thing is a lot of times I think
as black people, yeah, we're like, I've got to keep
my business with myself because somebody's going to steal my idea.
But it wasn't until I actually like spoke the thing
that I started getting the feedback that I needed to refine.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
So people think that people will steal their idea, but
it's all about execution.
Speaker 3 (29:46):
Those people have to have the desire to go execute
when you're a thing, which, believe.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
It or not, is a lot of effort. So that
and then two, don't be afraid to pivot.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
I mean, been doing some pivoting in my business right now,
and it's all been because of feedback and talking to people.
And the beginning stages is the perfect time to pivot
because you haven't amassed the following of a million people
that have eyes on what you're doing. Like, you can
pivot and keep moving and it's gonna be okay. And
(30:22):
so I would just say, like I said, start with
your wife, don't be afraid to pivot, and then tell
people about what you're building.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
Yes, I love it, so many great gyms. I want
her hair every week, I want her on topic every week.
Speaker 4 (30:40):
Okay, okay, well, awesome, thank you for that.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
We're gonna get back into some more advice, but we're
gonna I want to ask you what's the best piece
of career advice you've received so far and how has
it shaped your path?
Speaker 3 (30:56):
There have been a lot of different things that I've
gotten it, guys.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
I mean I would just use.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
Phrases I guess, yeah, stay curious, inspect what you expect,
so hold people accountable.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
Yeah, don't let them just go willy nilly and then
be like.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
Oh, why did I get this because you didn't inspect them.
In order to get what you want, you have to
keep your eyes and what people are doing.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
What else?
Speaker 4 (31:29):
Those are good?
Speaker 2 (31:30):
That's good.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
I feel like in my mind I had a whole lot.
But but yeah, I think those are something that know
is a full sentence.
Speaker 4 (31:39):
Yes, that is real. That is real.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
So there's a lot I could go on, But I
do think that holding people accountable and staying curious and
not just being stagnant, and especially in tech, it's easy
to be like, oh.
Speaker 2 (31:55):
I'm not gonna go learn about AI. Well, if you
don't go learn about AI, you're not gonna have a job.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
And so staying curious helps you fuel that passion to
keep learning.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
So now I want to talk about looking back. Looking back?
Speaker 1 (32:09):
Is there anything you would have done differently in your
STEM journey?
Speaker 2 (32:12):
And you don't have to have anything, but sometimes people
just be like, I wish I had done this.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
I mean, I'm someone that believes everything happens for reasons,
but I think that I would.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
Just own it a little bit more.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Because I think when I first came in again kind
of talking about STEM and not really necessarily seeing myself
as someone in STEM.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
But now I'm able to say.
Speaker 3 (32:40):
I'm a woman in stant Yes, I am a business owner.
Like being able to speak with authority.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
And know who you are and own that when you
walk in the room. I wish I would have done
that so much earlier.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
I love that love That's something I need to start doing.
Speaker 4 (33:02):
So thank you for sharing that you're helping me. Okay,
So now.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
I want to get into involvement and encouraging the next
generation of STIM leaders. Have you been involved in any
initiatives or programs to encourage young women or underrepresented groups
to pursue STIM fields.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
I definitely think this is something that I could do more.
In I've done some mentoring through work and just groups
that I'm involved in, but I'd like to do it
more consistently. And then also last year I sponsored someone
just felt on my own heart to send someone to
(33:40):
black men in tech to go to that conference experience
that go to their job there. And so I'd like
to do more things like that where I'm able to
just provide opportunities for people to get that.
Speaker 2 (33:52):
Exposure that I'm speaking about. That's excellent. Yeah, okay, okay,
it's so Sidney.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
Before we close today, I want to ask what are
three tips for success in navigating the STEM industry or
a STEM journey.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
So again I would.
Speaker 3 (34:09):
Say, stay curious in the SIM field, everything's changing so much.
New technology is coming out all the time. That just
stay curious and keep learning. And if you don't have
a skill, don't be afraid to go get that certification
or find someone that can help you learn.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
To get your mentors. Build your network.
Speaker 3 (34:33):
It's going to be those people that speak your names
in the rooms that you're not in or.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
Even your peer network is important. I have friends that will.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
Text and be like, Hey, I'm going to this conference,
let's go together. Yeah, And so having those people that
push you to keep staying curious and learning and staying
on top of the things that you need to know.
And then again in stem be adaptable. The only constant
is yes, and so I think those are.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
The big ones. That's good, I love.
Speaker 1 (35:06):
It, Thank you, And now to close out today, I
want to ask what is next for you in your
career and your business and what do you hope to achieve.
Speaker 4 (35:13):
In the future.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Yeah, so I plan to keep working on Census and
growing it, and I want to see it really start affecting.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
People of color and how they grow their business.
Speaker 3 (35:29):
I want people to know that Census is a place
that they can come to get the support that they
need for their businesses. So that's really the big goal
here lately. And then obviously keep growing.
Speaker 2 (35:41):
In my career.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
I don't necessarily necessarily aspire right now to just quit
my job and become an entrepreneur full time. I really
enjoy doing both and being able to be in an
environment where I'm learning and able to maybe even apply
some of those things thanks to my own business.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
So I saw my goals at work.
Speaker 3 (36:04):
And hope to see myself maybe leading a bigger team
at some point.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
But yeah, that's where I'm well.
Speaker 1 (36:13):
Thank you, thank you for sharing with us, thank you
for exploring with us and being here today as a guest.
Speaker 4 (36:18):
I appreciate your time.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
I'm so excited for the audience to learn all the
great woods that we just shared with us. So thank
you for coming today. Are there any last things she
would like to say before we close?
Speaker 3 (36:29):
No, thank you for having me. This is such a
great platform, So if you're out there listening and think
that you can provide some value, please hit up Miss Ashley. Yes,
get on the show because this is a great experience.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (36:44):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (36:45):
Everyone, please like, subscribe, and comment and keep watching.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
We'll see you next time. Us
Hello everyone, and welcome to All Things Sam with Ashley.
I'm super excited about today's episode.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
We have Sidney.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
White here with us. A little bit about today's guest,
Sidney White. She is a powerhouse and business operations and
digital transformation based in Dallas, Texas. Sydney brings a wealth
of experience as a technical program manager, where she oversees
a four hundred million dollar portfolio and alliance teams across product,
engineering and strategy to drive innovation at scale. She holds
(00:43):
a degree of Management Information Systems from the University of
Alabama and recently earned her MBA in Strategy and Entrepreneurship
from SMU. Outside of her corporate role, Sydney is deeply
committed to mentorship and representation. She is the founder of Census,
a platform dedicated to putting diverse business on the map
by spotlighting black entrepreneurs and people of color and helping
(01:04):
them gain access to capital, community, and opportunity.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
I'm so excited to have her on our show. Let's
welcome Sydney.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Huh Hi, thanks for having me, Thank you, thank you
for coming.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
I'm so exciting the hear so thanks for the opportunity.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Of course, so we're gonna get started and kind of
learn about your journey. So can you tell us a
little bit about yourself and your journey into where.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
You are now. Yeah. So I'm Sydney White.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
I born in Birmingham, Alabama, grew up in Memphis, Tennessee,
and then went to the University of Alabama, where I
got my degree in.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Managed Information Systems.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
After college, I made my way to Dallas and I
have been working for a large fortune fifty telecom company.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
For the last almost eight years.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Been a lot of great experiences. I've done a lot
of different things throughout the business. Outside of work, I'm
a thirty one year old, a normal thirty one year old. Yeah,
just do a lot of different things in and around Dallas, exploring.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
And so that's me.
Speaker 4 (02:07):
Gotcha, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
So, Sydney, I want to ask what first sparked your
interest in STEM and how did you decide to pursue
it his career. Tell us your journey.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Yeah, So, I feel like I kind of had an
untraditional route to STEM because growing up high school, middle school,
math science wasn't necessarily my strong suit. Not that I
didn't do well, but I had to work at it right.
And so I was the one my friends would like,
(02:38):
do their homework in class in fifteen minutes and like
I'm going home sitting at the kitchen table for like
an hour and a half, like yeah, Dad, help me, Yeah,
figure this out. So I was always stronger in English
history things like that, So I never really considered STEM
right and then went to Bama.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Was kind of all over the place, Okay.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
So I started as a PR major and then I
went undecided for a while. Then I was like, okay,
I'm gonna I'm gonna be a physical therapist. Ye, so
I went to the biology school. Kay, No, that was
not for me.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
And so then I went to the business school. And
so I had an uncle at the time who was
in or not at the time, but.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Is my uncle.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Yeah. I went to work for him.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
When I got back to Memphis, he uh is in
hospital administration. So I went interned for him. I was like, okay,
I'm gonna do hospital administration. Went back to BAMA for
sophomore year and to start taking some of the business classes.
And then that summer and they said, hey, by the way,
we're gonna revamp this program, so you've got to.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Take a year off. I didn't know that, and and
I was like, what, I don't have time to take
a year off.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
And so just so happened that summer I was in
Avonte where I was on the freshman orientation team working with.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
The business schools.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
So then I got to meet all of the different
professors for each of the majors, and then I met
the director for the MS program and so just got
just talking to him, and he was just like, Oh,
this is the perfect program for you. You'll get hands
on experiences and we'll get to work for different companies
and this is you know, when you get out of school,
(04:34):
you're going to make this much money. We guarantee it
for all of our students.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
And I was like, Okay, sign me up. I can
do that.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
And so once I really got into it, I loved it.
The classes were smaller and overall it was a great experience.
So I think not everyone has to have that traditional route.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
And some people know I'm going to be an engineer,
I'm going to do this, but sometimes you have to
fall in and just let God work. I agree. That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
You keep for sharing that, So, Sidney, can you share
any role models for mentors who have influenced your journey
in STEM.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
So, so I want to call out two mentors that
I've had that have helped me be successful on my
journey in corporate and in STEM. So and as a
black woman, I think it's important that everyone has at
least one white male mentor.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Okay, and so.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
My white male mentor has taught me so much, spoke
my name in rooms when I wasn't there, and so
I think that's super important.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
It is. And then second, and I.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Saw this on TikTok the other day and I was like,
oh my gosh, this is literally the best boss I've
ever had.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
But when I was first starting out, this girl was
saying like, you.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
Need a ghost writer manager or ghostwriter mentor, and like
what that is is essentially when you first start working,
you know, you come out of college and you're like, oh.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
I'm on my stuff, I know how to do this.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
But then it's like, okay, well we want you to
send this executive freef and then you just put it
together and anything, Oh this is perfect. But then your
ghostwriter is like, send it to me first and they
will redline it and just teach you how to like
speak that executive speak or put yourself in the best light,
and they're not looking for the credit, but they're making
(06:35):
sure that you.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Essentially are putting your best foot forward. And so I
had a.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Manager like that that really taught me how to move
and think and how a leader thinks and that has
paid dividends in my career. And then outside of people
that I know directly, I Morgan Devond.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
She is CEO of Blavity Afro Tech.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
She is just someone as far as like what I
aspire to me, is such a role model.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
She's an entrepreneur, she's really involved in tech. She is
a woman, a mother, and she balances it all so well.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
And I'm actually reading her book right now, So I
just think she's someone that everyone should follow.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Yes, you want to check her out, I'll put it
in the show notes for sure.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
We're going to do that in the show notes. Well,
very cool.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Thank you for sharing that.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Now, can you share with us were there any challenges
you face growing up that made pursuing a STEM career difficult?
I know you spoke about already, the math and science
homework and things like that. Were there any other obstacles
in your journey you had to overcome?
Speaker 2 (07:43):
I think that.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
I wouldn't say when we talked about obstacles in the
traditional sense, like you know, I came from a pretty
stable home and I lived a life of privilege. But
I do think that as far as pursuing it was
more so the exposure that I didn't have that exposure
to know what careers I could do with a STEM background,
(08:09):
or like what was even in miss or idiot, anything
that would have steered me in this direction.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
I didn't necessarily have that exposure.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
So I think things like what you're doing with all
things in is so important.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Yeah, that's so true because we don't know and it's like, okay,
I'm getting this degree.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Now what what roles are there?
Speaker 1 (08:31):
It doesn't have to be like everyone is civil doesn't
have to build bridges and buildings. There's other parts of it,
the conceptual design, things like that, the bhinder scenes, the office,
day to day secure and contracts. But you think, oh,
I have to go build a bridge or a house.
So yeah, thank you.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
And I think that's why it took me so long
in college to figure out. But that's good because I
had a bounce around and actually try every single thing
and like get immersing and like, oh, actually, I don't
want to do this.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Right, But that's good.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Before you just got to grant something and hated it forever.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
Yeah, you know, so that's good.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
So now I want to get into if you could
explain an overview of what MIS is and what it entails.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
So MIS stands for Management Information Systems.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
You might see it as CIS, which is computer.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
Information sism information systems BIS. So my sister has a
degree in BIS from misbe State, which is essentially management
information systems. And so really MIS is the intersection of
business and technology. So how is explained to me when
I was in college is like, here's the v business
(09:40):
technology and then MIS is like everything in between that
kind of bridges that gap.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
Yeah, thank you that's awesome, Sidney. Thank you for giving
us an overview of what MIS is. That was wonderful.
And it's true that so many people don't know what
it actually entails, and like you said, it's so many
different names, so I'm glad you got to share that
with us.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
I now want to.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Get into your accomplishments. So I went to ask, what
is one project or accomplishment you're particularly proud of during
your STEM career?
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Or journey. It could be anywhere high school to now
or so.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
One project that I really really loved and enjoyed in
my career is helped roll out Salesforce at my company,
and we also did the third party tools that integrated
into Salesforce. So essentially I got to build the sales
tool stack for my company and I loved it so
much because I really got to.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Become immersed with my end users.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
So I really got to know the sales teams and
really got to work with the leaders.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
And seeing you know, I manage the.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
College higher sales program so people coming in straight from
college didn't know anything about selling, but being able to
use the tools to.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Be selling in two weeks to working with.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
More sellers that might have been struggling, weren't hitting their
quota and then saying hey, this is what this does.
This is how it's going to help you be more
efficient in your day to day and seeing them get
off a plan and start meeting their quota like that,
(11:19):
to me was such a rewarding experience. Now it was,
it was challenging because it's hard to get people to
change their habits.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Yeah, change management is a whole thing, but within that first.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Year, we were able to influence eighty million dollars in
revenue just with the sellers that were on the platforms.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
And then we went to scale. And so that was
one of my.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
Favorite ones, just because I'm a people person and so
getting the opportunity to get out and really talk and
understand people's pain points has been something that.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
I really enjoyed. That's amazing.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
Congrats on that. That's amazing. So now I'm going to
get back to mis Okay, okay.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
We see AI everywhere today, artificial intelligences everywhere. We look
it on Google, on our phones, it's working with self
driving cars. How do you believe that raging technology such
as AI will shape the future of management information systems?
Speaker 2 (12:19):
I think AI is going to allow us.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
To be more strategic and think more strategically instead of
doing the I guess mundane things and updating task and
doing different things and systems like, for example, I manage
the roadmap at my company, and so I'm working all
the time with different teams, whether they're in product or engineering,
(12:46):
and said, hey, what's your day, what's your day?
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Yeah? Is what color is this? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (12:50):
And I think that it would be AI is going
to help us. For example, was in the meeting this
two weeks ago working with our AI team that hey,
can we create an AI agent that looks at historical
data and can predict based on the type of project
(13:15):
how long this should take. So now I'm not relying
on people to put in dates. I'm relying on AI
to give me a date and predict it, and then
I just need a person to validate that that information
is correct. And now I'm not waiting on people to
give me information. I'm able to predict, and now I'm
(13:36):
able to strategize.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
And so I think that's how AI is going.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
To move us because we're less reliant on people for information,
but we're still going to need those people to be
strategic to change how things work within a company.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
That's amazing, that's so honest. Yeah, and that's a real
life example. Well that's what a lot of companies are
looking into. How can we utilize it and still have
a person for the minimal tasking for care. So now
I want to talk about how it interacts with other disciplines.
Speaker 4 (14:13):
So I know MIS is super.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Great because it's between business and technology, but how does
it interact with other disciplines such as computer science, mechanical engineering.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Or civil engineering.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
So MIS is pretty broad and who we get to
work with. So I typically work with product engineering when
it comes to computer science or software developers, but when
it comes to mechanical or civil engineering, I don't do
as much work with those disciplines. However, I think it
(14:46):
just depends on the company and the project. So and
I guess an example I could use is when I
first started out at my company, I worked in construction engineering,
and so I was in a warehouse working on things
like process improvement and figuring out how I can bring
technology into the warehouse because a lot of times there's
some lag there as far as getting them up to
(15:07):
speed when doing things more tech forward.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
So I think it just depends.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Everyone has a different story, and that's a good thing
about MIS.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
You get to do a lot of different things.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
I thinks is just like that stepping stone or launchpad,
and you get to kind of define which route you
want to go.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
Good thank you.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
So again we just talked about how it was broad,
it can and work with a lot of different fields,
But what are some different career paths within MIS that
people might not be aware of?
Speaker 3 (15:41):
Yeah, So I think people go a lot of different ways.
Like I said, so, I have a friend that was
in the MIS program with me that is in cybersecurity,
people that work in data governance, people that go on
to be hardcore core software engineers. I have a friend
that just launched an app that went through MIS with
(16:02):
me that coded, is on app and is now an entrepreneur.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Other one tech consulting is big.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
A lot of people that come out of the MIS
program go into consulting, and I think that's a really
great way to go as well, especially just starting out,
because you get a lot of different experience working on a.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Lot of different projects. So I feel like the sky's
the limits. Good.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
So now the audience knows all the different things that
are possible.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
So that's great.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Now we already talked about how AI changes things. How
do you see the field of MIS evolving over the
next five to ten years.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
Yeah, I, Like I said, I think that we're going
to become more thought leaders. I think consulting will be
playing more of the consultant role, helping companies to think
strategically and think about their bottom line and how they
can implement technology and do certain things to get to
their end goal versus, like I said, doing the nitty
(17:08):
gritty of updating dates and doing all these different things.
It's going to more so be like strategic broad and
I will say that it also depends again on the
company that you're because how a thing company doesn't versus
a fortune five hundred right, that's been around for one
(17:31):
hundred years.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
It's not always apples to apples. It's not.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
But I do think that we're going to become more
strategic leaders versus the people do me.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
Yeah, I love it. Thank you. You've had such a
great journey. It's been so greating everything about it, your gyms,
your tips or success. I want to ask how you
transition into the program management role and tips for navigating
that change.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
So I would say that my transition into program management
was pretty natural, just because I came into my company
through a rotational program and so the program with actually
a three year program. Now i'm my company, I don't
think it's as long, which for me worked out because
I had a lot of time to really get immersed
in a lot of different.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Areas and then the things that I didn't like, I'm okay,
see y'all later. But I came in and I.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
Started working in the construction engineering warehouse, which I did
not like. But with MIS I was able to start
working and improving processes and then learn a lot about
the company culture, how to navigate, and then move on
to the program management role.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
And with MIS, already had.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
That those tools in my toolkit per se. So that's
what made it pretty easy to transition. So I always
tell people that if you want to get into program
management and maybe the role is available, start with the
company and just try and get your foot in the door,
because I think pivoting is always possible.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
Absolutely excellent.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
So, now we're gonna lean into your personal business. Okay,
and tell us what the name is again, Census.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Thank you, soll us about your business Census. So, Census
is a membership community and digital platform that highlights and
connects diverse founders to mentorship, investors, and just resources in
general to help them develop their businesses better.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
I love it. It's needed. Yeah, it's great.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
So that's wonderful that you saw need to build it.
So what motivated you to start your business? Yes, so
a little bit of a story.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
But so in twenty twenty two, I went to Afrotech
and I went an looking to explore the career expo
and just see, oh what else is out there, and
I just started meeting all these founders that were just
really out there grinding building the thing. And so at
the time, I was in business school, and so I
(20:15):
came back and I was thinking, oh, like, I want
to work with startups and I want to help get
them funded and I want to help them build their thing.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
And so I was learning more about venture.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
Capital and at the time, just a lot of the
stats that were coming.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Out were like, you know, less than one.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
Percent of black founders get VC dollars, less than two
percent of women get VC dollars. And I was just like, oh,
I want to do something that can help me be
a part of the change. And so wanted to get
into VC or at least try and learn more about it.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
And so I was.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Paired up with the mentor through school of a local
venture capitalist, and I went to him like, I don't
want to learn more about venture capital and I want
to see more black founders get funded, and he was
just kind of like, well, that's not really a problem,
(21:19):
and he literally said that.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
That you know, if a founder can't get in front
of me.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
They don't have grit, And I'm just thinking to myself, Oh,
black people are the people with the most group, So
I don't believe that at all. I just think that
they don't have the access, more the network to get
in front of the right people. And so I found myself,
as I was trying to learn more, kind of facing
(21:50):
what I believe.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
A founder would face, being like, oh, this is our
our bubble. What are you doing trying to get in
here and learn more? And so I thought to myself.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Okay, well, what if I build something that brings.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
The people to me? And so essentially what we're doing
is building a census.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
So I'm starting with getting founders on the platform, working.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
To get angel investors on the platform.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
Our end goal is to start doing some matching using
AI so that you, as a founder can come on
and put your profile in and say what you're looking for,
and if there's an investor.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
There, let's match them.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
And the investors on the platform, I ultimately will have
our end goal of seeing more women and black people
founded or funded.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
Excuse me.
Speaker 3 (22:41):
But then also the other part of it is just
highlighting and if I can highlight someone and highlight their
business and help them get.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
A few more customers to sustain their business. That's a
win for me. And so that's really what Census is about.
It is a.
Speaker 3 (22:57):
Passion project where I'm just really like putting my all
into let.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Change the narrative about black.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Owned businesses, women owned businesses. I want to see more
succeed and I think that these are some of the
best businesses. And a lot of times when investors invest
in diversity, they win. Yeah, so it's a win win
for them. Yeah, they're the ones that don't invest, that's
(23:30):
their problem.
Speaker 4 (23:30):
You're right, good. I love it. That's super great.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
Like in the Journey and then like how you met
someone in Bitch to Capital and you spoke up and
it's like it's it's not just about grit, it's more
to it.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
Yeah, And I would say the one thing about me
which can be good and bad sometimes, but if somebody
tells me no, like.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
Oh, it's all going. Yeah. I feel like since this
is like.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
My little piece of the pie right and fixing the problem.
And I know that it's a systemic issue that I
can't solve alone, but it's me raising my hand to help.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
Yes, I love it.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
So where where can others find out more about Census?
Tell us about your platforms, what are you on?
Speaker 4 (24:16):
What is it called? And I'll also put in the
show notes, but just.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
To say it.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
Yeah, So since it's dot io, on ig TikTok, Instagram,
and cinsus, I it's also our website, so I try
to keep it pretty simple so you can find us
pretty much everywhere.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
Perfect and just spell it out one more time and
Census see why in s us. Okay, thank you, because
we will be on a podcast by the time of
your episode air, mean that you're gonna hear it. Yes,
that's excellent. So now we're going to get to how
you balance your career and your personal business. So how
do you manage work life balance with a demanding STEM
(24:53):
career and still get to build your own business. Tell
us about that and navigating it.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
I think work life balance is tricky, Yeah, because it's tough,
and I think that I've had to establish more boundaries
and because I.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Would say probably.
Speaker 3 (25:15):
Three or four years ago, I was probably the most
burnt out I've been.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Stress has been hurting my health.
Speaker 3 (25:24):
So I was like, okay, time to reevaluate and really
get clear on my boundaries.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
When it comes to work.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
And so it's crazy because I know everyone's saying like, oh,
I don't want.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
To be back in the office.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
But it's actually helped me a lot with establishing establishing
boundaries because I go to the office, I get what
I need to get done, I'm strategic about it, I'm wanted,
and then I leave try to leave work there if
I can, so that when I come home, I'm able
to really pursue what it is that I want to
pursue outside of work.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
And I think that it's doable and we can.
Speaker 4 (25:59):
Have it all and do it all.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
It's just we have to first believe that we can
and then to just set up the systems to help
us do it and stick to it.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
So and I have.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
Told one of my bosses recently, like, when I'm out
of here, I'm.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
Not checking that, so let's do it now.
Speaker 4 (26:22):
And so being able to.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
Communicate that, where earlier in my career I didn't, I
was always like, oh my gosh, like if I don't.
And I think another thing too that I realized is grinding, grinding, grinding.
No one's gonna tell you to stop working, so shut
down on you and your body will tell you but
(26:46):
if your VP is you're working, working, working, and they're
still getting everything they need, they're not gonna.
Speaker 4 (26:52):
Be like they're just like, they're not gonna be like
take a play does.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
So it's just one.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Of those things that and then which I'm kind of
going a couple of different ways with this, but and then.
Speaker 4 (27:06):
You still may.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Not get rewarded for doing all of that.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
And so you'll see people that might be doing less
than you getting.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
Promoted quicker or whatever. So I think that what's for
you will be for you and you don't have to
kill yourself doing it.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
And so that's where that's something I've learned, and it
definitely took me some time to get there.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
I think things come with age. I do too, but
it's good.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
And now we can try and tell the world, y'all,
because sooner.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
Maybe somebody will get it sooner than me.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
And you know, I think my sister is what twenty six,
she's gen z and they're a whole different. They get it,
they get it, they got old, and I'm like, teach
me your way.
Speaker 4 (27:51):
Here's my boundary.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
You can have a cross me if you want to.
It's nothing for me.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
Yeah, So honestly, get a gen er in your life
teach you a lot that's good.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
Thank you, Summy you told us about senses.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
What is some advice you would give to those that
want to start a business.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
I would definitely say start with your why, I think,
and for me, I've always been.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Like, oh, I want to have my own.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Business, and the things that I've done before now have
been because I'm trying to make some money, right, And
I'm not saying that that's not good, right, But in
order to stay committed and see it through, you have
to know why you're doing it, because there are.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
Going to be times when you're just like why am
I doing this?
Speaker 3 (28:42):
And then being able to go back to that and
this is why this feeling.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
I want people to be included. I want people to
be able to.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
Fund their businesses like this is my why, right, So
knowing you're why, and like I said, I'm reading Morgan
book and she talks about your passion principle and like
figuring out what it is that you're passionate about because
that is.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
What's going to sustain you to go the distance. And
so essentially start with your why. And then also two
I have a couple of different things.
Speaker 3 (29:17):
The second thing is a lot of times I think
as black people, yeah, we're like, I've got to keep
my business with myself because somebody's going to steal my idea.
But it wasn't until I actually like spoke the thing
that I started getting the feedback that I needed to refine.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
So people think that people will steal their idea, but
it's all about execution.
Speaker 3 (29:46):
Those people have to have the desire to go execute
when you're a thing, which, believe.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
It or not, is a lot of effort. So that
and then two, don't be afraid to pivot.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
I mean, been doing some pivoting in my business right now,
and it's all been because of feedback and talking to people.
And the beginning stages is the perfect time to pivot
because you haven't amassed the following of a million people
that have eyes on what you're doing. Like, you can
pivot and keep moving and it's gonna be okay. And
(30:22):
so I would just say, like I said, start with
your wife, don't be afraid to pivot, and then tell
people about what you're building.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
Yes, I love it, so many great gyms. I want
her hair every week, I want her on topic every week.
Speaker 4 (30:40):
Okay, okay, well, awesome, thank you for that.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
We're gonna get back into some more advice, but we're
gonna I want to ask you what's the best piece
of career advice you've received so far and how has
it shaped your path?
Speaker 3 (30:56):
There have been a lot of different things that I've
gotten it, guys.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
I mean I would just use.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
Phrases I guess, yeah, stay curious, inspect what you expect,
so hold people accountable.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
Yeah, don't let them just go willy nilly and then
be like.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
Oh, why did I get this because you didn't inspect them.
In order to get what you want, you have to
keep your eyes and what people are doing.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
What else?
Speaker 4 (31:29):
Those are good?
Speaker 2 (31:30):
That's good.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
I feel like in my mind I had a whole lot.
But but yeah, I think those are something that know
is a full sentence.
Speaker 4 (31:39):
Yes, that is real. That is real.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
So there's a lot I could go on, But I
do think that holding people accountable and staying curious and
not just being stagnant, and especially in tech, it's easy
to be like, oh.
Speaker 2 (31:55):
I'm not gonna go learn about AI. Well, if you
don't go learn about AI, you're not gonna have a job.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
And so staying curious helps you fuel that passion to
keep learning.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
So now I want to talk about looking back. Looking back?
Speaker 1 (32:09):
Is there anything you would have done differently in your
STEM journey?
Speaker 2 (32:12):
And you don't have to have anything, but sometimes people
just be like, I wish I had done this.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
I mean, I'm someone that believes everything happens for reasons,
but I think that I would.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
Just own it a little bit more.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Because I think when I first came in again kind
of talking about STEM and not really necessarily seeing myself
as someone in STEM.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
But now I'm able to say.
Speaker 3 (32:40):
I'm a woman in stant Yes, I am a business owner.
Like being able to speak with authority.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
And know who you are and own that when you
walk in the room. I wish I would have done
that so much earlier.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
I love that love That's something I need to start doing.
Speaker 4 (33:02):
So thank you for sharing that you're helping me. Okay,
So now.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
I want to get into involvement and encouraging the next
generation of STIM leaders. Have you been involved in any
initiatives or programs to encourage young women or underrepresented groups
to pursue STIM fields.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
I definitely think this is something that I could do more.
In I've done some mentoring through work and just groups
that I'm involved in, but I'd like to do it
more consistently. And then also last year I sponsored someone
just felt on my own heart to send someone to
(33:40):
black men in tech to go to that conference experience
that go to their job there. And so I'd like
to do more things like that where I'm able to
just provide opportunities for people to get that.
Speaker 2 (33:52):
Exposure that I'm speaking about. That's excellent. Yeah, okay, okay,
it's so Sidney.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
Before we close today, I want to ask what are
three tips for success in navigating the STEM industry or
a STEM journey.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
So again I would.
Speaker 3 (34:09):
Say, stay curious in the SIM field, everything's changing so much.
New technology is coming out all the time. That just
stay curious and keep learning. And if you don't have
a skill, don't be afraid to go get that certification
or find someone that can help you learn.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
To get your mentors. Build your network.
Speaker 3 (34:33):
It's going to be those people that speak your names
in the rooms that you're not in or.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
Even your peer network is important. I have friends that will.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
Text and be like, Hey, I'm going to this conference,
let's go together. Yeah, And so having those people that
push you to keep staying curious and learning and staying
on top of the things that you need to know.
And then again in stem be adaptable. The only constant
is yes, and so I think those are.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
The big ones. That's good, I love.
Speaker 1 (35:06):
It, Thank you, And now to close out today, I
want to ask what is next for you in your
career and your business and what do you hope to achieve.
Speaker 4 (35:13):
In the future.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Yeah, so I plan to keep working on Census and
growing it, and I want to see it really start affecting.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
People of color and how they grow their business.
Speaker 3 (35:29):
I want people to know that Census is a place
that they can come to get the support that they
need for their businesses. So that's really the big goal
here lately. And then obviously keep growing.
Speaker 2 (35:41):
In my career.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
I don't necessarily necessarily aspire right now to just quit
my job and become an entrepreneur full time. I really
enjoy doing both and being able to be in an
environment where I'm learning and able to maybe even apply
some of those things thanks to my own business.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
So I saw my goals at work.
Speaker 3 (36:04):
And hope to see myself maybe leading a bigger team
at some point.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
But yeah, that's where I'm well.
Speaker 1 (36:13):
Thank you, thank you for sharing with us, thank you
for exploring with us and being here today as a guest.
Speaker 4 (36:18):
I appreciate your time.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
I'm so excited for the audience to learn all the
great woods that we just shared with us. So thank
you for coming today. Are there any last things she
would like to say before we close?
Speaker 3 (36:29):
No, thank you for having me. This is such a
great platform, So if you're out there listening and think
that you can provide some value, please hit up Miss Ashley. Yes,
get on the show because this is a great experience.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (36:44):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (36:45):
Everyone, please like, subscribe, and comment and keep watching.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
We'll see you next time. Us
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