PEOPLE
ASHLEY COFFEY: Emerging opportunities for women in technology BY GARLAND MCWATTERS
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shley Coffey, the current president of Women In Tecthnology, says one of the lessons of leadership she has learned is the importance of speaking up and addressing issues that are inappropriate or unfair. She says that even though the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) industries are booming in Oklahoma, she believes there is a need to speak out for more access to educational and certification opportunities for women seeking technology careers. Coffey is the Director of Technology and Integration at XALTER in Tulsa, a technology company specializing in virtual reality applications. XALTER worked with the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission to develop the Greenwood Rising XR app. Coffey explains, “It’s a great app to take the audience through the rich history of Black Wall Street and the businesses that thrived down Greenwood Avenue. . . It’s an exciting representation of taking technology and storytelling and bringing that to the forefront.”
Women under-represented in technology U.S. Census Bureau statistics show that 7% of U.S. workers are in STEM occupations. Within that segment, men hold 73% of the jobs and women only 27% although women make up 47% of the total workforce. 46 ion Oklahoma MAY/JUNE 2021
Ashley Coffey
According to Built In, a national community united around a shared passion for tech, women account for only 34.4% of the total workforce at the world’s five largest tech companies (Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft). Coffey encourages women not to under value their skills and qualifications but to give themselves credit for their knowledge and skill and apply for tech jobs. “Don’t feel like you have to be perfect to apply for a job.” She advises women not to preempt themselves in
