Technical career journeys come in various shapes, sizes and trajectories. Some begin with pursuit of a technical degree or certification, while others may opt for a mid-career shift. No matter the path, it can be intimidating to move into a field where not many people look like you. In this session, you will learn best practices for navigating your career and accelerating your journey to technical excellence and leadership.

1. Dermawan
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2. LeadershipandExcellenceinSTEM:
 PositioningforSuccessinTech
 Meet theGDIT panel
 Changingdemographics of STEM in academia
 Tips for pursuing a technicalcareerpath
 Changingdemographics of STEM in industry
 Importance of representationand what needs to be done
 Open Discussion
Agenda:

3. LaLisha Hurt, CISA, CGEIT, CRISC currently serves as the Cyber Senior Director for Technology Shared Services and
Deputy Chief Information Security Officer for GDIT. In her role, she is responsible for leading cyber operations,
cyber engineering and cyber threat intelligence for customers across federal, state and local agencies while
ensuring protection for GDIT’s reputational brand in the market space. LaLisha has a successful track record of
driving organizational change, building high performing teams, spearheading cost savings initiatives and has a
strong passion for developing a diverse cyber workforce.
Samuel Toler is a seasoned Cybersecurity Operations and Delivery Manager with over 35 years of experience. He is
the Deputy Director of GDIT’s Cybersecurity Center of Excellence. He concurrently provides full-time support as the
cybersecurity lead on a Big Data Platform on the AWS Government Community Cloud for a Federal customer. Sam
has held roles such as Dep Program Manager, Program Manager, Director Cybersecurity Delivery for DHS Programs,
Vulnerability Assessment Team Lead, and Information System Security Officer.
Ash Torres is a Cyber Threat Analyst Associate. She analyzes reported cyber threats and determine if they are
malicious. Ash focuses on threat analysis and malware forensics. She regularly attends training sessions to showcase
new threat offerings. Ash is diligent and adapts seamlessly to constantly evolving processes and technologies. This
allows her to provide the best service possible to her team and customers.
Eric Toliver is a Sr. Program Manager within GDIT’s Science and Engineering Business Area. He
has extensive experience in enterprise IT operations, systems engineering, IT architecture and
planning, continuous process improvement, and business process reengineering. He has
successfully implemented and led IT programs and initiatives resulting in cost reductions and
operational efficiencies at numerous State and Federal agencies. Eric is proud to have been
recognized as a Modern Day Technology Leader at the BEYA 2020 STEM Conference.
LeadershipandExcellenceinSTEM:
PositioningforSuccessinTech

4. The Changing Demographics of
STEM in Academia
Share of Bachelor's Degrees going to Black students by STEM category:
Positioning for
Success in Tech
 Trends in Academia

5. The Changing Demographics of
STEM in Academia
Positioning for
Success in Tech
 Trends in Academia
Audience Survey #1:
Which STEM field best represents the degree you
possess or are currently pursing? (Please choose
one answer)
o Math
o Computer Science
o Engineering
o Cyber
o Science
o Technology
o Do not have a STEM degree

6. For the panel…
 Pursuing a technical career path without a
technical background can seem intimidating.
How can someone who wants to move into
a technical career gain confidence and/or
experience to move forward?
Panel Discussion:
Pursuing a Technical Career Path
Positioning for
Success in Tech
 Panel Question #1

7. For the panel…
 For someone who has obtained several
certifications and/or technical degrees but
has no practical experience, how can you
break those barriers and move into a
technical role?
Panel Discussion:
Breaking Barriers to Technical Roles
Positioning for
Success in Tech
 Panel Question #2

8. For the panel…
 We hear a lot about the growing need for
expertise in Cyber, AI and Cloud. What is the
best way to become knowledgeable in these
areas – both from a technical perspective
and as someone who may manage technical
teams?
Panel Discussion:
Gaining Key Tech Knowledge
Positioning for
Success in Tech
 Panel Question #3

9. Positioning for Success in
Tech
 Trends inhiring andretention
The Changing Demographics of STEM in Industry
Tech companies say they value diversity, but reports
show little change in last six year…
Six years after their first diversity reports,
Alphabet, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and
Twitter have seen low single-digit increases
in their percentage of Black employees,
according to a CNBC analysis of the annual
disclosures.
- CNBC: Published Jun 12 2020

10. The Changing Demographics of
STEM in Industry and Academia
Positioning for
Success in Tech
 Trends in Industry and
Academia
Audience Survey #2:
What do you believe is the major reason why the
demographics in the STEM industry and academia
are not improving? (Please choose one answer)
o Poor outreach/recruiting
o Lack of a career path for minority employees
o Bias in hiring and promoting
o Lack of mentorship/sponsorship
o Unwelcoming corporate culture
o Other

11. For the panel…
 What can organizations do to improve their
culture in terms of engagement, passion,
and execution to attract minority employees,
cultivate leaders and grow and retain diverse
talent?
Panel Discussion:
Improving Corporate Culture
Positioning for
Success in Tech
 Panel Question #4

12. Positioning for Success in
Tech
 Theimportance ofdiversity
Despite the data, diversity is vitalto the success of
the Tech Industry
What Everyone Needs To Know About Diversity In Tech…
• Ramping up diversity efforts in the IT industry could result in
$400 billion more revenue per year.
• According to CompTIA CEO Todd Thibodeaux, "Financially a
one percentage point move toward representative diversity
leads to a three-point increase in revenue.
• Companies in the top quartile for ethnic and gender diversity
are more likely to surpass industry norms for revenue and
operating margin.
• Companies in the bottom quartile for diversity aren't just
lagging behind, they are rapidly losing ground."
- Forbes: Published October 8, 2018

13. Representation Matters!
Positioning for
Success in Tech
 Role Models and
Influencers
Audience Survey #3:
Who encouraged you to pursue a career in the STEM
field? (Please choose one answer)
o Parent
o Other family member
o Teacher/counselor
o Friend/colleague
o Leader in the industry
o Self-motivated
o Other

14. For the panel…
Panel Discussion:
The Importance of Representation
Positioning for
Success in Tech
 Panel Question #5
 Representation Matters:
• Who inspired you to pursue the role that you
are in today and why?
• What is it like to be in a field where not many
others look like you?
• What challenges have you faced and how did
you overcome them?

15. Positioning for Success in
Tech
 Key take-aways
Despiteattempts,manyinTechstilldonotlooklikeyou!
YourinclusionintheTechworkforcematterstothesuccessoftheindustry!
successoftheindustry!
Youarevaluabletoeveryorganization,hereatBEYAandelsewhere!
elsewhere!
Recruitingandhiringisimportant,butretentioniskey!
Yourcareerpathisnotsetinstone.Youareabletopursueyourgoals!
pursueyourgoals!
Points to Remember:

16. Positioning for Success in
Tech
 Opendiscussion
 Q&A with the Panel…
Leadership and Excellence in STEM
Thank you!