I was 5. It was Saturday morning. I jumped out of bed, still in my GI Joe pajamas (that my mom hated), and ran to turn the knobs on my parent’s 12 inch color TV set. I could hardly wait for my favorite show, The Jetsons, to start.
As the episode started, Rosie came into the Jetson’s living room, and with a remote control, powered the house, the robo-bird (who was sick), and made breakfast for the family in her robo-stomach. She then diagnosed and treated the bird. How cool is that?
Rosie was my favorite Jetsons character. Why? Because she graciously made due with the sexist expectations programmed into her — being a nurturing maid — and fully embodied her true nature as a powerful woman in charge.
As an engineer, Rosie managed the home of the future. As a doctor, she managed everyone’s health, and as a chef, she managed to always cook up a storm in her belly.
Rosie made sure shit got done.
Of course, I didn’t think or say things like that at 5. I just felt a warm fuzzy feeling inside — one that said, “I want to be like Rosie when I grow up: a powerful woman robot.”
At 5, I didn’t know that I was feminist who loved technology. But now, I do.
At 30, I believe in what Rosie represented for me: feminism. I believe that women are powerful. I believe that more than 5% of tech startup founders and more than 11% of tech executives at Fortune 500 companies should be women (and I’m working on it by adding to the numbers).
At 30, I believe in what Rosie represented for me: technology. I believe that technology is so powerful that it can help address human challenges and limitations at unprecedented levels.
And I’m happy to announce that Rosie is becoming more of a reality thanks to cognitive computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and IBM Watson. Today, in health, Watson is a doctor who can monitor illnesses on an individual and personalized basis; in food, Watson is a chef that takes your personal palette into consideration while building recipes; in business, Watson is an expert that helps make the most use of your data and helps you make optimal business decisions; in education, Watson is a teacher who provides personalized learning for each child (and adult); in manufacturing, Watson is an engineer and operations guru who automates, optimizes, and streamlines on her own; in buildings, Watson in an electrician who manages energy consumption and other operations; in homes, Watson is an Internet of Things (IoT) manager who enables smart refrigerators to order food; in cars, Watson is your driver and infotainment, and so much more.
I thank Rosie and The Jetsons for helping me see the possibilities in technology, when I was 5 and now that I am 30.
I want in. Hi, my name is Lolita Taub. I’m a feminist woman of age 30. I wore GI Joe pajamas as a child and my favorite show was The Jetsons. My intrigue of Rosie jump started my path to my 9 year long (and counting) career in tech. And I want in on the world of cognitive computing and AI.
I have what it takes. I’ve built a career in the tech industry by identifying and providing solutions to develop the businesses of clients. I have spent most of my career selling hardware, software, and services; I have sold solutions involving Data Analytics, Cloud, Mobile, Social, Security, and IoT. My team closed the first IBM US Cloud sale at an ERP provider; my team sold the first Cisco Systems IoT Connected Cities project to an Indian Reservation; and my team lead the way to Silicon Valley’s Glassbreakers (machine learning) inclusion software sale to one of the world’s largest electronics manufacturers.
The cognitive computing and AI space needs people, like me, who can identify, provide, and sell solutions to the world of the future.
The cognitive computing and AI space needs people, like me, who come armed with diverse perspectives, experiences, passion, and faith in the present and the future of technology.
I am here.
I am a woman in tech.
Originally published at Medium.com on September 1, 2016.