Blogs

​The women of IBM are doing some amazing things to change the world, so let’s celebrate them! We caught up with Nishtha Madaan, Research Engineer at IBM India and an AI superstar! In 2017, Nishtha and her team published a viral paper on the presence of gender stereotypes in Bollywood movies and how we can use AI to remove these stereotypes from the text.Want to learn more about the incredible women at IBM and how you can join them and work at IBM? Head over to our Careers Page.​​Tell us a little about yourself!I started my professional journey 5 years ago with IBM Research in India and it has been incredible. Currently, I work as an Advisory Research Engineer with the Trusted AI Team. We work on integrating fairness into machine learning models so that the solutions are trustworthy, inclusive, and explainable.​What set you on the road to where you are?In 2017, my senior manager and I started studying Bollywood movie storylines to show that AI fairness is necessary. We explored ways to mitigate the biases present in these stories.During this time, I mentored some fantastic interns, who helped work on this problem. Soon after we completed this work and published our research online, it was cited by several news companies and premier newspapers like Times of India and Hindustan Times. More than 50 platforms published articles on our work and I even got invited to talk at several international and national venues.​What has been your biggest success?I was named among the Top 100 Women in AI Ethics 2019 globally. I was the only selection from India. It led to my increased interest in the area. We now have a formal team of researchers working on AI Fairness with many of our clients.​Why did you choose IBM?I attribute all my achievements to the flexibility and inclusive work environment offered by IBM. We are allowed to collaborate freely, which has been fuelling my personal growth.​What do you enjoy doing outside of work? How do you find a balance between these things and your work?I like to mentor students outside of work. This helps expand my horizon and get some experience on how to fail or succeed in various different ways. Therefore, I learn every day that there is no set path of success or possible failure. So, I try to do my best in everything and leave the rest.​The original blog was published here.

​Last year, we sat down with IBM’s D&I Women’s Community Leader, Julie, to discuss the many ways women have found success in their careers while working at IBM. We’re happy to provide an updated list of new and expanded programs and opportunities for women at IBM to leverage as they continue to build their careers.At IBM, women have been making contributions to the advancement of technology since the company’s founding, playing a critical role in driving innovation and transformation. IBM hired its first woman employee in 1899 and has been creating meaningful roles and opportunities for women ever since.IBM recognizes that a diverse leadership team and a culture of conscious inclusion, belonging, and active allyship are vital to fostering innovation and business growth. We’re proud to offer several career, leadership, mentorship, sponsorship, and upskilling opportunities for women all around the world.​​Career Acceleration ProgramsWe’ve had several thousand women at IBM participate in a career acceleration program aimed at growing leadership and networking skills. Below is a sampling of our global offerings, as well as some of our many geography-based programs designed to address specific regional needs.​Global Programs:1. Building Relationships & InfluenceA global leadership program for women with executive potential, designed to accelerate their IBM career through face-to-face sessions and action-centered learning. Women at IBM explore ways to advance their leadership experience, build more effective business relationships, and improve influencing skills.2. Creating Your Leadership JourneyAlso known as “Level Up”, this program is designed to develop executive potential women for leadership roles. It offers participants the opportunity to learn strategies for increasing visibility and identify ways to balance the demands of work and home life.3. Unleashing Your Leadership PotentialA book club-like learning series designed to strengthen leadership skills of IBMers to become influential leaders. Women at IBM have the opportunity to learn how to enhance their personal branding, build stronger relationships, and find better work-life integration.4. Women in the Corner OfficeThis program focuses on fostering a more inclusive work environment to support the career acceleration of IBM women. It features quarterly round tables with executives who provide career advice and networking, as well as opportunities for women to connect with a mentor, coach, or sponsor.​Geography-Based Offerings:5. Elevate Women Leadership DevelopmentFor IBM women in Central and Eastern Europe, East Africa, and Latin America, this program is an opportunity to develop leadership skills through a customized and tailored learning plan. It focuses on how to create a leadership journey and build a personal brand that resonates.6. DACH Women & LeadershipFor IBM women in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, this program is designed to help women at IBM develop 21st century leadership skills. It’s a chance for women to gain confidence while creating personal strategies for career development.7. TanmatraFor IBM women in India, this program offers a blend of academic, experiential, and reflective learning to help participants develop personal, functional, and strategic leadership skills. Over the course of nine months, women learn how to prepare to become executives through job shadowing and networking sessions with business leaders, as well as opportunities for mentoring and one-on-one consulting.8. Lean In for AllyshipAlso for women at IBM in India, this new program educates managers on the importance of advocacy for women to ensure they’re on the slate for promotions to leadership positions.9. Top Women Elite CircleFor IBM women in China, this program accelerates the personal and professional growth of early career women, blending group and personal coaching activities to assist in gaining a deeper awareness and connection to oneself.10. Europe Elevate+This program is designed for women across Europe who want to reach an executive level in their career. During this 12-month program, participants partake in leadership development sessions, individual coaching, and sponsorship.11. Women Advancement Through Leadership & KnowledgeFor early career, IBM women in Mexico, this program offers structured mentoring and learnings to develop leadership skills, enhance business acumen, and improve personal branding.12. W50 Women in LeadershipFor IBM women in Japan, the goal of this program is to develop and promote early and mid-career women into management roles, which are characteristically held by men in Japan. It focuses on developing leadership skills, networking, job shadowing, and sponsorship.​​Mentorship & SponsorshipMentorship and sponsorship are at the forefront of IBM’s culture. IBM mentors and career coaches take the time to actively listen to mentees, while empowering them to build a plan to advance their careers the way they choose to. An IBM sponsor will stand up for women even when they’re not in the room.IBM has also developed several programs to advance women at IBM in technical roles, which helps increase the representation of women in the technical executive population. Additionally, IBM’s emphasis on skills over degrees has opened a route to the technology industry for women from underrepresented communities.13. Tech Re-EntryWomen may need to leave their jobs, mid-career, for a variety of reasons. They may need to care for children or elderly parents, relocate with their family, or complete their higher education studies. IBM designed the Tech Re-Entry program for technical professionals who left the workforce and want to restart their careers and transition back into the workplace.In this paid, six-month program, returning professionals can refresh their skills with prescriptive learning plans and work on high-impact projects alongside multi-disciplinary teams to deliver client-critical solutions. The program is available worldwide and may vary by country or circumstance. You can learn more here.14. IBM ApprenticeshipThis full-time, earn-and-learn program, is designed for individuals, often without traditional four-year degrees, who are looking to reinvent their careers and make the shift from less flexible careers, such as food service, retail, and manufacturing, to become Cybersecurity Analysts, Digital Designers, Developers, and more.Participants can collaborate and network with real IBMers, receive mentorship from experts in their field, earn digital credentials, and fast-track their technical and professional development. You can learn more here.15. Journey to AllyshipThis unique campaign to increase allyship at IBM is comprised of a cohort of women and allies joining forces for ten months to participate in education and learnings, collaborate on careers and leadership, and work together to embrace a collection of high-impact actions everyone can take to create, and become, better allies across IBM.16. STAR Executive Sponsorship ProgramThe Systems Talent Acceleration and Recognition (STAR) Executive Sponsorship Program is designed to help mid-level women grow their leadership skills for executive potential positions. The program lasts between 6-12 months, with participants hearing from various IBM speakers to gain a greater understanding of leadership opportunities at IBM.17. Pathways to Technical LeadershipThis program is designed to recruit, develop, and retain mid-career, diverse technical leaders. Participants can identify their career aspirations and develop leadership skills with self-paced education, workshops, mentoring, and personalized training. Senior leaders actively engage with participants, offering shadowing opportunities and hosting roundtable career discussions.​​Business Resource Groups (BRGs)BRGs at IBM are global and local, employee run communities for individuals with similar identities, along with their allies. IBM offers more than 65 virtual and in-person BRGs specifically for women worldwide that helps expand their personal and professional networks, develop key skills, gain access to mentorship and sponsorship, and advocate for issues important to women. Simply put, BRGs are the feet on the ground for the engagement of women at IBM.18. Here are a few examples of the many BRGs for women at IBM:“SWIFT” (Successful Women Inspiring Future Talent), is a global BRG with a membership of over 5,000 women from North America that provides tailored support for personal growth and career development through networking and mentoring activities.India has the largest BRG for women, with multiple chapters around the country, for women at IBM to participate either in-person or virtually. They work closely with diversity and inclusion leaders to create allyship, improve women’s health and well-being, and host career strategy events.The Americas also have very active BRGs in cities like New York City, NY, Austin, TX, Atlanta, GA, San Francisco, CA and the surrounding Valley area, and many other cities across the U.S., Canada and Latin America. They host events and workshops all year long, with multiple celebrations during Women’s History Month in March. These events focus on topics like intersectionality, volunteerism, leadership, career journeys, managing work and home life, and caretaking.“Connecting Women”, one of the largest BRGs in Europe, Middle East, and Africa, includes several countries and regions that host both in-person and virtual events. Topics are centered around issues that women want to learn about…everything from careers to menopause.We recently launched a BRG in the Greater China Group region, focused on growing careers and women representation across all technical and non-technical roles.​External PartnershipsIBM teams with external organizations devoted to making a difference, leveraging research, and offering resources and support to women at IBM.19. Conferences for WomenConferences for Women is the largest network of women’s conferences in the U.S. Its mission is to promote, communicate, and amplify the influence of women in the workplace and beyond. Women at IBM have the opportunity to participate in these conferences in California, Texas, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. You can learn more here.20. Women’s Business Collaborative (WBC)This alliance of national professional women’s organizations works together to achieve equal pay, position, and power for all businesswomen. Tens of thousands of diverse, professional women and men and business and media organizations help accelerate change through collaboration, advocacy, action and accountability. All IBMers can participate in any WBC event. You can learn more here.21. Society of Women Engineers (SWE)A global, non-profit organization, with a membership of nearly 30,000 individuals, focused on issues of interest to women who specialize in engineering and other technical careers. IBM has been a long-standing partner and sponsors membership for technical women at IBM to join. You can learn more here.22. The WIT NetworkA global and local Not-for-Profit organization that provides inspiration, education, mentoring, networking, and practical advice to empower individuals to help build and grow their careers in technology. Its mission is to encourage women and girls to study STEM and pursue careers in technology, enable more women to attain leadership positions and career advancement, and help companies change the landscape of gender equality in their business. All IBMers can participate in any WIT event. You can learn more here.​

I​BM has a long history of actively supporting diversity and inclusion — from policies enacted for equal pay for equal work in 1935 to providing domestic partnership benefits over 20 years ago (being one of the first major corporations to do so) to active opposition to Texas’s anti-LGBT proposed legislation. In everyday life at IBM, there are programs, policies, and people driving inclusive behavior, including ensuring equal representation for growth opportunities and anti-bullying training required for all employees. Just recently, I got to speak at Silicon Valley Forum’s Women in Tech Festival as IBM was the premier sponsor for the event.​I started my career at IBM many years ago. I left after 11 years and spent 3 years in startups and doing independent consulting and then returned to IBM. I spent my career applying new technologies to solve client problems and driving the evolution of the technologies into hardened software products and cloud services. In 2014, I founded the IBM Garage to co-create innovative solutions with clients using IBM Cloud and I’ve been the CTO thru our incremental growth and now exponential growth with IBM adopting the IBM Garage Methodology across the company. In 2017, I was appointed IBM Fellow by our CEO, the highest technical executive level in IBM. I am one of 89 active Fellows developing and driving our technical strategy. A key role of IBM Fellows and all technical leaders in IBM is to grow our technical talent and I believe that diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our success as a company and as a technical community. This year we reached a milestone with 4 out of our 8 new IBM fellows being women!Step one to driving the expansion of diversity and inclusion is to establish a personal deep belief that they are core to business success and are personally enriching. I learned to value diversity at a young age as my mother has always fought for equal rights. I later learned the value of diverse teams in business, both from my personal experience and from studies such as McKinsey’s ‘Delivering thru Diversity’ and IBM’s ‘Women, leadership, and the priority paradox.’ I take actions every week to ensure inclusion. This week I consulted our Diversity and Inclusion office on diversity of photos for a publication, worked on shaping a job role for a high potential woman architect, and nominated attendees for Grace Hopper from outside of North America.​Walking the TalkOur team has a diverse set of designers, developers, and architects. We have Garages focused on IBM Cloud in 12 countries. We have men and women, people of various ethnicities and religions, recent graduates to 30 year IBMers, right brain and left brain thinkers, introverts and extroverts, geeks and sports lovers. The diversity and inclusion in the Garages have been critical to our success innovating with clients.Here are some of the things we are doing to foster diversity in IBM, and I’ve added some advice for potential employees too:• Hiring diverse leaders who have empathyWe focus on ensuring diversity in our leadership team at all levels. We ask our minority (of all kinds) leaders to take a leadership role in improving diversity. Leaders who empathize with different points of views and ways of working will foster a culture of lively interactions maximizing the benefits of diversity. As a prospective employee, consider the diversity of the leadership of the company and the part of the company you would work for. At IBM, our female CEO Ginni Rometty is a truly inspirational leader and caring person. In the IBM Garage for Cloud, we have 7 male leaders and 6 female leaders of various ethnicities, religions, and ages across the world.•Ensuring interviewers come from diverse backgrounds – matched to candidates when possibleI often remind hiring managers that any candidate who is a woman or minority and/or places priority on diversity will absolutely notice the diversity of a team when they interact or interview with that team. We have a lot of women leaders in the Garage. We make a point of having women interview women candidates and matching roles (e.g. a technical woman interviewing a technical candidate), and do our best to have diversity in all sets of interviewers. Is there diversity in who is interviewing you appropriate for the region you are in? Just this week, I got a good lesson in considering the regional population diversity – don’t apply what would be diverse representational from one region to another.•Having an intentionally inclusive public presenceImagine a 25-year-old Latina researching a company she is interviewing for and sees a speaker lineup that is mostly white male over 40 on their conference website. If I were her, I might not even show up for the interview. Is the company you are interviewing for showing and actively promoting diversity in their public presence? At IBM, diversity and inclusion are considered core to the success of our business and it shows on every public platform. This week, when asked to recommend a few Garage consultants to include in a social media event, I recommended women and men from geographies outside of US and of different ethnicities and different job roles.BeingTruly Inclusive, Not just DiverseDiversity and inclusion must go to together. In an article on inclusion, the Society for Human Resource Management defines inclusion as “the achievement of a work environment in which all individuals are treated fairly and respectfully, have equal access to opportunities and resources, and can contribute fully to the organization’s success.” I think what makes an environment truly inclusive is:•Value, action, and continuous improvementInclusion isn’t just to be talked about, action must be taken. Missteps occur, in life and work, that need to be addressed, differences need to be celebrated, and everyone must be held accountable. There was a mistake in scheduling a recognition event in conflict with a major religious holiday of one of the people being recognized. That team is now checking for religious holidays against the planned attendees. As a potential employee, ask how missteps are handled by the company you are considering? If you are determining whether a company is right for you, ask to talk to potential colleagues so you can ask them about the culture and what efforts are made to continuously improve. If you are considering IBM, I am confident you will be impressed with what you hear (as I am impressed by what we do).• Programs and policies, and use dataDoes the company you are interviewing at have programs that are proactive in matching women and minorities with growth opportunities and mentors? We have lots and lots of programs and communities. I co-lead a women’s group for technical women in our IBM Cloud and Cognitive organization building community and providing valuable guidance. Another example is that I always check and drive that the diversity of attendees nominated for a special training match the diversity of the organization’s population. My favorite new program IBM has is ‘Tech Re-entry’ which provides paid apprenticeships to talented technical professionals who took a break from the workforce for whatever reason, and would like to come back and relaunch their careers.• Setting expectations and actively addressing issuesThe IBM Garage recently published a blog series. We sent out a request for diverse population of writers. However we got submissions mostly from men in North America, coming from the experienced population. Upon seeing this, we proactively asked consultants from other geographies, women, and people with different experience levels to write additional blogs. We also discussed it as a senior leadership team, and I’m optimistic we will do better in the future.• Knowledge and sensitivityAs you start a new job, you can respect people’s privacy while getting to know them at a more personal level. Take the time to get to you know your colleagues more holistically, so you can better benefit from their different points of view and become knowledgeable about them in order to be more inclusive. Imagine you learn that a third of your team doesn’t have kids. Change the ‘how was your weekend’ discussion that is getting dominated by ‘teenagers are a delight…’ (I know as I have one) and unintentionally excludes non-parents to a more inclusive discussion.Seeing Real ResultsDiversity and inclusion aren’t always easy – it is easier to relate to people like ourselves, but that is simply not as interesting or productive or innovative. No one and no organization are perfect on inclusion. When we aren’t inclusive, we need to recognize it, learn, correct, and address how to avoid the lack of inclusion going forward. The starting point is to truly care about diversity and inclusion and continuously improve.I see the difference diversity and inclusion make every week in our Garage work and in IBM. I learn from differences in thinking far more than I do from homogeneity. The quality of creative ideas we develop for our clients are very much improved by bringing together different points of view. The breakthrough ideas most often come from reaching beyond our own experiences. And for me personally, seeking and having diversity amongst my team, my colleagues, and my friends greatly enriches my life.I and my career have benefited from IBM’s inclusion programs. I’m participating in IBM’s public Be Equal program, a call to arms to society at large to promote gender equality. I hope you will join our Be Equal community and make a pledge too. In conclusion, I’m proud to be a female IBM Fellow, proud to be a female IBMer, and proud to be an IBMer.The original blog was published here.