Venus Quates was destined to become an entrepreneur.
Growing up on Buffalo’s East Side with a single mother, she dressed in a business suit and brought a briefcase to preschool. As an inquisitive only child, Venus asked for raffle tickets instead of the newest toys. She’d sell them, draw a winner and then gift them something she made herself at home. And as she thrived at City Honors School, surrounded by peers living with means greater than her own, it thrusted her into a world of believing bigger.
Venus has carried that powerful mindset through a career with the Air Force and into her current role as the founder, president and CEO of LaunchTech – an award-winning tech solutions provider that is one of the fastest-growing woman-owned firms in the country.
“I came from here,” Venus told a sold-out crowd at the Women in Tech WNY conference on March 27. “Why that is important is because if you came here with any doubts, I want to dispel that.”
The empowering keynote speech about breaking in, leveling up and giving back capped off the biggest-ever Women in Tech WNY, presented by TechBuffalo in partnership with 43North and Be in Buffalo. Five hundred women and allies convened at Seneca One for the fourth annual event for an inspiring afternoon of learning, growing and forging new connections that will drive meaningful change and inclusive innovation in Western New York.
“Encouraging others is important, and that’s one of the reasons why I love this event,” she said. “We’re not just here for ourselves.”
While Venus broke into the tech industry through her entrepreneurial spirit, she took it upon herself to level up her career after the military.
She consumed IT magazines to learn about the newest trends, flew herself across the country on her own vacation time to take certification classes and leveraged her security clearance to become a highly marketable professional in the world of government contracting.
“Don’t wait for somebody,” she said. “Invest in yourself.”
Those experiences gave her the confidence to start LaunchTech, which has provided her with more opportunities to give back to organizations making a difference in communities like Buffalo and to inspire people who deserve greater chances and representation in the tech industry to manifest their own dreams.
“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living,” Venus said, repeating her favorite quote from Nelson Mandela. “Believe bigger, dream bigger, do bigger – with a spirit of excellence. Can you promise me that?”
See yourself in tech
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Words to live by
There was so much communal wisdom shared at this year’s Women in Tech WNY. Among the many thoughtful moments, here are a few that really stood out.
Inspire.
- From the veterinary field to Geek Squad to further into the tech world, attendee Melissa Morga was elated to see that not everyone has a traditional pathway into technology, and that there is a community of support for women like her. She’s in an adult workforce training program at the Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology and considers herself as emerging in the tech field. “Not only do I want to get into the tech industry, I want to excel at it.”
- Rich Products was born out of innovation, and today it inspires all of its employees to see themselves as innovators by encouraging them to recognize opportunities to make an impact. Workshop speaker Cathy Domin said that making time for reflection and prioritizing innovation time are best practices that any organization can apply. She also emphasized the importance of collaboration and valuing other perspectives. “This is a superpower that you can develop in yourself. Add that to your technical skills, and you’ll be someone that your organization will gravitate to.”
Empower.
- Tech workers at IBM Buffalo developed the Care Connect app for Los Angeles County, Calif. It’s a one-stop app that gives community members access to a wide range of services from substance abuse to navigating back into society after being in prison to accessing transportation to get to providers. When wildfires devastated parts of the county earlier this year, IBM Buffalo, with the blessing of corporate leaders, worked long hours to enhance the app to the needs of those affected by the fire – from where the fire was raging, to a house at risk of burning, to shelters for pets whose homes burned. It took about a week of intense work to adapt the app, to serve victims of the fires, said workshop presenter Beth Cote, operations and talent manager at IBM Buffalo.
- While working in the dining halls at the Rochester Institute of Technology, current University at Buffalo Ph. D student Lipisha Chaudhary witnessed firsthand the struggles deaf-or-hard-of-hearing individuals had with the most basic of communication. Her ongoing research on the two-way translation (sign to text and text to sign) of American Sign Language is empowering D/HH people through the use of AI mapping of hand movements and facial expressions. She hopes that future practical applications of this technology will be included at places such as campuses and drive-thrus. “We’re not just doing AI for the sake of AI. We’re using AI to help society.”
Innovate.
- Driving a meaningful marketing result, whether it’s fostering engagement with your audience or relationship building, needs clarity of purpose. Analyzing your audience and creativity helps, too. Spotify observed there was a disconnect between where new music is promoted and where it is consumed. Artists were promoting new music on night talk shows, on Twitch and other venues. “That led us to our opportunity, which was to make Spotify the best place to announce new music,” said Tiffanie Woods, a Spotify for Artists social media manager who presented as part of the workshop, Getting the REAL Work Done. The key to not overwhelming customers with new concepts and content was a strategic, integrated rollout.
- AI and virtual reality technology are fueling innovation at Rich’s. Gina Lalka says creating a culture of learning starts with you. If there isn’t a community of tech innovators, initiate one and lead the way for others. Curiosity is your greatest asset, so own your learning. Taking small steps can still create big impact and open the doors to the next opportunity.
Be IN.
- Madhuri Naik earned her master’s degree in data science from UB in December and wants to be in the tech industry, but she also wants to talk face to face with people who are already in the business. Attending this event gave her the perfect chance. An international student from India, she was hoping to connect with employees at some of the companies where she hopes to work. She went through the conference schedule and found the “amazing women” who spoke at the event. “I’m talking to these people in person, understanding how the company culture is and talking about the various projects they are working on. It’s quite good to know.”
- UB associate professor Dr. Ifeoma Nwogu closed her workshop with the lessons that she’s learned through her behavioral AI research. When she started her Ph. D, she constantly felt like she didn’t belong in the room. Everyone else seemed smarter, more prepared and more certain. She thought confidence was something you had to earn before speaking up. “What I learned is that it’s the opposite. Confidence comes after you show up, after you try, after you raise your hand even when you’re unsure.”
Recommended reading from UB’s Dr. Ifeoma Nwogu: “Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead” by Sheryl Sandberg.
How to stay involved
Coming together to build a bigger table in Buffalo’s tech scene is more than just an annual occurrence. In addition to our conference, there are quarterly Women in Tech networking meetups brought to you by TechBuffalo, 43North and Be in Buffalo.
Subscribe to our calendar to make sure you get notified about our upcoming events. Also follow Women in Tech on LinkedIn and Instagram!
Thank you to title sponsor Rich Products; digital experience sponsor M&T Tech; networking sponsors Amazon Web Services, MongoDB and ePlus; workshop presenting sponsors Lighthouse Technology Services, Connolly Studios and OneBridge Benefits; and video sponsor Uplifter Video!
