mBolden Spotlight: Jacki Santiago, TechGirlz Volunteer

mBolden, formerly Women in Wireless, is an organization that champions women leaders in the digital space. They recently sat down to interview their very own New York events team member and Techgirlz volunteer, Jacki Santiago. Jacki was a volunteer assistant at the 3D Jewelry Design with Tinkercad & 3D Manufacturing TechGirlz workshop originally ran by Lizz Wiker, 3D Designer for Coach, at NYU Tandon School of Engineering. The full article was originally published on the mBolden blog.


Jacki Santiago

Jacki Santiago is a member of the events team at mBolden. Full-time, she is the Associate Director of Account Management at Aki Technologies, the moment marketing science company that predicts when and how a mobile consumer is most likely to respond to a marketing message.

How do you aim to embolden others?

One of the simplest ways I try to embolden colleagues is by reminding them to stop saying “I’m sorry.” Unless you really need to apologize for poor behavior, your thoughts, opinions and work stand alone and do not merit an apology. Have confidence in your words and believe that your colleagues have the same confidence in you. If you actually aren’t confident in what you’re saying, ask for help! A support system is crucial for personal development.

This goes hand in hand with respect and encouragement. How you behave in the office or out in the world does affect those around you. Be kind, be thoughtful, be respectful. Strive to be a catalyst and push people to discover what they are capable of accomplishing. You never know when a kind word of encouragement will turn someone’s day around and empower them to try something new, or to work harder on a personal project that could turn into the next big app.

Finally, I like to go out into the world and try to spark courage, confidence and enthusiasm if I can. An exciting recent project has introduced me to a program called TechGirlz, whose mission is literally “…to inspire middle school girls to explore the possibilities of technology to empower their future careers.” Talk about emboldening! A friend developed a workshop with TechGirlz to teach girls how to use a simple 3D modeling software to create bracelets, rings, and other pieces, and I was lucky enough to be able to volunteer as a teaching assistant for the session. We’re hoping to make this a recurring workshop and spread the love of technology to the next generation of intelligent, curious young women.

Read the Full Article Here

For more information about becoming a TechGirlz volunteer, visit our Volunteer page.