“Tech is changing the world. It’s nice to be at the core of that [new technology]. Not watching it, making it happen.”

This quote is from one woman of over ten that I interviewed about their careers in tech. There has been much press about sexual harassment at tech companies. I wondered, “If this is always happening, why does any woman stay in tech?”

I interviewed women that have been in the field more than 5 years, 10, 15, even 30 years. I asked them about the challenges but also why they stay in the field. What are the rewards?

The women I talked with are managers, CEO’s, and individual contributors. The common theme among them is they are really good at what they do. Not that all of them realized that until we talked about their careers. After one interview, one woman said, “Wow, I didn’t realize just how much I’ve accomplished.”

In the coming weeks, I will write about these women, their challenges and the rewards of a career in tech.

Note: I will not use names of the women or company names (in certain cases) to protect their privacy. I will create pseudonyms for the women’s names.