 The worst career advice I received was to keep my head down and just work hard.
 And listen, at first, it sounded noble, but what it really did was keep me ind
iscible.
 And don't get me wrong, hard work matters, of course, but saw those race in
 your hand
 in building relationships and sharing your ideas.
 Because if you stay silent, people will never know the value that you bring.
 Thank you.
 [Silence]


The worst career advice was to keep quiet and only work hard, limiting visibility and personal branding.

Elaine mentors tech leaders, focusing on diversity and minority group challenges.

 Hi, I'm Elaine Monteja. I'm based in New York and I've worked in technology for
 over 20 years now.
 I am a founder now and I love mentoring the next generation of tech leaders
 that are coming up.
 I worked in higher ed for 17 years, public education system, and I am excited
 to share my knowledge with anyone who is dealing with impossal syndrome,
 maybe being the only woman in the room, perhaps being the first one or not
 knowing how to prepare to lead in a male dominated environment.
 So if that's you and you belong to a minority group, then I'm the person you
 want to talk to, as a Latina and a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
 I have a lot of insights that I can share and I can't wait to meet you. Thank
 you. Bye.


Elaine Monteja, with 20+ years in technology, mentors upcoming tech leaders, focusing on diversity and minority challenges.