Jerri Barrett

Jerri Barrett is the type of seasoned tech professional who could sell telecommunications equipment to the Amish, the kind of resilient professional who can transition from biotech to high tech marketing, the kind of supporter leader and mentor you would like to call a friend. We are fortunate that she is dedicated to the cause of empowering tech women, and providing opportunities for tech companies to recruit, retain and develop women technology leaders, in partnership with academia, industry and government.

In her decades of experience in high tech, Jerri has witnessed the rapid evolution of technology, and remained at the forefront leading marketing efforts for corporations and start-ups alike. She embraced possibilities and saw opportunities in every challenge, stretching her knowledge, skills and networking abilities along the way, and always finding a way to connect with others and give back. She found herself identified for technical and leadership trainings which further developed her skills and influence and connections. The Anita Borg Institute is fortunate to have Jerri to lead the marketing efforts there. She encouraged us all to:

• Visit http://www.anitaborg.org and sign up on their mailing list.
• Attend the annual Grace Hopper conference.
• Read and download research on recruiting, retaining and developing women in technology, available for free on the web site.
• Volunteer to help with outreach, tell your friends about the organization, and nominate tech women for awards.

In terms of work-life balance, Jerri encourages us to build and seek relationships that are deep and authentic, and set limits to how and when we use devices in our lives. Turning them off will help you turn out other channels and chapters of your life.

Jerri’s journey has been more circuitous than linear, but at each crossroads, she considered the opportunities for growth, the fit with the organization, and remained flexible and open-minded about where each opportunity will take her, making proactive changes and choices where necessary. In this manner, she remains gracious, competent and humble in her current position, and leverages her resilience, knowledge, competence and leadership to empower and inspire tech women across the valley and beyond.