Ep 68: Pam Metivier: You Don’t Have to Be Exceptional to Be Equal

Diva Tech Talk Podcast

Diva Tech Talk interviewed Monsoon Strategy Partner, Pam Metivier, Co-Creator of STEAMTeam ®5, a children’s series to get girls excited about STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math. Pam considers this not just a series but “the beginning of a movement,” that tells the stories of five girls who use science, technology, engineering, art, and math to accomplish their goals. The books are available on Amazon (www.amazon.com) or on their own website (www.steamteam5.com).

Pam was always a tech maven. “As a child I always liked to take things apart. I took apart my favorite Christmas gift: a Timex watch, when I was about 8,” she said. “And I’ve also been interested in writing my entire life. So, I got a degree in technical writing” from Oklahoma State University (https://go.okstate.edu/).

Pam’s early career focused on writing technical and design specifications. Her first job was as a senior tech writer at hospitality software company, Sulcus Hospitality Group. “I started out writing manuals,” she explained. “In doing so, you identify opportunities to make the product better.” Her next career step was product marketing. “In 1995, I was working for a software company (First Data Corporation: https://www.firstdata.com/) that decided it wanted to create the first online banking application. I taught myself HTML.” Pam was recruited into First Data’s product development team, “defining requirements, and stuff like that.”

In 1997, Pam moved to Silicon Valley, as a tech writer, for Vantive, subsequently acquired by PeopleSoft, then swallowed by Oracle Corporation – www.oracle.com - in 2002. From technical writer, Pam was promoted to direct Vantive’s Website development. “Then I moved to co- found my first startup, and it was a little scary but very exciting” Pam said. She headed product marketing at Clip2, her company, which was one of the first social bookmarking sites. Pam said that “I’ve always kept my hands dirty. I can always use the tools that I recommend my clients should use.”

She is highly enthusiastic about STEAMTeam®5. “My business partner and I created this series. He invented it while he was playing with his daughter. He wanted to infuse education into their playtime.” The real breakthrough came when Pam attended the Washington D.C. WOMEN’S MARCH in January 2017 (https://www.womensmarch.com/). “I left there wondering: What can I do to contribute in a positive way to the issues that I care about most, which are education, science, women and girls, and their equality?” STEAMTeam®5 was her answer. “I had an ‘ah ha’ moment, where it was clear that an answer would be to flesh out these theme characters, and create a book series aimed toward little girls, and boys, too, to help normalize girls and STEM and STEAM”. Girls reading it would “identify with role models, who are young and fun and someone they would like to be, someday.”

As far as tech industry equity, Pam said: “The problem starts with girls younger than we thought. We need to start with girls when they’re very, very young --- even preschool age.” While STEAMTeam®5 was written for those from 7 to 11 years of age, the audience for the series can be kids as young as 3, with their parents reading to them. If a parent or teacher connects simple things to engineering and science, children will understand that “science is fun!” She stated: “You don’t have to exceptional to be equal. I think that is a message that young girls need to hear. My goal is to normalize seeing women and girls in STEM/STEAM courses at school, and in tech careers.”

As a busy Mom and entrepreneur, Pam focuses on “one day at a time. Did I balance on that particular day?” Also, “I take little breaks from work to check in with my child to just make sure that he is engaged; or we’ll do something fun together.” Additionally, she said: “I’m working really hard on putting my phone away.” Pam Metivier can be reached on Twitter at @metivier.

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