When I began my career in technology, I was 32 years old, lived in Chicago, was married to a man, and pregnant with my first child. Today, 13 years later, I am still working in technology, divorced, have two children, live in Austin, and I am openly gay. My life has evolved drastically, yet the one constant piece—working in tech—has not changed. And for that, I am forever grateful. The tech industry is evolving when it comes to diversity and inclusion. In 2024, women made up just 33% of the tech-related workforce, with the LGBTQ+ community making up only 2–3%. So yes, there’s more work to be done. And I know not everyone reading this will have experienced the same acceptance in tech as I have, which also means we have more work to do.