In honor of International Women’s Day, we want to highlight the voice of one of our inspiring Tapcart women. Alexia Standish is a web developer from Dallas, Texas who moved to California one year ago to join our team. During her time here at Tapcart, Alexia has made quite a few contributions including building out our merchant dashboard, completely redoing our marketing site, as well as contributing to our developer tools by building a comprehensive component library for internal use. Outside of programming, Alexia has a knack for design, a passion for music, and is a proud owner of two rescue dogs. She shares her personal and professional experience in the tech world to inspire inclusivity and empower more women coders.

Whenever I’m asked what I do for a living, and I say that ‘I’m a web developer’, I usually get a few raised eyebrows or a look of pure dumbfoundedness. One real response was ‘wOW you’re a girl and YoU cAn CoDE ?’

Don’t get me wrong. I’m flattered at times. But I’d be willing to bet the initial shock is because I’m a woman in a predominantly male field. It seems like the time to be surprised by women taking on challenging careers is long gone. Perhaps the constant surprise is due to the fact that out of all programmers in the US, less than 25% are women and that percentage is predicted to drop to 22% by 2025 (source). In addition, 48% of women in tech reported a marked lack of mentors and advisors (source).

Technological expansion in society is increasing rapidly by the day. I believe it’s important for women to be involved in this progress. Our involvement gives us a voice to positively influence this growth and vocalize our thoughts on how society should tackle any hurdles along the way. Whether one chooses to be a programmer, an innovator, an activist, a CEO of a start-up – the need for more women in tech is there.

Plus, It’s fun and exciting! Learning new things everyday and challenging yourself can be so empowering. I believe there are a lot of qualities and characteristics that make the recipe for empowerment. But, to me, hard work is the cherry on top. It’s the engine that gets the wheels going, the fuel behind the fire… With a go-getter mentality, kick-ass women are very likely to outwork the next guy in order to complete a project, earn a position, or accomplish a goal.

Becoming a developer has made me find so much joy and fulfillment in continuously driving myself to learn more and accomplish my goals. If you would have told me a couple of years ago that I’d be working in tech for a company in Santa Monica, California and living by the beach – I probably wouldn’t have believed you.

If you told me five years ago that I wouldn’t be married or in a serious relationship by now I would have wondered what went wrong… little did I know I’d be more fulfilled and proud of myself than I’d ever been before. Statistics are starting to show an increase in successful, career-focused women getting married later in life. No, there’s obviously nothing wrong with falling in love, getting married, and having a family – those experiences are irreplaceable – BUT this shift in statistics is a perfect representation of independent, driven, intelligent females crushing it in the workforce and changing history. Women have the option to put themselves, their dreams, and aspirations FIRST. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a beautiful thing.

Technology presents an incredible opportunity for the coming generations. Working as a developer motivates you to be educated, creative, and innovative in a field that’s growing exponentially. What better way to make one giant leap for womankind than to be a part of that growth?

Join the growth!

There are several organizations that can provide you with the guidance and assets you need to get started. Universally, the dev community is known for its amazing people, who are friendly and more than willing to help and learn from each other. Here’s a list of some organizations and resources actively supporting women in tech

Girls Who Code

Girls who code provides learning opportunities for students and alumni as well as a strong network/community of women with a common interest and goal.

Women Who Code

Women Who Code is a non-profit with a goal of inspiring women to pursue jobs in tech.

Boss Women Collective

Boss Women Collective is an awesome company that lets women connect to emphasize the value of genuine relationships by building community through mentorship and friendship. Check out their events in your city!

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