Hi fellow Females of Filadelphia readers 🌻 Hope everyone is staying safe and practicing self-care. I am SUPER excited about today’s spotlight: Jumoke Dada! I first heard Jumoke at an internal company event for women in tech and was super inspired by her story, intelligence and drive. A few months ago I made a list of people I wished to one day interview and she was on it and now she’s an interviewee! Before I say more, let’s start the interview…
V: Before we get into the details, tell the readers a bit about who you are.
J: Sure! My name is Jumoke Dada and I am the founder of Signature RED, which is a technology consulting company, and the creator of the Tech Women Network and HUE Tech Summit. I consult by taking on contracts at different companies and provide technical project management services. Outside of that, I create tools, products and experiences for women with careers in technology. I do that through the Tech Women Network and the HUE Tech Summit conference.
V: What were your experiences prior to starting Signature RED and what did that transition look like with starting your business?
J: I moved from New York to Philadelphia to go to Temple University. I ended up in the College of Science & Technology because I studied Computer & Information Sciences. Immediately after graduation, I went to work in corporate IT. I started out as a developer for a major HR consulting company. Then I moved to different roles in corporate IT; I was a Senior Systems Analyst and then realized that I liked working with people and doing less hard core coding so I became a Business Systems Analyst. I liked being a liaison between the business side and the IT department. That’s how I eventually made my way into project management. I later went through a period of wanting to leave corporate America because there was just this part of me that had an entrepreneurial aspiration.Â
Fast forward, eventually I decided to start my own company and I called it Signature RED (SR). Initially, I went in a different direction and started producing professional networking events for women, so SR began as a marketing and events company. But I ended up coming full circle because I made my way back to IT- the very thing that I tried to get away from in my career. When I learned about the need for more women in STEM careers and more black women who code, I pivoted and changed my general professional events to tech events for women. So there I was doing the tech project management work and producing about 2 or 3 tech events a year.
In 2016, I found myself looking for more community which is when I ended up creating the Tech Women Network and launched it in 2017. Originally, I created it for the purpose of centralizing women in tech and resources for women in tech. I began networking heavily and after going to a few conferences in different cities, etc., I realized that I didn’t see many women of color. I began wondering, where are the women of color… the black women? Especially because Philadelphia has so many colleges and universities- Temple, UPenn, Drexel, etc.- and they all have computer science programs.and I knew that people of color were going through those programs because I did. So why didn’t I see them at events, conferences, etc.?
Fast forward, I wanted to start drawing out more women of color. So after launching the Tech Women Network platform in March 2017, by that November, I hosted a soul food dinner that I called the HUE Tech Talk. It was a fireside chat with a Senior VP here in Philadelphia. It was amazing! Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to talk about all the topics so I realized there needed to be a full one-day summit. The following May of 2018, I produced the inaugural HUE Tech Summit with the theme “No More Hidden Figures”. It was a call for women of color in tech to come forth so that we could see each other, connect with each other, and learn more about technology from each other.Â
V: I know a lot of us that graduated are thinking of starting businesses. I always wonder what that first logistical step is when starting a business. What was your first step, was it a business plan or something else?
J: I kind of just jumped in. I’m a trained technologist because that’s what I went to school for, but naturally I’m a visionary and marketer. I am more of a creative and artsy person. For years I sat on so many ideas and just decided that it was time to start producing them. I realized that I needed a business plan, so I ended up going back to Temple because I learned they had a Small Business Development Center (SBDC). It was through that program, that I began fleshing out a business plan. I didn’t study business at Temple so I started with ideas and what came naturally, but I realized that I needed more structure. In summary, the first step I took was to go to the Temple University Small Business Development Center and learn how to create a business plan.
V: What would you say is next for you? Is it growing the brands or maybe even pivoting?
J: I’m actually in the middle of a pivot right now. With Signature RED, even though it’s my company, the name has taken a back seat because I’m pushing more of the brands to the forefront. It’s kind of like how you know Dove, but Unilever is really the company behind Dove. That’s what I’m doing now with the Tech Women Network- really putting that in the forefront of what I do.Â
My mission continues to be to educate, elevate and empower diverse technical women through my platform, experiences, products, and storytelling. The thing that is most different now is that the empowerment piece has mostly been implemented through events, but with Covid-19 and some epiphanies that I’ve had, I’ve realized that I want to be able to help women thrive.
To help women thrive, especially in this climate where a lot of people are looking for jobs, it makes sense to add a talent development and recruitment piece to what I do. I never saw myself in HR per se but if I have a network of women, and some of them are looking for jobs, and recruiters are reaching out to me to ask me if I know anyone that would fit certain roles, then it makes sense for me to infuse that into my business model. That’s what I’m working through right now.Â
When you ask about a pivot, it’s me focusing and realigning what I can do to help women find jobs and tighten up their skills. To that effect, I’ll also be launching online courses because we have a number of amazing women that can teach. I like the idea of members of the network helping members of the network. I don’t think learning has to start and stop with the HUE Tech Summit, for example. If someone came to the summit and learned about cybersecurity and liked it, then we can have part two next month with the same speaker. I want to have more programming throughout the year. And that’s what I’m developing now, both the HR/recruitment piece and the online programs.
V: That’s incredible- I can’t wait to see the programming you’ll be doing. As a final question, what advice would you give to college students or grads like myself, especially with the market today?
J: I believe that the class of 2020 is so special. I believe that you are the future. When the unknown or the unexpected happens, how you react to it is going to be such a great character-building experience. It will give you the resilience to make anything happen for yourselves. My advice, honestly, is just to have hope. Trust and know that this [pandemic and racially-charged climate] will pass. Build your network. Stay in touch with each other. Figure out some problems that you can solve. Have hope.
Just because there aren’t many jobs right now, that doesn’t have to stop you from building your portfolio. Depending on what industry you’re in- start working on projects. Do things to get experience. Now everything is virtual. You can create a nice portfolio for yourself in order to position yourself better when the market changes. I really think you all need to hold onto each other during these times. Encourage each other. Build really strong networks with one another. I believe every level, from kindergarten up to doctoral programs, in the 2020 class, makes it a special class. I’m excited for the future because of you.