Frauen machen MINT#31: Career in the tech industry and unconscious bias with Katya Kempkens

In our first podcast episode in English we talk to Katya Kempkens. Katya studied Software Engineering at Stanford University and has worked in various Software Engineering positions in the tech industry in the USA and Germany. 

In this podcast episode Katya tells how she discovered her interest in computer science even though she was never “one of those kids who started programming when they were ten years old”. We speak about differences between working in the USA and Germany as well as about Katya’s current Engineering Manager position. Katya talks about her beginnings as a people manager and what advice she would give to engineers who are uncertain whether to pursue a technical expert career or move into a management role.

We speak about unconscious bias and which unexpected findings Katya had after taking the Harvard Implicit Association Test. Katya emphasizes the importance of being aware of your unconscious biases and acting against them. She gives us insights into which actions she takes as a people leader in order to act against unconscious bias within her team. 

It’s an authentic and open discussion in which Katya shares her years of experience in the tech industry with us and gives food for thought on how to tackle unconscious bias.