(upbeat music) >> Announcer: From the VMware campus in Palo Alto, CA Its theCUBE covering Women Transforming Technology. (music beats) >> I'm Lisa Martin with theCUBE and we are on the ground in Palo Alto at VMware for the third annual Women Transforming Technology event. Excited to be talking with Stephanie Joe, next Vice President of Operations in the Networking and Security business here at VMware. Hi Stephanie. >> Hi, thanks for having me. >> Lisa: Thanks for joining me today >> Lisa: Absolutely, our pleasure >> So, you've been in tech for a long time at VMware, for about five years. >> Stephanie: Yes >> Tell me a little bit about your journey in tech. Was it, did you want to get into software and technology many years ago? >> Stephanie: So being actually a native of the Silicone Valley and being raised in this in California, my father worked for a high tech company for 30 plus years. And so, for me it was natural to go into technology. I'm very much of a finance person and numbers person, so it gave me the opportunity to take my desire for math and my desire for finance and be close to products and be close to innovation. So, I would say yes, from early on it was no question that I would be working in technology. Its a great place to be in the Silicone Valley for that. >> Lisa: It is. It really is. >> yeah yeah >> So you were in finance for a long time >> Stephanie: Yes >> then moved into operations. >> Stephanie: Yes, a couple years ago. >> How did you get that courage to go, you know what I've been doing this for a long time >> Stephanie: Yeah >> and you mentioned your dad, you know, working in it for 30 years. >> Stephanie: Yes >> I think parent's generation was you get a job and you do the same thing for 30 or 40 years >> Stephanie: In the same company >> Yes. How did you get that courage internally to go you know what I want to try something different. >> Yeah, so being in finance, I had the opportunity to work in many different groups within the finance organization and as I worked in finance, I got the opportunity to take a look at what was important to me and what was interesting to me and although I love my numbers piece, I also was very much interested in process and operations and holding people accountable. And, I got to a point, honestly, where I was in finance and I tried many different pieces of finance, and I got to a point where okay, what am I going to do next? Um, and there's also something that's been important to me is constantly re reinvigorating myself, and rebranding myself, not rebranding but continuing my brand. And as part of that, operations was just the next natural piece and I had thought about making that dive many different times in my finance career, but there was always either that risk of oh its a little scary, or there was something else I still wanted to do within finance. And an opportunity came along a couple of years ago, and specifically in the networking security space. And VMware, it is one of the highest priorities within the company and because of the technology, and because of the opportunity, I said you know, now is the right time to go do this. Now is the right time to take that leap, take that chance. And, at the same time, I also knew I had the backing of supporters and mentors to help me be successful in that move. Um, I knew it wasn't going to be a slam dunk. I've always told people you almost have to do that next thing that you know you're going to be able to contribute, yet at the same time, its a little scary And, you have to have the confidence and the planning around that confidence to go for it. Um and take that risk. And its been worthwhile. It has been a nice change. Its given me new energy and I think I know I am contributing to the company. >> And it must feel good. >> Stephanie: Yes >> You talked about, touched on a number of points we have heard today at the Women Transforming Technology event where we, you know things were kicked off this morning, ahh with Laylah Ali who talked about having, finding that courage, and that confidence. Um, but also needing to be mentioned being around an organization, whether its an organization or just a group who support whatever change that you are thinking of making, >> Yeah >> And I do think some change that's scary is good >> Yeah >> Ah, but I think that is one of the hallmarks of women transforming technology >> Stephanie: Yes >> is this consortium of industry, nonprofits, academia coming together to to confront head on the issues, the diversity issues that we're facing. >> Not just as women in technologies, >> Stephanie: Right a lot of different gaps >> Right But, also providing that support and enabling women and men >> Stephanie: Right >> to have mentors to learn from because it isn't just >> Stephanie: Yes >> challenging to get women in tech, its very challenging to retain women in technology who leave at very high rates >> yes >> for other careers. >> Correct Correct >> So how did you at being at, you said, Cisco for quite a long time and now >> correct VMware five years, >> Did you have women in leadership positions that you looked up to that were mentors to you? >> I think, so its interesting when you dive into your career at the very beginning, long time ago, you don't necessarily think about okay who are my mentors or who do I look up to? Or is there women specifically who can support me? I think for me its become just natural and I've had the opportunity where I've had a combination of both leaders, men and women, that have been mentors to me and supporters and as I moved forward in my career, I've discovered what was important was having, even a diverse set of mentors, men and women, but a circle of women around me too, that were living the challenges I was living. And I also don't think I realized some of the diversity challenges I was living until I got to a certain point and I looked back and went wow and I listened and part of WT2 allows you to listen to some of the other challenges that other people are having and you realize, I'm not alone and that person is experiencing the same thing that I'm experiencing. and I've now turned into a position of, where I am like, how can I help you? How can I help that you live through the same things that um, I've lived through. How can I help you and how can I help you contribute? This is a forum that allows us to come together and create new mentors, to get away from the everyday busyness and be selfish for a day and think about myself and how can I improve on things. Um, but really to connect and share our stories. >> You mentioned >> Stephanie: So I am thankful for that >> the word accountability earlier too and I think one of the things that's great about women transforming technology, women who code, we also, we cover a lot of women events, women and data science. Its at the VMware level, VMware is a huge organization very successful for many years, >> Stephanie: Yes >> But, they the this long-standing partnership Stanford and now the Clayman Institute, and now the new Innovation Lab, from an accountability perspective you are starting to see it. I shouldn't say starting, but you're seeing it in a big way >> Yes >> That's a big investment >> Stephanie: Yeah big investment by a big corporation >> Yes >> With 20 plus thousand people and of course Stanford University. >> Stephanie: right To look at what are these big barriers, um, that are effecting, that effect everybody >> Stephanie: That effect everybody. >> And how can they start to identify them and start to eradicate them and having companies participate and step up to be accountable to that is huge. >> Its huge. And I think, you know, its a journey, right. And I think we all started a couple of years ago just looking at the facts and looking at the data, and not pushing but I think presenting the facts of this is what our own diversity metrics look like. Not just men versus women, but, you know, different different you know, diversity factors in addition to okay, as a result of these facts, then what should we do as far as the next step. And I think over the past couple of years, there has been a natural progression around we're going to start looking at this and we're going to start asking questions, and we're going to start holding people accountable to doing what they said they were going to do from a people perspective, Diversity being one of them. So its been nice seeing that evolvement. Exciting to me is the partnership between VMware and Stanford because I think it takes it to the next level of its not just the data, its not just the facts, its not just we know its important, its what are the underlying behaviors underneath it, what are the underlying actions that we now can take, not just for VMware, not just for Stanford, but for the whole entire community, right? And that's what its all about. Its about coming together as a multiple different companies coming together as a great institution like Stanford coming together saying how can we make a difference in the community that we live in and make a difference from a technology perspective, so >> Yeah >> Its exciting to me and I think it will be interesting to be a part of the journey, but also see where we are a year from now, two years from now. >> Right, so you've, you sound like you have sort of found you voice with ah, wanting to be inspire inspirational >> Stephanie: yeah to other women, whatever stage of their career. >> Stephanie: Yeah >> It just seems like something that sort of occurred to you. Hey, I've been through this. I'm not the only one. A lot of people go through this. Um, what was that kind of ah hah moment when you said I have an opportunity here to give back. >> Stephanie: Yeah, I think its interesting cause I look back and I'm like there wasn't, well maybe their were a couple of moments, where I am like wait wait that comment just made, that was because I was a woman not because of what I was contributing. And, either it was like, okay, that was an interesting comment and how do I handle it. But it really wasn't, I think, until I was up in the higher ranks, right, and I starting saying okay, I've done a lot, we've been very results oriented, how do I start giving back? And how do I start mentoring others? And it started out as mentoring others that were maybe new college grads or maybe just new people to the company. And as I started mentoring to others, then I started realizing too that some of the women that I was mentoring, wait, their living through the same things that I lived through. And there was a big time where I thought oh it was just Stephanie. Right, oh, its just unique to me. Nobody else was dealing with this or it I also went through a period of like I wasn't any different than anybody else, right. And then as I started going through this, I realized no there's others that are living the same path that I lived. Um, and I think that I can help them grow and contribute to their own growth. And by the way, me, at the same time, me learn from them, um which is what its all about. >> Lisa: Very symbiotic >> Yeah >> It takes events like this, like WT squared, to identify hey, there is a lot of commonality and challenges that we all face regardless of gender or sexual orientation or what not. The more you are aware of some of these challenges, the more we can identify how how do we hold acc organizations or what not accountable. It takes that courage though to come together and be the one to raise your hand thinking you might have a dumb question when of course there really are no dumb questions (laugher) And finding that support, I mean, the strength in numbers, right, that's what the Golden State >> Warriors, Golden State Warriors >> Exactly. >> It is the team I love (laugher) >> Um, but its really true and its a very pervasive feeling when you come to an event like this, you walk in, and you feel that there's this inclusion >> Stephanie: Yeah >> Lisa: Across >> Stephanie: You feel the power of the people in the audience, but you also feel the affirmation from the panels or you know, Laylah Ali who is speaking today and her struggles and her journey, um, and just saying I can identify with that, right. I'm not alone, but also how do we together come together and have a voice, right? How do we hold others accountable? And doing it in a way that is fair. I think that's what all of us are ask for. Its not, I have never asked for special treatment because I am a woman or because I am an Asian, but because its fair, right, and I'm treated fair, and I'm treated the way that my peers are treated. Um, and I think that's what we all want. >> Yeah >> Yeah >> You mentioned Laylah Ali, her keynote this morning was it was great. >> Phenomenal I think its so, you you can tell, even if I hadn't seen her speak, you know Laylah Ali is a very strong woman >> Stephanie: Yes >> Physically, mentally, but it was really refreshing for her to say hey there's moments where I got to recheck, what's my purpose here, what am I doing. >> Stephanie: My inside warrior >> Yes, and I love that she said you know we got to find that inner warrior. She's in there >> Yeah >> Sometimes she's quiet, um, maybe has some tape across her mouth, but seeing a naturally innately strong female saying sometimes I don't feel that way, I think that is a very important message to get out, to all of those people, regardless of gender or orientation who don't have this sort of natural confidence that a Laylah Ali has. That's normal. >> Yeah yeah. And for me hearing somebody else say, a couple of things she said having that interior warrior, inside warrior, who, okay give yourself a day to feel bad. Give yourself a day to deal with it. And then its time to go back for the fight. Its time to go focus on what's important to you and bring out that passion and go. And, how many times have all of us felt that? Um, many a times. Um, the other part that, for me, that really hit home for me was confidence. And its funny, cause some people will say Oh,Steph you have very high confidence and I am like no I don't. And she said something to confidence is in planning and being prepared. >> Lisa: Yes >> And as I think about that, that is something that is very true. It resonated very close to me and I think about as I talk to women and they I say you are going to go into this meeting, think about how you are going to prepare for that meeting. Because then it allows you to immediately say yep, this is what we should do. Yep, this is my idea. To be able to have that voice. So I would say for me, those were probably the two pieces, right, confidence and preparation, or being prepared to have confidence and the inside warrior where it just really hit home for me. >> The preparation thing I thought was really cool too because we talk a lot about imposter syndrome. >> Stephanie: Yeah >> And its a real issue that a lot of people face, >> Stephanie: Very true >> Whatever stage of career they are at or industry, but she's right in that if you're prepared for whatever it is that you are doing, that confidence will come. But preparation is really key. >> Stephanie: Yeah I chuckle a little bit because when you say the imposter piece, I will admit I think there was a time in my career where I acted a certain way, and I was in meetings as a certain way, or I went down a path because that's the path you should go down, right. Um, but it wasn't true to myself and so I think the part around being prepared, being confident as a result of being prepared, really allows you to be true to yourself and allows you to bring out the passion. That's important. Um, and that applies to everybody, not just us. >> It does. So in your, kind of wrapping things up here, what are some of the cultural um shifts that you've seen being in tech industry for 20 years and some of the things you are looking forward to in the next year at VMware? >> Stephanie: Yeah, so I will say, cultural shifts, just from the standpoint of awareness, right. I think that is a very important piece of people being respectful and aware of the environment that we're in and people having the conversations. I don't think we would even be having these conversations 10 years ago. and there is multiple different reasons for that. Whether it be results of showing with inclusion and with diversity, you have better business results. Um, or whether it be people speaking up and saying hey, we have a right to have a voice. We have a right to be treated in a certain way. And so, from a culture standpoint, that voice and that awareness has then lead to being able to have the conversations of how people should be treated, how they should be respected, and how we um, should even have the discussion with each other. Right? Looking forward, I look forward to the fact of being able to have a stronger voice. And when I say a stronger voice, I don't mean hey, let's go for the fight and let's make sure we've go the right numbers. But it really is the voice in the room. Um, I think we still have the discussion around the numbers. We haven't necessarily had the discussion of how do we make sure that the people in the room, that is a diverse set of people, that their voices come out, so we get a diverse set of of suggestions and ideas to come to the best outcome. >> Stephanie, thank you so much for stopping by theCUBE, >> Stephanie: Thank you for having me. >> And sharing your backstory and your history. And um, its really nice to hear from other mentors who recognize and are proud to be in that position. So, thank you. >> Its a pleasure. Thank you >> We want to thank you for watching theCUBE. Lisa Martin, on the ground at VMware for the third annual Women Transforming Technology. Thanks for watching. (closing music beats)