Marachel Knight, AT&T senior vice president for technology planning and engineering, has worked her way up through the ranks at AT&T over the past two decades and now is inspiring other young women to find their tech calling.
“Knight, who holds two patented inventions, one for Systems for Use with Multi-Number Cellular Devices, and another for Messaging Forwarding System, has also earned many industry accolades, including recognition as a 2018 Rising Star in Wireless, and Black Enterprise’s 2018 Top Tech Influencers. Knight also co-established and is a national advisor for Advocates for Women in Tech, an AT&T employee resource network.”
Briefly describe your journey to becoming a top African American female leader at AT&T.
“My journey, which began as a fresh out-of-school dreamer on the doorsteps of corporate America, would never had blazed this path without all the tremendous people along the way. This includes peers, supervisors, sponsors, mentors and teams: all people that have been critical in my career success. Building strong relationships is an intentional process and doesn’t always come easy. It begins with showing vulnerability, gaining trust and bringing your whole and real you to work every day. Hard work, focusing on delivering results the right way and embracing new, and sometimes scary, opportunities, has proven to be invaluable in my career. Especially when combined with never losing sight of my dreams. Of course, I’m also fortunate to work for, grow and develop at a company like AT&T that holds diversity and inclusion as a core value. It hasn’t been easy, however that has made the journey all the more worthwhile.”
How important is it for African American women to pursue a career in STEM?
“What’s most important than any specific field is to first pursue your passion. Now, if your passion lies in the STEM field, even better because we need you. The shortage of women and women of color in STEM is no secret, and it’s something we have to fix. The culture and business results across all technology fields only gets richer and more vibrant with a diversity of voices, ideas, perspective, and insights. Embracing diverse minds helps us think through challenges and lead in new and innovative ways.”
To read more about Marachel Knight, click here.
Is a career in tech your calling? Contact Us Below.