Forty Over 40

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Forty Over 40 Asks: 10Qs for Ruthe A. Farmer, Leader and Innovator in Engaging Girls in STEM

rutheafarmerWelcome to the Forty Over 40 blog.We frequently spotlight one of our honorees and their thoughts on reinvention, mentorship and momentum…plus a peek into what makes them tick.

This Q & A is with Ruthe A. Farmer the Chief Strategy & Growth Officer, National Center for Women & IT (NCWIT). Ruthe leads strategy, development and partnerships at NCWIT and directs NCWIT K-12 Alliance. Previously she worked for The National Centre for Women & IT as well as the Girl Scouts in Technology & Engineering Education. She has a BA from Lewis and Clark College and an MBA in Social Entrepreneurship from Oxford’s Said Business School and sits on multiple boards / advisory boards.

1) What was a pivotal momentum of reinvention for you?

Taking a break for graduate school in 2007.  I’d been working nonstop since my early 20s and it was great to step away and have an academic experience again. I did my MBA overseas, so it was an entirely new educational format and unparalleled opportunity to build international networks.

2) Who has been a valuable mentor or sponsor?

Lucy Sanders, NCWIT CEO  – We had collaborated on projects while I was still at Girl Scouts of the USA.  We are very much on the same page about the value women bring to innovation and the importance of women being at the design table in technology. She has always believed in me and allowed me the freedom to pursue any idea I believe can be a solution for women in technology. This freedom to innovate has led to very disruptive initiatives which are now moving the needle for women in computing.

3) What is your biggest goal right now?

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about something I am calling “Ethical Scale”.  There are so many excellent STEM education efforts, but they are often prohibitively expensive and require constant fundraising on the part of the schools, students, and parents, or are constrained by the location-based resources needed to deploy them. This perpetuates inequity of access for low-income and underrepresented students, and ultimately supports the status quo of the class system.  My goal is to get all the providers of STEM programs and especially the founders to be evaluating scale up efforts through a lens of equity and access – to ask themselves – can we scale this program ethically or are we leaving someone out?

4) What time do you typically wake up? What do you do every morning?

I wake up with the sun – wherever I am. Once there is light, I am awake.  Sleeping is not my strong suit, as my mind rarely shuts down. That is both a blessing and a curse. I’ve written entire proposals in my sleep.  My brain does all the work and then I get up and put it on paper.  However, that means rarely shutting down. There is no ‘every morning’ for me, as I am often on the road and changing time zones.  Sadly the one consistent morning ritual is checking my email on my phone before I get up.  Bad habit.

5) How do you unplug? How often do you unplug?

I love to travel. You don’t have to ask me twice to go on a trip. Last year I went to Fiji, Sweden, Norway, Germany and twice to Hawaii.  I’m off to the UK in July and bringing together a group of women friends in Mexico in October.  I’m very opportunistic about travel. If a deal comes up or I get an invite to speak or visit, chances are I’ll rearrange as needed and just go. Memories and times with friends are timeless. You only regret the trips you don’t take.

6) What challenge / achievement are you most proud of?

I’m very proud of NCWIT Aspirations in Computing. It is already a powerful professional network for technical women, but the potential it holds to dramatically transform the tech industry is tremendous. This community is the only one of its kind, a group of technical women who have literally grown up together – numbering in the thousands, totally informed about their rights and potential as technical women, and prepared to negotiate their salaries and advocate for equality in the workplace. I’m looking forward to seeing what they will achieve in the next 10 years.

7)  What cause do you most want to advance?

I am interested in advancing women at all levels.  For women’s rights to education, autonomy, personal safety to be a topic of debate in 2015 is atrocious. Now is the time for women to lead. I’m particularly concerned about the safety of women on campus.  Sexual assault should not be an expected part of the college experience.  I refuse to accept that as a norm.

8) What song can’t you get out of your head? 

Right now, God Only Knows by the Beach Boys. I just saw the film about Brian Wilson’s life and his struggles with mental illness. Watching him bring that song to life from the visions in his head was magical.  The orchestration and combination of sounds and instruments is absolutely incredible.

9) What is your secret indulgence? 

Sometimes when I get a few days at home, I will hole up in my house and binge watch TV on Hulu. Most recently it was Orange is the New Black, but I also really like obscure UK shows.  Hulu is a treasure trove if you start digging in.

10) Who on the list of prior Honorees would you like to meet?

All of them, but if I have to prioritize, Jane Condon and Sheryl WuDunn.

Check out Ruthe A. Farmers full 40 Over 40 profile here!

Whitney Johnson

Whitney Johnson

Whitney is the author of the acclaimed Dare, Dream, Do: Remarkable Things Happen When You Dare to Dream. She has been named on numerous Smart Thinkers and People to Follow lists by major media such as Inc. Magazine, Business Insider and Huffington Post and is quoted in Wall Street Journal, CNN, Fast Company, Forbes and more.
Whitney Johnson