How one startup expands opportunity for women in data-related fields
The roles of data analyst or data scientist are among the most sought after roles in the hottest job market in years. Demand is skyrocketing for those who can collect, interpret, and communicate data and data insights. The market needs data analysts.
Clickvoyant works with data analysts, as the main users of our artificial intelligence (AI) data analyst tool. Like many other companies, we need smart, dedicated analysts with strong right- and left-brain coordination to interpret data and prioritize business decision-making.
Clickvoyant saw the need for data analysts and the lack of women with qualifications for data analysts roles. Clickvoyant founders Mia Umanos and Kate Bartkiewicz wanted to do something to offer women a path to data roles. They started by creating a curriculum where women in tangential careers — most frequently not information work though — could make the shift into data analysis.
The Women’s Data School Model
Clickvoyant selected 10 women as participants in the inaugural Women’s Data School (WDS), class of 2020. Each woman had been forced out of the job market within the past two years, so this class was a chance for them to learn new skills and enter the market to regain confidence and economic stability too.
Each participant was partnered with a mentor, an expert dedicated to the young woman’s success. Mentors included:
- Yoko Terreta; Executive Director, Client Strategy; The Office of Experience
- Andrea Ramcharan; Conversion Rate Optimization Manager; Adtalem Global Education
- Judith Pascual; Certified Social and Emotional Intelligence Coach; Cigna, Aquent
- Lauren Hock; Personalization Data and Marketing Analytics Executive; Accenture Interactive
- Aleksandra Gorlich; Google Analytics Specialist, Trainer; Owwwla
Mentors were all female data professionals who donated around one hundred hours over two months to help WDS participants. Mentors gave career advice, provided technical knowledge, and introduced participants to their professional networks. Many mentors continue to assist WDS participants today.
The Women’s Data School Curriculum
Mia and Kate created a comprehensive 8-week course that would introduce non-technical workers to applied data analysis. Classes were held one night per week for 4 hours, usually run by Mia or Kate, with frequent guests or subject matter experts.
The course curriculum included:
- How data passes from you to digital marketing tools
- Creating a measurement strategy for a product or campaign
- Getting Acclimated to Google Analytics
- Tagging and Goals Administration
- Website Analysis for User Behavior
- Building a Rapport with Clients
- Preparing Your Analysis for Your Client and Mentor Feedback
The Women’s Data School Results
Clickvoyant was proud to contract with these 2 exceptional women who graduated from the first class of the Women’s Data School in May 2021. Congratulations to:
- Sonia May-Patlan, Made by Momoko
- Maria Colina-Fanthorpe
Our hypothesis was that almost any motivated woman could apply the skills learned in the Women’s Data School. Our graduates and their final projects prove just that. We feel confident that our work and the work of similar groups will expand opportunity for women. We also want to demonstrate real-world results — economic stability for our WDS participants. Here’s how the WDS helped expand opportunities and offered an element of economic stability for two graduates.
WDS spotlight: Sonia May-Patlan
“My background was in UX; I hadn’t had the opportunity for deep data experience, but the WDS gave me an amazing jump start. I’m especially thankful for the connections I made with people.”
Results: Sonia is working for Clickvoyant while building up her own separate book of business at her agency. She’s been a valuable member of the Clickvoyant client services team since Summer 2021.
WDS spotlight: Maria Colina-Fanthorpe
“Before COVID, I had 20+ years of experience in foreign language education. My industry collapsed, but I’ve always loved trying new things so I dove into the WDS. The mentors were very generous with their time, offering lots of advice, information, references…even after the WDS program ended, my mentor has kept meeting with me. It’s a very meaningful relationship to me.
Results: Maria is working as an intern with Clickvoyant while determining her next steps. Whatever she decides to do, her time in the WDS provides Maria with far greater job opportunities.
The real-world experience offered to WDS participants was not only valuable to them; their clients reaped the benefits of Clickvoyant’s mentor-participant-teacher relationship.
“Numbers are numbers, they don’t tell a story. So to have Kate and Sonia’s insights into what they normally see — it was so useful. Data is such an important part of an ecommerce business like mine — it was great to have someone who knew data look at our data and give informed advice.”
–Ellie Lum, CEO, Klum House, client of WDS participant Sonia May-Patlan.
Clickvoyant intends to expand the program in the future. Potential sponsors and mentors should reach out to Mia Umanos at Mia@Clickvoyant.com.
