Advanced Metrics Chief Operating Officer, Kate Gallagher, is a finalist for the Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania’s Entrepreneurial and Small Business Impact Award. This award recognizes a woman in technology whose contributions have had a positive impact in the Entrepreneurial or Small Business sector. We sat down with Kate to learn a bit more about her perspective and how she and Advanced Metrics are working to foster leadership opportunities for women and support diversity, equity, and inclusion in the industry.
Interviewer: First off, congratulations on being a finalist for the Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania’s Entrepreneurial and Small Business Impact Award. How does it feel to be nominated for this award?
Kate: It is an honor to be nominated. It means a lot to me that my team believes I am doing the work that makes me worthy to even be considered as a nominee. This award really highlights the work of the entire team at Advanced Metrics, and, in this role, I just happen to be the one that gets to be the voice of that good work.
Interviewer: Why is it important to discuss and acknowledge women’s contributions within the field of technology?
Kate: I think women often tend to be underestimated and their representation in the tech industry underreported. It’s reflective of the larger systemic issue of women trying to make their way and have a place in different spaces where, in years past, they typically haven’t. The data and numbers show that while STEM efforts are incredibly effective and important, we are still significantly behind in equitable representation in the technology field in terms of salary, position, tenure, etc. I think that we need to acknowledge and celebrate the work of women, and the fact that we must call out awards, specifically for women, tells me a lot about how far we still have to go.
Interviewer: About 50 percent of Advanced Metrics employees are women, and recently this cohort gathered to complete a Women in Leadership training. Why was this identified as an important training opportunity for the women working at Advanced Metrics?
Kate: It was equal parts data-driven and gut-feeling. We received feedback from internal surveying around diversity, equity, and inclusion and some of the challenges that different individuals on the team expressed. We also recognized that there needed to be a more intentional efforts for the women on this team to have a place to develop a collective shared voice and vision for their role as women in Advanced Metrics. Additionally, to learn more about how, as individuals, we can better advocate for our ideas, opinions, beliefs, and knowledge in a way that will be productive and empowering. Team and culture are incredibly important Advanced Metrics. It is essential for us to think strategically about integrating this into the business.
Interviewer: What were you hoping that the women at Advanced Metrics would take away from this opportunity?
Kate: I knew that if Advanced Metrics took on this initiative, and I happened to be in the COO role as a female, that I would be able to work with this group of women to give us the collective empowerment that we all want and deserve. We’re all unique and quite different in our own ways and in what we bring to the team. I really wanted an aligned group of unified women who could advocate for ourselves and each other in a way that was embraced and supported.
Interviewer: What came out of the training? Were there any surprises?
Kate: We discussed how a strong sense of self brings power to your day and your interactions with others. We addressed the fact that you don’t have to have a leadership title – it’s more powerful to be self-aware. And, despite our differences, there was a real collective belief that we wanted that additional layer of training and empowerment.
Interviewer: Do you have any recommendations for other Executives that desire to encourage women to seek out and be successful within leadership positions?
Kate: Be yourself. I feel like women are, whether intentional or not, often conditioned to be a certain way to fit in. In that conditioning, in that expectation to be someone else, you lose yourself in the process. However, when you are true to yourself and you live your life from your root core, you show up with a lot more strength and presence.
Interviewer: What do you see in the future for women in technology and for those in leadership positions?
Kate: The women I know are having similar types of conversations and doing a lot of the same work with their teams, be it solely with females or holistically as a company. As those initiatives continue to push forward, as more women make their way into positions that have more power, we will see a ripple effect. Thinking anecdotally about my daughter – she shows up in a room exactly as she is and makes it known that she will not change to fit the expectations of others. I feel that when I was her age, I was analyzing “How should I be in this space? What is my role here?” If my daughter is any indicator of what’s to come in the next generation of young women entering the world of STEM, I think we all have a lot of hope.
Kate Gallagher leads Advanced Metrics growth initiatives, nurtures customer relationships and is the cornerstone of Advanced Metrics culture and vision. Advanced Metrics is Kate’s second successful business venture having launched a thriving consulting firm, focusing on nonprofit organizations on strategy, organizational development, and sustainability planning. Her experience in the private and public sector has allowed Kate to focus her passion and experience on collaborative strategies that benefit and empower underserved populations. Kate holds a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from Regis University in Denver, Colorado.
Advanced Metrics is a Certified B-Corporation dedicated to improving lives by uniting community-based services with science-informed approaches. If you are interested in becoming part of the Advanced Metrics team, you can check out our current open positions on the Careers page.