Commercial Integrator March 2023 - 19

EMPOWERMENT MAKING WAVES
Creating Ripples
According to Alvarado-Miranda, CEO of
BAM! and former AVIXA Women's Council's
chair, the pandemic brought in a tumultous
tide where women began leaving
workplaces in droves. " It was frightening
that we were losing women at a rapid rate
because of layoff s and lack of support
when working from home, " she says,
" Our numbers were continuing to slide
backward instead of moving ahead. " Alvarado-Miranda
however, recognized that
it would be too monumental a task for any
one organization to take on this challenge.
" So, we started looking at creating a more
focused, dedicated group that could help
organizations such as the AVIXA Women's
Council and others working toward the
same mission, " she elaborates.
Touching on what motivates her, Dutta,
editor-in-chief of LAVNCH [CODE],
asserts that she wishes to leave the world
a better place than when she found it. " I
want to be involved in initiatives that help
create equity and equality in the workplace, "
she proclaims. Dutta believes
that WAVIT can drive exactly that kind of
change in the AV and IT industries.
As a technology journalist, Dutta aims
to also use her infl uence to drive this
change. " [Being] a member of the media,
I have the privilege of passing the mic and
helping spotlight women who may have
not previously had a voice in this industry, "
she explains. Accordingly, Dutta, in her
role with WAVIT, seeks to work to identify
women who would like to speak at events,
write blogs for publications, etc. She also
hopes to partner with other media organizations
to ensure that women receive their
share of recognition in our industry.
Ricketts, vice president of corporate
initiatives at Shure, remarks that people -
especially women - are the most valuable
resources in any industry. She says,
" Women are that niche [resource], and
I want to make sure they continue to be
valued in every industry. " Ricketts believes
that creating mentoring opportunities
are a powerful way to support and value
women, and that WAVIT will pave the way
for such opportunities. " As a woman [leader]
myself, I wish to transfer the knowledge
that I have gained and share some of the
success and challenges I've experienced, "
Ricketts declares. By doing so, she hopes
to help move the representation needle a
little faster and with more intentionality.
Building a Ship for the Future
As Dutta puts it, " WAVIT is here to ensure
women are seen. " And some of the opportunities
to facilitate that include thought
leadership, as well as education.
As Alvarado-Miranda explains, " Along
with all our other initiatives, we're going to
take a dual-pronged approach on educating
women in the industry, as well as the
women of tomorrow. We have to nurture
as well as retain. " Noting the universal
truth that most AV careers are formed
accidentally, Alvarado-Miranda says that
WAVIT plans to create deliberate pathways
into the AV industry. " We have to focus on
curriculum, program outreach and internships
to hook young people into AV, " she
states. Meanwhile, for those already in the
industry, Alvarado-Miranda hopes to continue
to provide pathways to help elevate
and advance them in their careers.
Ricketts chimes in to observe that
Women in AV/IT (WAVIT), created by
some of our industry's most respected
women, supports and encourages women
who work in the AV and IT industries.
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education is more pertinent now than ever.
By leveraging WAVIT's partnerships with
various organizations, she hopes to expand
education opportunities for all. " I believe
partnerships will be the key to moving that
needle [of representation], " she stresses.
" With [those partners], we can go into the
community and sponsor diff erent schools
and their STEM activities. We can bring
young people into the facilities and expand
their education. " Summing up, Ricketts
returns to why WAVIT was formed: It is not
'I believe
partnerships will be
the key to moving
that needle [of
representation].'
- Althea Ricketts, Shure
'WAVIT is here
to ensure women
are seen.'
- Megan A. Dutta,
LAVNCH [CODE]
MARCH 2023 Commercial Integrator 19
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Commercial Integrator March 2023

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