Keynote Review: Dr. Maria Artunduaga

We were honored to have Dr. Maria Artunduaga speak as a Keynote at the 2018 Women of Color STEM Entrepreneurship Conference. Dr. Artunduaga is a prominent physician, scientist and innovator, and is the Founder and CEO of Respira Labs in California. Respira Labs works to enhance the quality of life of people living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease using connected health and machine learning.

Among the topics Dr. Artunduaga spoke about was how the greater scrutiny against women of color silences us:

We remain silent because we are scared of losing our jobs. We remain silent because we are ashamed. We remain silent because sometimes it’s easier than being disbelieved. We remain silent because sometimes the persons who hurt us are in positions of incredible power.

She continued by sharing how coworkers and colleagues accused her of not earning her place among them, of not deserving to be there, because "people like her" don't make it without getting special favors.

One attendee (a graduate student in Engineering) said that she was greatly inspired by Dr. Artunduaga's willingness to share about her past challenges being a Woman of Color in a STEM profession:

It meant so much to me that someone so accomplished as her could share how hard and frustrating it was for her to rise through a male-dominated field because it's exactly what I am experiencing now.

Part of her strategy to counter the negativity she encountered professionally was to pursue Flamenco dancing to boost her own confidence (as suggested by her supportive husband). Although she struggled at first, by applying her analytical mind to learning the complex movements, she excelled and perfected multiple dances. "I pushed myself to do three numbers instead of the average two for my classmates. That experience showed me I could thrive in any environment if I was determined to do so," reflected Dr. Artunduaga. "I learned that with Flamenco, there is no finish line to cross. As it is with life, it is a continuous learning process."

She concluded with a powerful call to action:

If you want to make a difference in the world, start taking action. Be part of this grassroots movement and advocate for women like yourself.

Thank you, Dr. Artunduaga, for your time and inspiration!

Featured image courtesy of #WOCinTech Chat wocintechchat.com