In 1986 Sheila Talton founded Unisource Networking Services , a Chicago-based telecommunications and networking consulting firm. When not meeting with Fortune 500 clients, she is active in several advocacy and networking groups that help advance women and minorities in business and high-tech. Most people in senior executive positions have been mentored by someone within their organization who has promoted them.
Most senior executives are men, and men are still uncomfortable mentoring women.
Overall, people tend to befriend people who are like them. Traditionally women and minorities have not pursued education in computer science, engineering and math. That's because kids still don't get the broad picture of what it means to have a career in technology. They think you have to be a gee-whiz genius to be in the industry, when there's a wide spectrum of what you can do. We don't do a good enough job of explaining that.