March into the weekend with talks by inspiring women
Editor’s Note: Talks at Google is our regular speaker series that brings interesting speakers and brilliant minds from all industries and backgrounds to Google campuses. Each month, we select a few favorite talks from that month, or about a particular topic.
As Women’s History Month comes to a close, we’re re-discovering talks given by women about their breakthrough moments, issues that are important to them, and the strides they’ve made in their fields.
First up, the special guests who stopped by Google New York this International Women’s Day. Oprah, Reese Witherspoon, Ava Duvernay, Storm Reid and Gugu Mbatha-Raw talk about their journey to bring the classic book “A Wrinkle in Time” to the big screen, and chat about why it’s important for women—in the wise words of Mrs. Which—to “find the right frequency.”
Nathalia Holt wrote “Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon to Mars” to tell the stories of the women, known as "human computers," who broke the boundaries of both gender and science. In her talk, she explains how they transformed rocket design, helped bring about the first American satellites, and made the exploration of the solar system possible.
Oby Ezekwesili, Ibikun Awosika and TY Bello, prominent leaders and advocates in Nigeria, sit down to talk about the glass ceiling, and more importantly, how to smash it. They share thoughts on the limitations placed on women in African societies, and offer advice on how to overcome them–from networking to challenging the status quo. In the words of Oby Ezekwesili, “your strongest weapon is about showing up.”
Grace Bonney wrote “In the Company of Women” to share the stories of female entrepreneurs from all industries and walks of life. Claire Mazur, Erica Cerulo and Karen Young are among the women featured in the book, and in this talk, they share their own paths to success and what aspiring entrepreneurs can learn about running creative businesses.
Kellee Santiago, former president and co-founder of thegamecompany, shares what it’s like to be a Latina woman in the video game and VR industry and sheds light on unconscious bias and feeling like an outsider. As a bonus: recommendations on her favorite storytelling games.
