Celebrating International Women's Day at Vention

Today, Vention is celebrating International Women’s Day. A day when we stop to appreciate all the women in our lives for their achievements, sacrifices, and strength.

This year’s theme is ‘#EmbraceEquity,’ chosen to recognize the diverse lived experiences of all women. When we embrace equity, we embrace inclusion, harmony, and acceptance, leading to a more equitable world.

To celebrate this year, Vention’s ERG Women’s Group hosted an in-person and virtual gathering for the women of Vention to connect, share experiences and ideas, and learn from one another. It was a chance to celebrate our collective strength and acknowledge women’s significant role in our male-dominated industry. The event also featured guest speaker, Anna Chif, Co-Founder of Dialogue, who spoke about the contributions and achievements of women in our community that inspired others to pursue their dreams and aspirations.

“Today’s event has been a great success, thanks to the team behind the organization, the inspiring Anna Chif, and all the attendees,” said Annie Noel, Chief Operating Officer at Vention. “This event is just one of many for Vention to cultivate a collaborative and supportive environment for all women and allies across our global community. We plan to do this through educational and engagement-focused programming to empower, develop, and support all women at Vention.”

To learn from our community, we asked several women from teams across Vention to talk about what International Women’s Day means to them, their experiences being a woman in a male-dominated industry, what advice they have for other women, and who inspires them.

Hear from Pawandeep Kaur, Senior Quality Assurance Analyst for CAD and MachineApp teams; April Rajchgot, Sales Manager; Sophia Gabrielle, Mechanical Assembler; and Catherine Lavallée, Application Engineer.

Question 1: What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

Pawandeep: It is a day for celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, and for recognizing the work that still needs to be done to achieve gender equality.

April: International Women’s Day means recognizing all the women in technical fields who are excellent at what they do and who inspire others to do the same, leading the way for future generations.

Sophia: Today is a day to appreciate women’s accomplishments worldwide. Every woman in society has their unique way of accomplishing great things and we salute and praise them for demonstrating the greatness and diversity of all women.

Catherine: International Women’s Day is important to me as we’re able to put a spotlight on gender inequality and what we can do to eliminate it. It’s about understanding that every group of women, and the individuals composing these groups, are faced with different realities, obstacles, and constructs that need to be recognized and incorporated into our everyday actions.

Question 2: What are your key learnings from working in a male-dominated environment?

April: Don’t be afraid to share your ideas and ask questions. The best leaders will help raise your voice or teach you how to achieve your goals.

Sophia: Working in a male-dominated environment is challenging, but I have learned working at Vention that I can fulfill (and surpass) all my tasks as men do. It helped me build up my confidence and do great things.

Question 3: What advice would you share with women looking to work in our industry?

Pawandeep: Never be afraid to ask questions or participate in discussions, especially if it seems that everyone involved is more experienced or knowledgeable on a subject. Also, be your own unique voice, and don’t second guess yourself. Believe in yourself. Be confident with your decisions.

Catherine: The best advice I got when I was working at my first engineering internship is: ‘’You don’t want them to like you, you want them to respect you.” This advice still holds true today. Don’t be afraid to take your place and don’t let anyone make you feel small or as if you don’t belong because you do.

Question 4: Which women have inspired you?

April: I am very inspired by two women in business. The first is Sara Blakely, Founder of Spanx, for her ability to overcome loss and failure and build a billion-dollar company based on a shoestring budget and pure product innovation. The second is Whitney Wolfe, Founder, and CEO of Bumble, for her ability to trust her instincts and pivot to solve a problem in her industry. Her quote exemplifies this: “The only failure is not trying. Trying and having it not work isn’t a failure.”

Sophia: There are lots of women who inspire me, but the most precious woman that became my inspiration was my mother. I’ve seen all her hard work and hardships over time. She never fails to give up on us, her children, and always believes in us.

Thank you to these amazing women for sharing their thoughts and experiences with us! We celebrate you and all the amazing women at Vention, along with the women around the world who we admire, respect, and appreciate today and every day.