Working in tech as a Black autistic woman – with Martina Kuzenski

Beyond 6 Seconds

Martina Kuzenski is a late-diagnosed autistic woman who received her autism diagnosis at age 28 near the end of her Master’s degree program. She is an IT Specialist for the U.S. federal government. She shares her experiences as a Black autistic woman in tech as a mentor for the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program and as a co-author of the best-selling book “Ladies in Tech: Sharing Expertise for a Successful Career”.

During this episode, Martina talks about:

• Discovering that she is autistic in her late twenties, and what her life was like growing up
• How she got into a tech career
• Her experience of not being “seen” in the tech industry as a Black autistic woman
• The importance of mentorship, and why she decided to become a P-TECH program mentor
• The challenges she has faced when trying to find leadership programs for neurodivergent people
• Why she doesn’t feel “autistic enough” in autistic spaces, and the flaws she sees in the neurodiversity movement

Connect with Martina on LinkedIn and read her writing on Diary of Self (Martina's blog posts about neurodiversity) and her book "Ladies in Tech: Sharing Expertise for a Successful Career."

Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.

Read the episode transcript.

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*Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.*