How I Started in STEM with AWS Head of Global Startup Marketing Denise Quashie

Denise Quashie is the Head of Global Startup Marketing Programs for AWS as well as the Creator of the AWS Impact Accelerator Program. As a former Founder herself, Denise thrives on helping others achieve their dreams.

How I Started In STEM with Denise Quashie

So it started very early on. I've always had an interest in what was behind the scenes of products and tools. And so tinkering behind all of that was super interesting to me. Then from a career standpoint, I started at Deloitte. I moved from Deloitte to Oracle. So I always had interest in just like technology companies about the end product, what do consumers actually get to see, and then how is all of that kind of built behind the scenes. And so for me, technology has always been at the core of the beginning for me, of really truly understanding how things are built and then what stamp can I put on it to make it an even better product or service for, for customers.

What passion still drives you in STEM?

The passion that still drives me is being able to just innovate, right? So at AWS we're very focused on the customer and the customer problem. And so a good example of that is the AWS Impact Accelerator program, which we launched last year. With the Impact Accelerator program, we're really truly focused on underrepresented founders, you know, women, LGBTQ+, Latino, Black founders that haven't always had the same opportunities as others. And so for me, I'm super passionate about this program. It's a personal thing for me, being a Black woman in technology, building a startup, being a non-technical founder, there were so many things that were stacked up against me. And, you know, being able to work for a company like AWS and use my privilege to be able to introduce this in an easier, more consumable way to founders like myself has really been the most rewarding experience of my career and personal as well.

Best advice you received for your career in STEM

I would say the best advice that someone's given me is to be open to failure. We talk about wins and success oftentimes, but we really don't talk about failure. Failure for me is something that I actually put up on a shelf as to say, okay, I failed, but what did I learn from that experience? And so I think it's important for girls, for women, for those that are interested in technology, that there's gonna be a point of failure, right? And so how do we either mitigate those potential risks or how do we learn from that and do better and move on to the next thing? I think oftentimes we have this fear of failing so much that we can never come back from it. But for me, failure, one of those things that I look at almost just as a success as a win because now I know what to do next, right? And so I've kind of crossed all these things off my list. So being open to failure and not looking at it as the end of the world, right? It's the end of a chapter, it's actually the beginning. And so, being open to failure is probably the most rewarding message that I've learned over the years that someone told me once.

What is the hardest part about working in STEM?

I would say probably the hardest thing I would say working in tech is the NOs. Being a woman in tech we're often one of few at a table if we're invited to the table, right? And being a Black woman, even less. And so I think there's often this NO that we hear a lot. And I think we have to lean into the NO sometimes. For me no is just more fire in my belly as to finding a yes within that. But I would say we have to be open to being the only one in the room and sometimes hearing those nos, and for me, it just gives me more fire to lean into it and to find the yes, and to find the invitation to be at a seat at that table.

Best tip for pursuing a career in STEM

The best career advice I could give to someone interested in STEM or tech is to be open to two-way doors-decisions. So at Amazon we use this term one-way door decisions, or two-way door decisions. And a one-way door decision is a decision that once you go through that door, you can't come back in. If you're gonna make a decision, you know, you wanna ensure that everything you know about this decision is the right decision. Cuz once you go through the door, you can't come back. But a two-way door decision is, I'm gonna try something. I'm gonna go through this door but if it doesn't work, that's okay. I'm gonna come back through the door.

And so what I try to, you know, encourage my team at AWS is to be open to these two-way door decisions. If it's a two-way door decision, just try it and do it. And if it doesn't work, just come on back. But for those one-way door decisions, those are the ones that you wanna spend the most time on.

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