Ordinarily Extraordinary - Conversations with women in STEM
We’re Kathy Kale Nelson and Linda LaTourelle — co-hosts of Ordinarily Extraordinary: Conversations with Women in STEM.
Our mission is to amplify the voices of ordinary women doing extraordinary work in science, technology, engineering, and math.
We’re deeply committed to:
- Normalizing the presence of women in STEM by making their stories visible
- Building community for women who may be the only ones like them in their workplace
- Educating listeners about the wide variety of STEM careers — and what they actually look like
- Empowering growth and retention by addressing the challenges behind the leaky pipeline
From early-career professionals to experienced leaders in a wide variety of STEM fields, our guests share how they got started, how they’ve grown, and what they’ve learned along the way. This podcast is a space where women in STEM can be seen, heard, and supported — because representation isn’t just powerful, it’s essential.
Ordinarily Extraordinary - Conversations with women in STEM
63. Andrea Harris, Chief Empowerment Executive - Tools & Tiaras
Andrea Harris is the Chief Empowerment Executive at Tools & Tiaras, an organization founded to expose girls (and boys) to the trades. She is also the co-host of the podcast Tradeswomen Talk, and in her spare time (a.k.a. her day job) she is a cement mason at the New York Fire Department. Andrea has been a cement mason for 25 years and wants to share the importance of the trades and the great opportunities is provides as a career.
Episode Notes
Andrea Harris is a staunch advocate for women in the trades and for exposing girls (and boys) to the trades. She has been a cement mason for 25 years currently working as a cement mason at the New York City Fire Department. As the only woman in her role, she is constantly on the job with men. This has never deterred Andrea and as a competent mason has earned the respect of her colleagues.
Tools & Tiaras mission is to advance the interest of girls into nontraditional careers in male dominated industries. Their motto is "Jobs don't have genders". They provide camps and mentoring opportunities for young people - or as Andrea says, anyone that is interested regardless of age.
Tradeswomen Talk is a podcast Andrea co-hosts that is inspired by the narrative of women and men of the building trades. They share stories, insights, and knowledge about how to survive and thrive in male dominated industries.
Music used in the podcast: Higher Up, Silverman Sound Studio
Acronyms, Definitions, and Fact Check
www.toolsandtiaras.org
Tradeswomen Talk podcast - https://www.buzzsprout.com/950392
Approximately 3% of skilled people working in the trades are women. (https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/columbus/news/2021/06/10/women-breaking-into-male-dominated-trades). 8.8% of cement masons are women (www.zippia.com)
Andrea's Dove Bar Commercial: https://www.ispot.tv/ad/I8Tk/dove-beauty-bar-cement-mason
Cement masons pour, smooth, and finish concrete floors, sidewalks, roads, and curbs. They are needed wherever a finished surface of concrete is poured. (https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/cement-mason/)
