Erica Baker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Erica Baker
Baker and Internetdagama 2016.
Born	1980 (age 45–46) Germany
Nationality	American
Alma mater	University of Alaska
Occupation	Software engineer
Spouse(s)	B Astrella

Erica Joy Baker, born in 1980, is a talented engineer who works in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is currently the Chief Technology Officer for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which is a group that helps elect members of the Democratic Party to the U.S. Congress. Erica is well-known for speaking up about the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. This means making sure that people from all backgrounds feel welcome and have equal opportunities.

She has worked at many big technology companies, including GitHub, Google, Slack, Patreon, and Microsoft. Erica became widely recognized in 2015 when she created a special spreadsheet at Google. Employees used this spreadsheet to share their salary information. This helped everyone understand if there were differences in pay within the company. Kara Swisher, a famous journalist, once called Erica Baker a "woman to watch."

Her Journey in Education

When Erica was in high school, she took a class where she learned to program calculators. She used a language called BASIC on Texas Instruments calculators. She also learned how to create websites and hosted her own pages online.

Erica first attended the University of Miami to study Computer Science. She later transferred to the University of Alaska. There, she earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Information Technology.

Building a Career in Technology

Erica Baker's first job was at the University of Alaska when she was 21. She managed computer systems for the entire university. After that, she worked at The Home Depot for a year, helping with computer networks and mobile devices. She then moved to Scientific Games Corporation to provide desktop computer support.

Making a Difference at Google

Erica worked at Google from 2006 until May 2015. She held several important roles, including a Site Reliability Engineer (SRE). In July 2015, after leaving Google, Erica shared an important story. She revealed that she had started a spreadsheet at Google where employees could share their salary details.

This spreadsheet helped many of her colleagues. They used the information to ask for fair pay raises if they found they were being paid less than others doing similar work. Erica mentioned that her colleagues tried to give her special bonuses for starting the spreadsheet. However, her managers did not approve these extra rewards. The spreadsheet led to important discussions at Google about how salaries were decided. It also highlighted the need for fairness in pay, regardless of a person's background. The spreadsheet continued to be updated, and its findings were even reported in The New York Times in 2017.

New Adventures After Google

From May 2015 to July 2017, Erica worked at Slack as an engineer. In 2016, she and her team accepted an award for Slack as the "Fastest Rising Startup." In 2017, Erica became a Senior Engineering Manager at Patreon. She continued to work in the San Francisco Bay Area. In January 2019, she joined Microsoft as a Principal Group Engineering Manager.

In March 2021, Erica Baker became the Chief Technology Officer for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).

Championing Fairness and Inclusion

After her time at Google, Erica Baker became a strong supporter of diversity and inclusion. She uses her blog and public talks to advocate for these important ideas. She started a movement on Twitter called #RealDiversityNumbers. This movement encouraged companies to share information about how many different kinds of people they employed.

Erica also spoke up when she felt that some companies were not paying enough attention to helping all different groups of people feel included. She believed that real change comes from genuine actions, not just from showing logos or making quick statements.

Erica was also one of the founding members of Project Include. This organization started in 2016. It helps companies create better strategies for diversity and inclusion.

Sharing Her Ideas and Helping Others

Erica Baker has been interviewed by many news outlets, including WIRED. In January 2017, she was a main speaker at the Women of Color in Computing conference. She also spoke at the Bond Conference in March 2018. In October 2018, she was a featured speaker at a Berkeley Center for New Media panel and The Wall Street Journal's Women in the Workplace Forum. She even appeared on the TV show Jeopardy as a guest presenter in February 2021.

Erica also gives back to the community. She is on the board of directors for Girl Develop It, an organization that helps women learn how to code. She is also an advisor for Hack the Hood and a tech mentor for Black Girls Code. These groups help young people, especially girls of color, learn about technology.

Awards and Recognition

Erica Baker was recognized on the BBC's 100 Women list in November 2020. She also won the 2015 Level Playing Field Institute Lux Award for her work.

Her Personal Life and Interests

Erica Baker moved around a lot as a child. She was born in Germany because her parents were serving in the US Air Force there. Her family also lived in New Mexico, Florida, and Alaska.

Erica started writing when she was a teenager. She married in college, but that marriage later ended. In 2021, Erica married her current husband, B Astrella.

Erica has a deep interest in genealogy, which is the study of family history. She has spent over ten years researching her own family's past. She hopes to one day help other African American families discover their histories too.

See also

In Spanish: Erica Baker para niños