Achievement Unlocked! Tech Moms Leading the Way

Diana Laboy-Rush, Product Marketing Manager, Urban Airship

Mother to three children including Nico (19), Elliott (13) and Naomi (8), this tech wonder has worked as an App Developer Evangelist, an Adjunct Engineering Instructor, a STEM Solutions Manager, and now as the Product Marketing Manger of Urban Airship, a leading mobile engagement platform. Out of everything she has accomplished professionally; she says her greatest achievement occurred while coaching robotics teams in an effort to introduce young people to the possibilities of engineering. After noticing that less than 5% of the participants were girls, Diana decided she would only continue to coach if she could recruit an all-girls team. In an effort to put a team together she put an ad in the local paper announcing an open house welcoming any girl interested in learning more about robotics. She hoped that at least five girls would show up, and to her surprise, 64 came to experience robotics for the first time. Diana was able to form two teams of young women who competed in four robotic competitions, a problem-solving competition, and an all women's hack-a-thon.

Diana’s loves taking her children to explore interesting and educational places that spark curiosity. While she admits that like most moms she struggles to find balance in her life, she says, “After 19 years of being a working mom, I’ve learned to prioritize what is really important and to let a lot of things go, like worrying about a clean house or what other parents think of my decision to work.”