AUSTIN, Texas – SparkFun Electronics, which makes open-source equipment aimed at developers, had reps on hand at South by Southwest to showcase products and take part in various workshops and panel discussions.
Director of Marketing Jessica McDonald stopped by the RCR Wireless News studio to discuss the importance of making technology accessible to everyone, as well as the importance of bridging the gender divide in technology.
“SparkFun Electronics is a manufacturer and retailer of embedded electronics for hobbyists,” she said. “We make a lot of our own shields and arduino-powered devices such as our red board, which is one of our key components in our SparkFun Inventors Kit. … It’s an all-in-one kit for anyone beginning with electronics. It walks you through 13 different circuits.”
SparkFun products are not protected by patents, which is a thoughtful decision from company leaders.
“We are a big believer in open-source. That comes directly from our CEO,” McDonald said. Patents “don’t particularly protect your innovation. People reverse-engineer things all the time. We firmly believe being open forces you to be more innovative, to be more creative.”
McDonald took part in a panel discussion revolving around methods to bring more women into the technology field. She explained that, since home computers became a consumer market, they’ve been marketed toward males.
“Gaming and computer technology are two fields in STEM that have the lowest participation in women. A lot of it has to do with the way we talk about technology. When you ask second graders to draw an image of someone in science or tech, they draw a white man. That stays with girls.”
She stressed the need for companies to aggressively target females for the workforce.
