A blog post jointly authored by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the Economic Development Administration recently showcased Tara Astigarraga, a Master Inventor at IBM and a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
With the help of IBM mentors and her first patent in 2008, Tara Astigarraga helps younger women and men from underrepresented backgrounds see the possibilities of a career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
She was born and raised in Arizona and is partly Native American through her father.
Today, she is an IBM Master Inventor named on more than 80 patents for a variety of innovative solutions in storage, networking, security, and blockchain.
The blog post highlights the tools and resources offered by the Department of Commerce’s agencies, including the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and Economic Development Administration (EDA), to support all inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs, including those from underrepresented communities, such as Native Americans.
Astigarraga emphasizes the importance of mentorship and speaks about her experience with a mentor from the Native American community when she first joined IBM.
She was immediately pulled into the diversity group and got involved with all the other folks across IBM.
Tara Astigarraga is passionate about increasing the representation of Native American communities and other underrepresented groups in STEM fields.
She points out that Native American communities are hardly ever mentioned in conversations about building pipelines and getting people involved in STEM fields.
She also speaks frankly about her struggle with impostor syndrome, a challenge that is all too common for young people, especially those from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in STEM.
Working with young students, especially girls, young women, and members of other historically underrepresented groups like Native Americans, allows Tara to be an example of a successful engineer they can see and relate to.
You can read more about Tara Astigarraga here and learn more about the USPTO’s inclusive innovation efforts, resources supporting all inventors and entrepreneurs, and the Women’s Entrepreneurship initiative launched with the Department of Commerce.
Catch up with IBM Master Inventor and our 2016 Professional of the Year for Technical Excellence, Tara Astigarraga (Choctaw)! She talks impostor syndrome and shares her journey to innovation.https://t.co/d7jthJjK1k#NativeAmerican #NativesinTech #WomeninTech #NativesinSTEM
— AISES (@AISES) November 27, 2022
Congrats to class of 2019 graduates, such an honor to be the Convocation speaker at my alma mater #beardown #uofa https://t.co/LlCDwbmLau pic.twitter.com/kzQKtm4wAO
— Tara Astigarraga (@TaraAstigarraga) May 10, 2019
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