- Blog: SheGeeks.net
- Niche: Technology
- Founder: Corvida Raven
- Twitter: @corvida
The self-proclaimed “Oprah of the Web†isn’t giving away luxurious trips to the tropics, free cars, or loads of her all-time “Favorite Things.†Instead, 24-year-old technology blogger Corvida Raven is offering up something far more valuable: a comprehensive look at all-things digital via her award-winning blog, SheGeeks.net.
Just three weeks after launching her blog in 2008, Raven, who has been blogging since the eighth grade, was hit with a series of opportunities that helped solidify her position in the digital space. To date She Geeks has led her to big breaks with Fast Company, General Motors and Intel; freelance writing gigs with ReadWriteWeb and Laptop magazine, among others, and travel opportunities that have taken the Miami, FL native from Austin, TX to as far as Berlin, Germany.
Raven’s keep-it-real approach to tech reviews (yes, if a product is “crappy,†she’ll tell the masses) has earned her various awards, including Best Technology Blog at the 2008 Black Weblog Awards, one of Glamour magazine’s 21 Amazing women in 2011 and recognition as an Influential Women in Tech by Fast Company. As part of Black Blogger Month, BlackEnterprise.com sat down with the rebellious young techie to discuss her brand, why she’s so invested in the younger generation and the importance of STEM education.
I started blogging…
Just for fun. I’ve always loved technology, and blogging was another aspect of technology to explore with amazing niches like Web and graphic design. I also saw it as a way of projecting my voice in communities that I admired on the Web.
The overhead for running my blog is…
Less than $50 a year. They can be very cheap, or free in some cases. Money usually isn’t a problem if you’re looking to start a blog. It’s making the time and keeping up the energy to maintain it that challenges people.
She Geeks stands out because…
I try to make technology easy to understand without dumbing things down; I’d rather pull my readers up. I think my readers are smart whether they know the latest technology or not, and I treat them like that when I write about things.
The biggest mistake I ever made in business was…
Not being more confident in my talents, and the impact I could make. It’s a challenge to accomplish this when the industry you exist in doesn’t reflect you in a way that makes it comfortable to not just be confident but also be yourself. I’ve learned and continue to learn how to not repeat this mistake.
In business, you should never be afraid to…
Be yourself–ever! It’s the worst thing you can possibly do to yourself, and to whatever you’re trying to pursue.
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The biggest hurdle I face as a woman in the technology space is…
Being one of a handful of women at a tech event, working on a project, or in an office. There are two things I do in this situation: show up and recommend others that can do the same.
Networking in the digital space is important because…
“It’s not what you know, but who you know.” It’s a quote everyone should be familiar with. My encounter with this quote went more like this:Â The first day I went to college, a senior student told me, “Your No. 1 goal during your tenure here is to network, network, network. Take names whether you think they can help you now or not.”
I learned the meaning of tenure that day, and I wrote her words in my diary. By the end of my tenure, I learned that networking will get you everywhere in life. It’s a shame that this isn’t taught in schools. Ninety-nine percent of the opportunities I’ve had since college came from networking outside
of my existing circles.None of my success would be possible if not for…
My mom. I may have the talent and skills, but she provided me with the resources and freedom (maybe too much freedom sometimes) to really find my passion as a kid. I didn’t think of things like that as a kid, but I’m blessed and extremely grateful now for the things she did for me.
I could not go a day without…
A laptop and smartphone. They’re not requirements, but they make people, places, and things easy and quick to find and/or access.
Anyone who wants to follow in my footsteps should…
Follow my footsteps by following your own. Find out what you want to do. Write down the necessary steps to do it. Then do it.
No one told me how to get to where I am, nor was it ever my “plan” to be here. I find it to be much more fun to simply see where the rabbit hole goes. No one has to tell you how to get to the next level. Just visualize it and put forth all the effort you can to create what you want.
It’s important for the next generation to be versed in STEM because…
Technology is going to intersect with every part of the next generation’s life and play a major, and currently unknown, role in their future. It’s absolutely imperative that the next generation be versed in STEM in order to survive and thrive in the world they were born into. Their future will be severely limited otherwise.
Next on the horizon for me is…
I’m currently working on placing youth innovators into spaces and opportunities they are normally excluded from; that can lead to success.
I measure success by…
How happy I am about what I’m doing, and how much I’m being challenged when doing it.
Be sure to check out the rest of the digital thought leaders as they’re revealed each day by logging on to BlackEnterprise.com/BlackBloggerMonth.