"The Next Generation Has No Desire to Be the Only Woman in the Room": A Conversation With WAVIT’s Brandy Alvarado-Miranda and Hope Roth
Brandy Alvarado-Miranda (left) and Hope Roth (right) of WAVIT.
Brandy Alvarado-Miranda and Hope Roth found their way to the AV industry taking very different paths, but both have experienced a similar struggle: being a woman in a male-dominated industry.
“I’ve been in AV for a little over 10 years now, and I fell into it quite by accident,” Alvarado-Miranda says. “My first employer literally found me on LinkedIn and hired me as the director of marketing; they were looking to rebrand their company. I didn't know AV from anything at that point, but I was immediately immersed and in love with it.”
Roth’s path was more deliberate. Her love of troubleshooting and technology manifested into a computer science major with a desktop support role at Tufts University, and later into work as an on-site support tech. When a full-time programmer role opened up, Roth decided to enter the AV programming sector and has thrived in this world ever since.
Whether in AV marketing or a full-time tech role, women in AV make up just around 14 percent of the industry, according to attendance reports at this years’ InfoComm. Due to the often alienating environment, many women leave AV and IT prematurely or decide not to pursue roles in tech at all. While there are many male allies, there is so much more to be done to create a safe space for women in the industry. Both the creation of WAVIT (Women in AV/IT) and the conception of the Waves of Influence Mentorship Program are big steps in the direction of promoting representation and inclusion in the AV and IT industries.
I chatted with Brandy and Hope about their involvement with WAVIT, the mentorship program, and what creating a safe space for women in AV/IT really means.
BAM: Within my first year in AV, I found a mentor: Cory Schaeffer, a highly respected woman in the industry with an illustrious career. Our meeting felt like fate, and she became my guide. During one of our sessions, she pointed out that the annual AVIXA women’s breakfast wasn’t enough, and I wholeheartedly agreed. We felt exhilarated and inspired at those breakfasts but quickly hit a low after they ended.
So we started the Local Southern California AVIXA Women’s Council, initially known as the Women of Infocomm. Our efforts eventually led to the formation of about 50 groups. I served a three-year term as chair for the Women’s Council and then passed the baton to Tammy [Fuqua]. But after my term, I felt my work wasn’t done. The setbacks from COVID made it clear that more needed to be done for women in the industry. That’s when we founded WAVIT, aiming to continue the momentum and push for more progress. And that’s how it all began.
HR: I adored all the founding members and felt I had to get involved. Those were my AV best friends, so I asked if I could be a part of it. Someone reached out and asked if I'd like to chair the outreach committee, which felt like a perfect fit. I've always been passionate about bringing more women into the AV industry and STEM.
I could quote stats all day, but it starts with how kids play and learn skills like troubleshooting and programming early on. We have opportunities to encourage and support women at every step, rather than scare them away. I spent the first 10 years of my career as the only woman in most rooms, but I stuck around because I loved it and had supportive male colleagues. The next generation of women, though, doesn’t want to be the only woman in the room. Many great women have left for other fields because they felt pushed out, unsupported, or experienced inappropriate behavior. That’s something we need to change.
HR: So my co-chair Jill [Levine] has been a huge part of this, so full credit to her. We are really good complements to each other. We've both put a lot of work in, as well as the other members of our committee, to try and come up with a good framework for success. So the initial meetings were about our goals for the mentorship program and then how we can support our mentors and our mentees. A big part of that is to ask the mentees to come in with a goal.
The goal can even just be to navigate the first six months of your career without "stepping in it." That’s a valid goal. Or “I have goals like becoming a CTO someday” or “transitioning into a different vertical within the industry.” But everyone's goals are different, and sometimes the goal is just to figure out what you want. I talked to a WAVIT member who wanted to speak with a mentor to figure out her next career step because she wasn’t sure which direction to go. So, come and figure it out with us.
BAM: We know that mentorship has proven to be a valuable tool for career guidance, networking, and many other things. Mentoring is especially useful for women navigating different aspects of their careers, whether it's trying something new, starting a different path, or overcoming challenges. Sometimes, all you need is someone to listen.
One of the highlights of AVIXA Women's Council breakfasts is the peer-to-peer, woman-to-woman mutual support. Those moments where you realize someone else understands your struggles are incredibly valuable. That’s what many women would benefit from in a mentorship program. I know I did — it helped immensely to know someone else has faced similar challenges and navigated through them.
Talking with a woman can be different than talking with a man in a career context. There’s something uniquely meaningful about a woman-to-woman, peer-to-peer mentorship. You can really let your hair down and get into the details of what you’re trying to accomplish professionally.
BAM: When women get together, we can speak more freely. Around our male counterparts, we tend to filter ourselves, so creating a safe space is really important. It allows us to share experiences and support each other.
I remember a moment in women’s gymnastics at the Olympics: three women of color medaled, and the bronze and silver medalists lifted up the gold medalist. It was such a powerful example of women supporting and uplifting each other, rather than tearing each other down.
Women should help each other and, like I always say, "straighten each other’s crowns." Having that safe space is crucial for speaking openly and addressing important issues.
HR: Talking with another woman who understands your experiences can bring a sense of safety. Especially if she’s your mentor, she's been through what you're facing. This group is self-selecting, so people understand the challenges of the younger generation. It's all about honest and open conversations. Sometimes you need feedback but aren’t sure who to talk to. I've been really lucky to have a group of friends and unofficial mentors for advice.
It's about reaching back and lifting up others. Some people climb the ladder and realize there's not much room at the top, then kick the ladder down. But in our industry, I haven’t met a single ladder kicker. Everyone is about making the platform bigger and helping others up.
BAM: Right. There's really no place in the industry for people who are ladder kickers. Even for your own personal career, it helps to speak positively of others when they're not in the room and to lift each other up, regardless of gender or any other factors.
This program is mainly centered around women mentoring women, but that’s not to say we couldn’t have some great male allies helping with the process as well. It's open to everyone, and all are welcome. We don't want to pigeonhole this as a women's-only initiative. We even have men on the committee helping with the matches for this program. It's important to note that this is an inclusive effort.
For more details on WAVIT and how you can get involved, head to their website. Plus, keep an eye on AVIXA Xchange for an upcoming feature on the Waves of Influence mentorship program!
