Event Recap: WLiT Q3 - A Conversation with Jana Shortal » MnTech

Women Leading in Technology (WLiT) events are open to both women and men who are interested in promoting, educating, empowering, and advancing women in technology throughout Minnesota.

The Minnesota Technology Association (MnTech) and WLiT extend their sincere gratitude to Jana Shortal, Host of Breaking the News on KARE 11, who joined us for an inspiring conversation at WLiT’s 10th Anniversary Celebration event earlier this month. After sharing reflections and memories from the past decade of WLiT, and thoughts about the future of tech for women in our state as a group, Jana joined the audience for a beautifully vulnerable and honest discussion about the trials and tribulations she’s faced in her career as a journalist, as well as her thoughts on life in the post/present COVID era. Jana also took time to answer crowdsourced questions from the community.

Thank you to our valued event sponsors: Digineer, Horizontal Talent, Nutanix, Software Guild, SPS Commerce, Thomson Reuters, and Travelers.

This event was recorded live on Tuesday, August 10, 2021.

Jayshree Seth
Corporate Scientist, 3M

Jayshree Seth is a Corporate Scientist at 3M and currently holds 77 patents for a variety of innovations, with several additional pending. She joined 3M in 1993 after an MS and PhD in Chemical Engineering from Clarkson University, New York. She is a Distinguished Alumni Award recipient from her alma mater REC Trichy India, now NIIT Trichy, where she earned a B. Tech. in Chemical Engineering.

Jayshree was appointed 3M’s first ever Chief Science Advocate in 2018 and is using her scientific knowledge, technical expertise and professional experience to advance science and communicate the benefits of science and the importance of diversity in STEM fields. She is also a member of Carlton Society which is the 3M Science and Engineering “Hall of Fame.” Jayshree is the fourth woman and first female engineer to be inducted. In 2020, she was awarded Society of Women Engineers (SWE) highest Achievement Award. She is also the first-ever winner of a Gold Stevie® Award in the new Female Thought Leaders of the Year – category in the 18th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business in 2021. Jayshree was featured in a docuseries titled Not the Science Type that premiered during the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival and accepted for Brand Storytelling Showcase, a sanctioned event at Sundance Film Festival. She is the author of the books, The Heart of Science – Engineering Footprints, Fingerprints, & Imprints, and The Heart of Science – Engineering Fine Print published by the Society of Women Engineers, and all sales proceeds go to a scholarship for underrepresented minority women in STEM. She is a sought-after speaker, globally, on a multitude of topics such as innovation, leadership and STEM advocacy and has featured in local, national and international media.

Jayshree has served on the CEOs Inclusion Council, chaired the 3M Asian Employee Resource Group A3CTION and serves on the Steering Committee for 3M Technical Women’s Leadership Forum (WLF). She also serves on the Board of the Science Museum of Minnesota, Engineering Advisory Council for Clarkson University, AAAS Committee on Science, Engineering and Public Policy (COSEPP), Advisory Board for Innovation – The Conference Board, and Advisory Group of Aspen Institute Our Future is Science program.

Jayshree has two adult kids, and her husband also works at 3M.