On Monday, May 9, the Ma’ayanot STEM class visited Bloomberg L.P. to further learn about the roles of women in the technology industry. Bloomberg has been described by Business Insider magazine—when referring to its branch which collects and sells financial data—as “the most successful technology company ever started in New York City.”
The trip was organized by Ma’ayanot alumna Michal Kaufman Gulko ‘01, an Application Specialist of OTC derivatives at Bloomberg, in conjunction with Ma’ayanot co-directors of STEAM (the A is for art) Education and Innovation, Mrs. Gila Stein and Mrs. Orly Nadler,
The students were given a tour of the building and learned about how its architecture ties into the company’s culture. One of the first things they noticed was that the indicators on the elevator for up and down lit up in red and green, the same way that stocks indicate and increase and decrease.
One of the goals of the company is transparency —the idea that everyone is in the know on what is happening there. They achieve this in their office design by having an open floor plan, with no cubicle walls. Conference rooms, which require some privacy, have glass walls. To demonstrate its concern for the employees’ welfare, there are 33 fish tanks in the building, to bring fortune and good luck.
The students also got to enjoy some of the employee perks, including snacks. The reason there are so many snacks is so that employees don’t need to leave work to get food. Instead they stay in the building and socialize, which promotes unity and idea building. Some items are specially marked as health-food snacks, to demonstrate that the company cares about its employees’ well-being.
After the tour and snacks, the Ma’ayanot students had a panel discussion with three Bloomberg employees—including Ms. Kaufman Gulko ‘01—who are Orthodox Jewish women working in the high-tech world, and who achieved a balance between their personal and professional lives. They explained the importance of computer coding and computer science, and to not let it’s difficulty intimidate the students. They suggested some computer languages, which are good starting points, including C++, Java and JavaScript. The students also learned about the Terminal, a computer system that Bloomberg L.P. provides to clients for a fee, which enables professionals in finance and other industries to access the Bloomberg professional services. With this tool, users can monitor and analyze real-time financial market data and buy and sell in the electronic marketplaces.
After the trip the students had a much better understanding of what life is like in the corporate world of high-tech, and how to navigate it as Orthodox Jews.
By Shalva Faber ‘18
