Leticia Baxley- Diversity in Technology

            Roy L. Clay played a key role in HP's development in the technology industry. He led the team that brought the company's first computer, the HP 2116A, to market in 1966 and built the software for it. The HP 2116A was roughly the size of a typewriter. He oversaw the company's computer sector, founded the HP software development center, and steered its transition into a computer company. Often referred to as the "Godfather of Silicon Valley," Roy Clay Sr. was a leader for African Americans entering the tech industry as well as one of the first in the computer software industry in the late 1950s.        Curiosity and an early interest in electronics were major factors in Roy Clay Sr.'s decision to pursue a career in technology. Although there were few possibilities for Black people growing up in STEM industries, he overcame obstacles and never gave up. His background in mathematics and engineering, coupled with his exposure...

As co-inventor of "frequency hopping spread spectrum" technology, which quickly switches radio frequencies during transmission to prevent jamming and essentially established the foundation for contemporary wireless communication systems like Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth, Hedy Lamarr is acknowledged for her significant contribution to technology and is referred to as the "mother of Wi-Fi". Hedy was motivated to support the military effort because she had been profoundly impacted by World War II. Inspired by her environment, Lamarr and composer George Antheil came up with a ground-breaking concept: frequency hopping spread spectrum technology. The innovation created an unbreakable encryption that stopped secret messages from being intercepted by adjusting radio frequencies at random intervals between transmission and reception. This allowed individuals to communicate as needed. Not only did Hedy Lamarr's groundbreaking "frequency hopping" technology lay the...