Meet Renata Vaccaro

Renata CAN do the Can-Can!

Renata Vaccaro graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Ryerson University in 1998. She is currently the CTO of Engineering.com, as well as the Co-Founder of ProjectBoard. In her spare time, Renata enjoys yoga, walks, reading, puzzles and chauffeuring her kids.

When did your love of STEM begin?

Grade 6. I had a teacher that taught us code and it was love at first site. My coding journey ended abruptly after that grade when I didn’t have a computer at home or other teachers that knew code. In high school I remembered loving code and decided to take it as an elective just for fun

What is the best part about working in the field of STEM?

I’m challenged every day, I’m always learning and I have the gratification of building something or making something better all the time.

What advice would you give young women interested in a career in STEM?

I wish I would have realized that my unique perspective made my teams stronger and it was ok if I didn’t know everything and it was ok to ask questions and ok to show my weaknesses. I was good enough and should have felt proud of my level and abilities at any given time because I worked hard to get there and you should too.

Know that whatever you accomplish can inspire the next generation of girls and the challenges you face and overcome are making it easier for them.