Mainframe Connect

Join host Steven Dickens in this episode of I Am A Mainframer as he talks with Emma Skovgard, an IT security engineer at Danske Bank. Emma shares her inspiring and unconventional career path into the mainframe ecosystem, her deep involvement in open source projects, and her insights on the current challenges and future of mainframe security.Discover Emma's perspective on automation, infrastructure as code, and how diverse skills are shaping the future of mainframe technology. Whether you're a student, professional, or enthusiast, Emma’s story offers valuable lessons and motivation to get involved and innovate in the mainframe community.🔹 Follow Emma on LinkedIn for more thought leadership on mainframe and security.🔹 Subscribe for more episodes from the Open Mainframe Project’s I Am A Mainframer podcast.🔹 Learn more about the mainframe ecosystem: openmainframeproject.org#Mainframe #ITSecurity #OpenSource #MainframeCommunity #IAmAMainframer

In this episode of Mainframe Coven, Jessielaine Punongbayan (Product Manager, Dynatrace) and Richelle Anne Craw (Software Engineer, Beta Systems Software) chat with Former SHARE President Pam Taylor, a historian turned mainframer who ended up making history herself. Pam shares her journey into enterprise tech, her advocacy for standards and user-focused solutions, and how she blends technical expertise with creative storytelling.Mainframe Coven is a 10-part mini-series honoring the past, present, and future women of IT. It's about real stories from the essential yet unseen minds behind the machines.The podcast is sponsored by the Open Mainframe Project, a Linux Foundation project that aims to build community and adoption of Open Source on the mainframe by eliminating barriers to Open Source adoption on the mainframe, demonstrating the value of the mainframe.For a transcript of this episode, visit https://openmainframeproject.org/mainframe-coven/mainframe-coven-pam-taylor/Links and Resources Mentioned in the Episode:- SHARE's Women of Influence in Mainframe: https://blog.share.org/Article/shares-women-of-influence-in-mainframe- Pam Taylor's Website: https://pamela-taylor.com/

In this episode of Mainframe Coven, Jessielaine Punongbayan (Product Manager, Dynatrace) and Richelle Anne Craw (Software Engineer, Beta Systems Software) look back at a time when women were central to computing and examine how and why that changed, even though the work didn’t. Together they reflect on software engineering, cultural bias, institutional gatekeeping, and the motivation to rewrite the narrative.Mainframe Coven is a 10-part mini-series honoring the past, present, and future women of IT. It's about real stories from the essential yet unseen minds behind the machines.The podcast is sponsored by the Open Mainframe Project, a Linux Foundation project that aims to build community and adoption of Open Source on the mainframe by eliminating barriers to Open Source adoption on the mainframe, demonstrating the value of the mainframe.For a transcript of this episode, visit https://openmainframeproject.org/mainframe-coven/mainframe-coven-when-computers-wore-skirtsLinks and Resources Mentioned in the Episode:- She Was a Computer When Computers Wore Skirts: https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/langley/she-was-a-computer-when-computers-wore-skirts/- Zeros and Ones: Digital Women and the New Technoculture by Sadie Plant: https://www.4thestate.co.uk/products/zeros-and-ones-digital-women-and-the-new-technoculture-sadie-plant-9781857026986/- Lovelace & Babbage and the creation of the 1843 'notes' by J. Fuegi and J. Francis, in IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, vol. 25, no. 4, pp. 16-26, Oct.-Dec. 2003: https://doi.org/10.1109/MAHC.2003.1253887- Broad Band: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the Internet by Claire Evans: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/545427/broad-band-by-claire-l-evans/- Pioneer Programmer: Jean Jennings Bartik and the Computer That Changed the World by Jean Jennings Bartik: https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-Programmer-Jennings-Computer-Changed/dp/1612480861/- The women of ENIAC by W. B. Fritz, in IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 13-28, Fall 1996: https://doi.org/10.1109/85.511940- Jean J. Bartik and Frances E. “Betty” Snyder Holberton, interview by Henry Tropp, April 1973, Computer Oral History Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution: https://mads.si.edu/mads/id/NMAH-AC0196_bart730427/- When Computers Were Women by Jennifer S. Light, Technology and Culture, vol. 40, no. 3, 1999: https://www.jstor.org/stable/25147356- ENIAC Programmers Project: https://eniacprogrammers.org/- Great Unsung Women of Computing: The Computers, The Coders and The Future Makers: https://www.wmm.com/catalog/film/great-unsung-women-of-computing-the-computers-the-coders-and-the-future-makers/- The Untold History of Women in Science and Technology (White House Archives): https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/women-in-stem/- The Queen of Code, directed by Gillian Jacobs. FiveThirtyEight, 2015: https://vimeo.com/118556349/- “Making Programming Masculine” In Gender Codes: Why Women Are Leaving Computing by Nathan Ensmenger: https://homes.luddy.indiana.edu/nensmeng/posts/2010/09/09/misa2010/- The Computer Boys Take Over: Computers, Programmers, and the Politics of Technical Expertise by Nathan Ensmenger: https://thecomputerboys.com/

In this episode of Mainframe Voices, we dive into the critical role of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) within the Open Mainframe Project. Featuring insights from esteemed TAC leaders, this episode explores how their leadership fosters collaboration, innovation, and growth in the open-source mainframe ecosystem.Our distinguished guests share their personal journeys in mainframe technology and highlight the value the TAC brings to advancing open-source initiatives. From shaping technical strategies to building a vibrant community, learn how the TAC is driving the future of mainframe technology.Guests:Lauren Valenti – Director, Mainframe Education, Customer Engagement, Vitality and Mainframe Expert Program at Broadcom SoftwareDonna Hudi – Chief Marketing Officer & Head of Business Development at Phoenix Software InternationalTom Slanda – Program Coordinator at The Linux FoundationJoe Bostian – Senior Technical Staff Member at IBMThe Mainframe Connect podcast, including the I am a Mainframer and Riveting Mainframe Voices series, under the Open Mainframe Project, an initiative dedicated to building community and adoption of open source on the mainframe.Watch the full episode to discover how TAC leadership is shaping the future of open-source mainframe technology!#Mainframe #OpenMainframeProject #LinuxFoundation #MainframeConnect #MainframeVoices #TACLeadership #OpenSource #MainframeInnovation

In this episode of the Mainframe Connect podcast's I am a Mainframer series, Richelle from Beta Systems shares her inspiring journey from the Philippines to Austria in the mainframe industry. Starting as a COBOL programmer trainee, Richelle transitioned through roles in systems programming and open-source development, becoming a key contributor to the Zowe community as a Scrum Master for Zowe Explorer. She discusses mainframe modernization, the power of the Zowe community, and her passion for teaching modern mainframe tools like VS Code and CLI to apprentices and colleagues. A highlight of the conversation is Richelle’s vision for a hybrid mainframe future and her advocacy for greater visibility of women in the industry through the upcoming Mainframe Coven podcast.

In celebration of Women's History Month, this special Mainframe Voices episode features first-time IBM Champions of 2025 sharing the influential women and advice that shaped their careers. Learn about the mentors, role models, and wisdom that helped these professionals succeed in the mainframe ecosystem.Discover powerful insights as these leaders reflect on the women who had the biggest impact on their professional journeys and the advice that guided their success.We are delighted to have our guests:Jessielaine Punongbayan - Product Manager @DynatraceNoor Aftab - Sr. Program Manager @AWSChristine Jenkins - Country Manager, Director of Common Services @21CSHannah Templeton - zOS @IRSElitsa Popova - Mainframe Consultant @BMC SoftwareThe Mainframe Connect podcast includes the I am a Mainframer series, Riveting Mainframe Voices series, and other content exploring relevant topics with mainframe professionals, sponsored by the Open Mainframe Project.#WomensHistoryMonth #IBMChampions #Mainframe #OpenMainframeProject #LinuxFoundation #WomenInTech #MainframeConnect #MainframeVoices