Randi Zuckerberg wants to change the tech and science world by bringing more women into the fold–with a much-needed venture. Zuckerberg, the older sister of Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a business maven in her own right: She’s the executive producer on “Dot,” a girl-power children’s TV show on Sprout that’s based on her best-selling book, and she runs Zuckerberg Media, her production company and marketing firm. She also moonlights on Broadway.
As if that weren’t enough, The Forward reports that she’s starting Sue’s Tech Kitchen in New York City, a family-friendly interactive cafe and tech playground for ages 6 and up. Its goal is to teach children to code, and it’s geared especially towards those who may not have the opportunity otherwise.
But don’t be fooled into thinking that Zuckerberg is addicted to her phone or social media. If anything, she is a firm advocate for finding time to enjoy life off the screen–and foster learning in ways other than a screen, although she also made sure to mention that every family is different. . She told The Forward:
“It’s so different for every family. I hear from families with kids on the autism spectrum that tech allows their kids to communicate with peers like nothing else. For them, tech is a savior.
Playing with robots, blocks, engineering concepts, even going outside on a sunny day and flying a drone. I don’t want parents to think screens are the only way to introduce kids to tech.”
She went on to explain how Shabbat gives her this opportunity to “turn off”:
“I’m completely unable to be creative when I’m glued to my phone, Instagram, LinkedIn messages. When you’re constantly connected to other people, you can’t unplug. On weekends, we do a ‘digital Shabbat,’ where we turn everything off.
My Jewish identity is hugely important to me. I remember going to Hebrew school and asking, ‘Why are we spending so much time studying the past?’ Now when I look at the tech industry, I see people only thinking about the future, asking what’s coming down the pipeline.
It’s really important to study the past, which is not something I see many leaders doing. That’s where my Jewish heritage and religion come into play. Jews think about the roots of issues, and that’s something I think about in my business. I wish other leaders would think about it more, too.”
Watch Zuckerberg talk about being a woman in tech below in Forbes:
