It’s 2017 and the struggle is still real
Badge In Here is a multi-voice workplace drama about four women in the tech industry, their lives interweaving as they chase success in a male-dominated world.
First up: Mirabelle. She identifies as an optimistic young tech professional. But at the FastStart 2017 tech conference, it’s evident that women are still overlooked. That’s why Mirabelle is thrilled to relocate to Silicon Valley, where she pitches an innovative product that she designed with all people in mind. Things are looking up until her company pivots and brings in a leader with zero respect for women. Forget about her big idea - how does Mirabelle keep her colleagues from sidelining her?
She turns to the women whose paths she crossed at the conference: Brynn, an engineering star. Rikki, a seasoned product exec. Jenna, her anti-tech best friend. Mirabelle faithfully follows their advice. But just as her biggest hope is rekindled, betrayals follow, and Mirabelle is forced to face reality in an industry that she still wants to love.
“Think LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY, set fifty years later in the tech industry. Has anything really changed? BADGE IN HERE is the hopeful, heartbreaking answer.”
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![an ID badge showing a woman product designer]()
Mirabelle is a 26-year-old product designer, vying for a seat at the FastStart keynote. The speaker is CEO of the Silicon Valley company where Mirabelle aspires to build the product of her dreams. When she learns that her application has been rejected she rallies to find another Valley job, determined to transform her woman-centered concept into something real.
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![an ID badge showing a woman engineer]()
Brynn is a mid-30s Latina engineer, at FastStart to talk about the technology that was announced at the keynote. But that tech contains just a fraction of the functionality that she’s invented with her team. She decides to risk an unauthorized demo to get the attention she deserves and breach the inner circle that surrounds the CEO.
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![an ID badge showing a woman product manager]()
Rikki is a 44-year-old product management executive, sent to FastStart by her brash new boss to recruit employees for their startup. She almost has a young woman signed up - when Rikki remembers that her boss is also a sexist tech bro and backs off the recruit. It’s vital that her legacy reflect the feminist values that she and her wife hold dear.
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![an ID badge showing a woman visual designer]()
Jenna is an artist. She only works in tech to pay her rent. And she’s only at FastStart because her bestie, Mirabelle, said it would be fun. It’s pretty cringe, though. Even worse, Jenna is blocked on how to depict the monster at the heart of her graphic novel, and it feels like her future is on hold until her creation is complete.
IT BEGINS AT A TECH CONFERENCE
“Mirabelle feels the sharp dig of an elbow in her back, one second before she slams into the person in front of her. Bodies are ricocheting off each other as they struggle to move forward. Mirabelle raises her arm, like a shield, and leans to the left. She’s up against a snarl of dogged fanboys, desperate to get into the auditorium before the keynote begins. Everyone knows that the keynote is where the excitement happens at a tech conference. Especially if the speaker is CEO of Volte, the Silicon Valley company that makes the most interesting products in the world.”