PPG, Rosedale Tech encourage women to enter male-dominated careers

Pittsburgh firms and trade schools are trying to close the gender gap plaguing STEM and related fields. Achieving this will, their leaders say, elevate women and improve company performances. by Joyce Gannon This story was originally published by& NEXTpittsburgh, a news partner of PublicSource. NEXTpittsburgh features the people, projects and places advancing the region and the innovative and cool things happening here.& Sign up& to get their free newsletter. For International Women’s Day on March 8, coatings and chemicals giant& PPG& invited six top women executives in the chemicals industry to the Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin Science Center, North Shore, to share the struggles and successes they’ve encountered in a sector overwhelmingly dominated by men.& The panel discussion, “Inspire Inclusion: Exceptional Women in Chemicals,” was hosted by PPG’s Women’s Leadership Network.& But two men came up with the idea. “It’s a strong example of men being allies,” said Irene Tasi, senior vice president, global industrials at PPG, and one of the panelists. Marvin Mendoza, PPG’s global head for diversity, equity and inclusion and the panel moderator, told the audience he and his husband, Brandon Lyssy, were brainstorming a few years ago about how to craft a fresh approach...