As we celebrate Black history in February, it’s also a great time to celebrate minority women thriving in male-dominated fields. KMJ, a 20-year veteran in the Las Vegas web development and marketing sector, celebrates the efforts of one of its own, Franisha Hayes.
- Hayes has been with KMJ for eight years and risen from an administrative assistant position to today being the firm’s lead digital marketing strategist, said Karl Maisner. Hayes holds every Google certification available and helps businesses and nonprofits develop digital marketing strategies, using the best practices for SEO, SEM and social media to help their organizations grow.
- Since starting with KMJ as an administrative assistant eight years ago, she has held data analyst, SEO specialist roles and now the digital marketing strategist position.
- Hayes’ original aspirations were to be an animator for Disney, which led her to study graphic design in school, which then led her into web design.
- In school, web design was the most challenging subject for her, but she overcame those challenges to now become a confident leader in the field.
- From 2016 to 2018, she spent time working with the Gear Up program where she spoke to high school students about opportunities in the technology industry. The effort also involved recruiting interns to KMJ who, if interested in STEAM careers, could get on-the-job training while they pursued their post-secondary education.
- Before COVID, she was part of the local AMA chapter and has been involved with the Las Vegas Chamber’s Vegas Young Professionals group.
- Hayes received a marketing certificate from University of Washington in March, 2021.
- She has developed a monthly segment with a colleague called “If You Know, You Know” to provide tech industry updates to help small businesses.
- She is inspired by those who have helped educate her and appreciates learning from other tech minds willing to share knowledge with her. In the future she hopes to establish herself as a speaker and educator in the industry. “I feel like I can provide some valuable insights to others now.”
Quotable:
“There are a lot more women in digital marketing now than when I first started, but only a handful of minority women. … I try to walk my own line, dance to the beat of my own drum, being authentically me, no matter who’s around. The tech industry allows me to do that. That’s more of a driver for me than anything.”
Franisha was interviewed by Channel 8 reporter, Sally Jaramillo, about her role at our tech based company. Watch the news story here.
