Bringing compassion back to technology with April Wensel

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We could all do with a little bit more compassion in our lives, and April Wensel is making sure that we can bring it to our work as well. April Wensel is the founder of Compassionate Coding, helping companies and tech professionals communicate more and effectively so that we can be better at what we do better to each other and better to ourselves. Join us as we speak about April's journey through technology, finding purpose with compassionate coding, and putting the humanity back into technology.

About April Wensel

April Wensel is an international keynote speaker and the founder of Compassionate Coding, a conscious business that provides communication skills training to technology professionals. Prior to starting Compassionate Coding, she spent a decade as a software engineer and technical leader at various startups in Silicon Valley, building products in such fields as healthcare, gaming, education, and user research. Away from the keyboard, she enjoys gleaning fruit, running ultramarathons, and experimenting with vegan recipes.

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Show Notes

[00:01:09] Studying Computer Science at a liberal arts college.
[00:02:54] Where April saw her future in computing.
[00:03:46] The path to Compassionate Coding.
[00:08:54] Teaching emotional intelligence to tech.
[00:10:35] Relating to the need to develop emotional intelligence from her own experiences.
[00:13:28] When you faced with a culture that has to change.
[00:15:41] Reflecting on how April’s liberal arts background informs her work now.
[00:17:12] April’s observations in the course of her work.
[00:18:42] The two sides of compassion.
[00:19:44] Feedback as a compassionate skill.
[00:21:28] April’s reflections on her own journey with emotion intelligence.
[00:23:03] April’s personal journey approaching burnout and the impetus for change towards compassion.
[00:25:02] The rate of burnout in these fields and how compassion can help.
[00:27:36] The shift towards compassion in other technical fields.
[00:30:20] Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you?
[00:31:56] What advice would you like to give someone who’d like to do what you do, and what advice should they ignore?

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