On Saturday, I attended Women Techmakers Summit at Googleplex! It was a conference for women in the tech field (both students and already in the industry), where female technology leaders shared about their work and background.

Women are currently a minority in the tech field. When I was getting my bachelors in computer engineering, there’d be around 2 to 5 females and 15 to 20 males in each CmpE class. I also graduated with 4 other females, among 15+ males.

I got to hear Sowmya Subramanian (Engineering Manager, YouTube), Yoky Matsuoka (VP of Technology, Nest Labs), Megan Smith (VP of Google[x], Google), Raquel Romano (Software Engineer, Google), Kimber Lockhart (Senior Director of Engineering, Box), and a few other females speak about their work and obstacles. I left the conference feeling inspired!

I snagged a package of roasted seaweed during one of the sessions…and ate it tonight! :D

Roasted seaweed typically comes in a pack like the one above. You can find them in many Asian markets, and even at Costco! They’re light, crispy, slightly salty, and addictive! I could snack on it all day… Roasted seaweed also goes really well with rice.

Here’s some info about seaweed, from Time:

“In Korean culture, seaweed is like bread,” says Jin Jun, the founder of SeaSnax. “It’s a very sacred part of our culture. It is served to us in soup on our birthday and given to women for three weeks after childbirth. In ancient Korean folklore, the tradition came about by watching whales eat seaweed after giving birth. According to our elders, it is supposed to replenish and rejuvinate the body.”

Although much of the rejuvenating claims come from Korean and Japanese traditions—not scientific evidence—other research is starting to confirm that seaweed does indeed contain a wide variety of vitamins and nutrients that could prevent disease. A 2011 study published in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry reviewed 100 studies on the health benefits of seaweed and reported that some of the proteins in seaweed could serve as better sources of bioactive peptides than those in milk products. These reduce blood pressure, and boost heart health.

Seaweed also has an impressive amount of nutrients like vitamins A, B-6, and C as well as iodine and fiber.