jaidie vargas

Jaidie Vargas is a force of nature. She is a national speaker, Navy veteran, PhD student researching AI ethics, co-founder and executive director of Amigas in Tech, IT Director, and a mom.

What doesn’t she do?!

She’s a champion whose actions inspire women and particularly the Latina community to feel empowered and claim their seat at the table.

Jaidie’s journey from IT in the Navy to cybersecurity leadership shows the power of asking her favorite question, “why not?” at every turn. She built a career by staying curious, communicating authentically, and bringing others along for the climb. Now, through Amigas in Tech, she’s building a community with friends she once needed which offers salary negotiation workshops, civic engagement tools, and real resources beyond just panels.

Her PhD research focuses on AI ethical frameworks with a human-centric, community-first approach. She’s making sure communities have a voice when data centers pop up and AI decisions get made because innovation without consideration of its effects isn’t progress.

In this episode, we’ll talk about finding community, Jaidie’s path from IT in the Navy to cyber leadership, building Amigas in Tech from the ground up, researching AI ethics, why communication is the most critical soft skill, asking “why not?” to create opportunities, time management across multiple roles, the importance of allyship, and staying authentic when the world wants you to blend in.

your call to action

Keep on showing up, keep on making your voice heard, and seek micro or macro glimmers of joy and hope.

thanks & gratitude 🙏

The background music in this episode was created by the amazing Sarah Garlock. You can also find Sarah @sarg_makes_beats on Instagram and TikTok!