BriAnna McKissen: an influencer in the tech world.

• Author: Watson, Mark
• Position: Around Utah: People

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BriAnna McKissen was first introduced to coding at 10 years old.

"My aunt was taking a programming class at Weber State as part of her generals and she had a book on BASIC programming sitting on her shelf. I always liked to read anything I could find so I took the book home. I didn't even have a computer at the time, but was absolutely fascinated by how you could control things and about logic. I was 12 when I actually got a computer," she says.

Now, McKissen is the senior software engineering manager at Experticity, where she manages 10 user interface and mobile engineers. Experticity hired McKissen more than four years ago as a software engineer and she quickly rose to the top of her department. She was promoted to a manager's position in January 2015 and early this year became senior software engineering manager.

"The thing I like most about my job is the people," McKissen says. "When I get stressed out about things, I just tell myself there's no way I can leave these people. Some of them happen to be product experts, but mostly Experticity attracts a lot of passionate outdoorsy types because employees get the same great discounts (up to 70 percent off retail) that our influences get on the products."

McKissen acknowledges the engineering field is dominated by men, and she says some Experticity customers and job applicants are surprised when they learn she is a software engineer. "It's just a small number, but they assume since I'm a girl I'm into marketing or that I'm a designer and that I'm not technical. A few assume I'm here because they just wanted to hire a girl," she says.

McKissen believes there is plenty of room for women...