EDGE in Tech Holiday Gift Guide
Looking for great gift ideas for women and others in tech? This guide focuses on items that are for and by women, people of color, LGTBQ, and others with intersectional identities. Have fun, relax, and celebrate with these fun finds.
Wasi Clothing (wasiclothing.com) invites you to never stop thriving, believe in yourself, and attract abundancia. “Wasi Clothing is a Brown-Latina owned Bolivian-American small business based in sunny Los Angeles, California. …The goal is also to be as sustainable and as ethical as possible in this industry that is saturated with unethical practices. Everything is ethically and sustainably made in Los Angeles by a diverse team of people of color.”
Featured on BLK + GRN (blkgrn.com), an all natural marketplace by all black artisans, Zandra Azariah Cunningham is a 19-year-old entrepreneur from Buffalo, NY who made it her mission “to give girls and women a natural alternative to all those commercial products with unhealthy ingredients. Today you have Zandra, a premier social good, plant-based skincare alternative for the educated + empowered girl on the move!” Start with the Lemon Tea Tree Sugar Scrub, Japanese Kumquat Bamboo Black Soap, and Lavender Vanilla Chai Hand & Body Lotion.
“Women compose only 5 percent of the pieces scheduled in classical music concerts today. An in-depth study of 100 of the world’s top orchestras’ 2020–21 seasons has revealed a staggering level of gender and racial inequality. The study, which was conducted by Donne Foundation, also examined the representation of Black and Asian composers. The results there are stark too: just over one percent of the pieces programmed are composed by Black & Asian women, and just over two percent are by Black and Asian men.”
Check out the work of Angélica Negrón, Pamela Z, and Zoë Keating. Look for more women composers and take in the sounds with your Airpods kept in a sturdy GMYLE Protective Case, or with the new Beats Studio3 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones in Defiant Black-Red.
The latest in cool coffee trends is snapchilling — “traditional methods like ice, cold brewing and refrigeration lead to dilution and oxidation, destroying much of the flavor and aroma we crave.” Elememental Beverage’s (elementalbeverage.co) Snapchill™ technology “harnesses the power of simple science to chill everything you pour in seconds, without ice or chemicals.” Vista Al Bosque from Guatemala has tasting notes of Gala apple, lemon curd, chamomile, a creamy body, and vibrant finish. El Mirador from Columbia features sour cherry, starfruit, Swiss chocolate tasting notes, a silky body, and soft finish.
Not the coffee type? Rejuvenate with Tease (teasetea.com) tea – Hocus Focus features “yerba maté and gingko to help get through everything on that to-do list” and Tumeric Tonic is “like a massage, in a cup. A spicy and sweet anti-inflammatory blend to help you conquer all of your adventures.”
Meanwhile, Jeni’s (shop.jenis.com)(the same one who makes the splendid ice cream) collaborated Askinosie Chocolate (askinosie.com) to create a Dark Chocolate and Malted Milk Collabaration™ Bar remniscent of a malted milkshake. And there are many reasons to love Definite Oko Caribe Dark 70% bar from the Dominican Republic — the company is Minority Owned, Bean to Bar, Direct Sourced, Made at Origin, and Woman Owned. Check out Bar and Cocoa (barandcocoa.com) or go straight to the source definitechocolate.com.
Notes to Self (notestoself.com) makes it easy to remember you are crushing it and that you’ve got this with socks that remind you; porque ‘Yo soy fuerte’ and so are you. Carolyn Flanagan (carolineflanagan.com), in her book “Be The First: People of Colour, Imposter Syndrome and the Struggle to Succeed in a White World” (that ships in February) invites you to “create your own Imposter Speech so that you can truly succeed. Not only will you rise to challenges differently, your whole relationship with yourself will also shift.”
The Imposter Syndrome Coaching Cards (by Trisha Barker trishabarker.com) help you reflect on what you are proud of and what you are doing well right now. The throw pillow from Foxes-in-Love (these artists in Porvoo, Finland have a Redbubble shop) effectively flip the script on impostor syndrome.
Many re-discovered the joy of reading during COVID, and the collective stress of the past year(s) have many wondering how to break out of anxiety and exhaustion. Here are some books to help you recalibrate and refocus…
Reboot: Your COVID-19 Quick-Start Guide to Life, Work, and Hope by MK Kim
Flux: 8 Superpowers for Thriving in Constant Change by April Rinne
Right Within: How to Heal from Racial Trauma in the Workplace by Minda Harts (also author of The Memo)
Finding Latinx: In Search of the Voices Redefining Latino Identity by Paola Ramos
Power to the Public: The Promise of Public Interest Technology by Tara Dawson McGuinness
Zconomy: How Gen Z Will Change the Future of Business―and What to Do About It by Jason R. Dorsey and Denise Villa
Artistic accents enhance everyday items. Meet the Artist: Jessi Raulet, an Indiana-born artist and influencer, is the visionary behind the EttaVee brand and its expressive, optimistic work. Pick a travel mug or thermos from Tervis with a choice of her bright designs. Casetify presents Uplifted no.2 by EttaVee for your iPhone, and you can also get her Aimee Kestenberg credit card wallet with RFID.
The Crossbody Purity Wallet Bag and the Annex Loom Backpack are vegan, cruelty-free, and recycled. Matt and Nat (mattandnat.com) say “it’s important for us not to use leather. Simply put, we don’t like hurting animals and we deeply care about the welfare of the planet. …A variety of high quality vegan materials are used in the creation of our products. PU (polyurethane) is a biodegradable material, making it less harmful to our planet. …Moreover, all of our linings are made of 100% recycled plastic bottles. Approximately 21 plastic bottles are recycled for every bag we produce. Having a sustainable product is very important to us. Our pieces are not made to last a season but are intended to be a part of your wardrobe for many years.”
Are you a fan of taking notes (or doodling) then appreciate the Recycled Paper Journal from United by Blue and the The Dot Grid Spiral Decomposition Notebook from Decomposition made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper that is recyclable at the end of its life. This Ramen Pen by Seltzer is “The Seven Year Pen” that contains a large ink supply, “enough ink to write a continuous line 4 to 5 kilometers long (Writing 1 to 2 meters of ink a day, times 365 days, times seven years.) and— most importantly — it’s refillable. So no matter how much you write, you don’t have to throw away the whole pen when the ink is used up.”
For those that can, many people are spending more of their work hours in home offices, so this might be the time to invest in an Oak Alex desk with “airy froms, sweeping lines and bowed, sculptural silhouettes” that is made from “natural or sustainable materials that are reclaimed, FSCTM-certified, or sustainably sourced to ensure that our signature collections meet the highest standards of eco-craftsmanship”. Sit down in the MultiGeneration by Knoll ergonomic chair, known for sustainable practices and green certified. A Tomons Swing Arm Desk Lamp with a natural wood frame body that is chemical-free and a stunning 767 Swell: Single Pendant Light from Bicycle Glass (bicycleglass.com) will light up your office. (Each piece is hand-blown and made with 100% pre- and post-consumer locally sourced recycled glass.)
And after the past couple years, we can all use some stress relief. Puzzles, games, fidget toys and textures, organizers and coloring books, and a relaxation device can all help calm the nerves.
Together We Can and The Brand New Day — 1000 Piece WerkShoppe Puzzles
Speks Geode Magnetic Fidget Sphere — Pentagons 12-Piece Set — Aqua
The Haunted Island, a Frog Detective Game — by Grace Bruxnor on STEAM
Calm Strips — in two unique textures, provide satisfying, sensory experiences
Poketo Self Planner — sometimes we don’t have enough time for ourselves
Can’t Adult Today — A Snarky & Slightly Sweary Coloring Book for Adults
Sensate Relaxation Device and App — Stress relief without need for training
Lego has pledged to make toys more gender-neutral and eliminate stereotypes after a global survey. “Parents and, to a lesser extent, their children, are still influenced by gendered notions of career. Young girls are also more willing to participate in activities that cut across “gender norms” than their male peers.” “Our job now is to encourage boys and girls who want to play with sets that may have traditionally been seen as ‘not for them,” according to Julia Goldin, Lego’s chief product and marketing officer.
We couldn’t agree more. So this holiday season, let’s all contribute to making our world a happier place where everyone can play how they want to, and be who they want to be. Happy holidays!
(All photos are courtesy of the linked sites selling the items including Amazon.com. Thanks to bricklink for making lego figures searchable.)
Download the 2021 EDGE in Tech Holiday Gift Guide pdf with hyperlinks, check out last year’s gift guide, visit us at edge.berkeley.edu, save the date March 10–11 for the Diversity in Tech Symposium on Advancing Climate Resilience, and follow us here on Medium at EDGE in Tech™ Initiative at UC, on Twitter at EDGEinTech, YouTube, and on LinkedIn.
