Behind every technological revolution are countless unsung heroes whose contributions shaped our world, yet whose names never made the history books.
The Invisible Infrastructure
When we marvel at the digital world that surrounds us today, we often picture the famous inventors and entrepreneurs whose names adorn our textbooks. But the technological infrastructure we take for granted was built by millions of hands—many of them belonging to women who worked tirelessly behind the scenes, serving as the essential cogs in an ever-growing machine.
My grandmother was one of these hidden figures. Abandoned by an abusive husband, she raised eight children while working as a punchcard operator at Honeywell. In the hierarchy of technology work, she was considered merely "the secretary to the programmer"—a diminutive title that obscured the complexity and importance of her actual work. Despite her critical role in translating human intentions into machine instructions, she barely scraped by financially, her contributions to the digital revolution undervalued and underpaid.
My mother's story followed a similar trajectory with a slightly different arc. Pregnant at 17, she eventually earned an associate's degree in Computer Information Systems—a credential that opened doors that had previously been closed. For 25 years, she worked in mainframe support for a major pharmaceutical company, maintaining the systems that stored critical research data, clinical trials, and supply chain logistics that affected millions of lives.
She was the invisible guardian of disaster recovery systems—ensuring that life-saving research and medicine continued uninterrupted. Yet when technology changed and her skills were deemed "legacy," she discovered the harsh truth: companies don't take care of their workers. The meritocracy she had been promised—where hard work and education would ensure security—proved to be a myth.
The Cost of Invisibility
These women's stories reveal a painful truth about technological progress: its benefits have not been equally shared with those who built it. The women who programmed the first computers, who processed the data that sent astronauts to the moon, who maintained the mainframes that revolutionized business and science—they were essential yet expendable in the eyes of the systems they served.
Like Ada Lovelace, who wrote the first algorithm designed to be processed by a machine, these women's legacies have been diminished and forgotten. They were told to be grateful for the opportunity to participate in technological advancement, while being denied the recognition, compensation, and security that should have accompanied their contributions.
The cost of this invisibility extends beyond individual lives. Our collective history is incomplete without their stories. Our understanding of who builds technology—and who it should serve—is distorted when we erase these contributions. And most painfully, the promise of technology as a democratizing force rings hollow when those who built it remain in precarious economic positions.
From Hidden Figures to Visible Creators: The Mission of 43Dreams.ai
This is why I'm launching 43Dreams.ai—a platform designed to create new paths for people to achieve their dreams instead of accepting a life by default. The women in my family used technology to change their circumstances, but they were limited by systems that weren't designed for their success.
43Dreams.ai aims to change that equation by:
- Finding a Path: Creating clear roadmaps to careers and lifestyles that previously seemed inaccessible
- Finding a Team: Connecting people with communities that support their growth and recognize their value
- Forging Your Own: Providing tools and resources for those ready to create entirely new opportunities
We believe that technology should serve everyone—not just those who already have access, privilege, and visibility. By making advanced technologies accessible and easy to use, we can help more people transform their circumstances, just as my mother and grandmother did, but without the limitations they faced.
Honoring the Legacy by Creating a New Future
The greatest tribute we can pay to these hidden figures isn't just to remember them—it's to create systems that would have served them better. Systems where contributions are valued regardless of title or background. Systems where technological advancement lifts everyone, not just a select few.
At 43Dreams.ai, we're building on the foundation laid by these invisible pioneers. We're creating pathways to technological empowerment that recognize and reward the full spectrum of contributions. We're designing for a world where no one's dreams are limited by their starting point or their demographic profile.
My grandmother supported eight children as a punchcard operator, labeled merely as "the secretary." My mother maintained critical pharmaceutical systems that affected millions of lives yet found herself dispensable when technology changed. Their stories aren't unique—they represent millions of hidden figures whose hands built our digital world.
Their legacy deserves more than invisibility. It deserves a new system where technology truly delivers on its promise of opportunity for all.
Join us at 43Dreams.ai as we build that system together—finding paths, building teams, and forging new futures that honor the hidden figures who came before us by creating visibility and opportunity for everyone who comes after.
PS and an ask...
My grandmother is gone now, but my mother is at a crossroads. After dedicating her life to maintaining the technological infrastructure that has benefited millions (billions?), she was laid off for the last time in October by Apple. At her age, she's been labeled "obsolete" by an industry that once needed her desperately.
If you've ever benefited from pharmaceutical research—if you've ever taken a medication that improved your life—you've likely benefited from the systems my mother maintained. These systems stored the research data, clinical trials, and supply chain logistics that brought life-saving medicines to market.
Now, I'm inviting you to be Santa Claus for my mother. My grandmother's Christmases were difficult, and my mother's were worse. Today, you have the opportunity to give back to one of the hidden figures who helped build our digital world.
My mother is no longer a cog in a machine. She's free to pursue her own dreams for the first time—but she needs support to do so. If you've received the gifts of my mother's services to humanity—perhaps through a drug that has helped in your life, or have called Apple support with a technical problem —please consider making a donation to my Cash App with a note of "Santa Claus," and I'll help fund my mother's new dreams now that she's free of being a slave to systems that no longer value her contributions.
Please consider a donation to $crystalanntaggart with a subject of "Santa Claus." I'd like to help her forge a path to the life of her dreams, funded by people who have benefited from her work and have something they can give back.
Namaste, Aloha, and Thank You
