91-year-old Woman Gets IT job at Silicon Valley

Barbara Beskind

A 91-year-old woman, Barbara Beskind, has started a new career as a valuable part of Silicon Valley’s tech world, bringing her years of wisdom to the industry.


The nonagenarian had wanted to become an inventor as a child.

Now 91, she now lives her dream as a tech designer for IDEO, a firm in Palo Alto, California.

The Huffington Post reports that Beskind became an employee in 2014 and had since been working primarily on projects that related to ageing, saying her age has been beneficial to her.

Beskind told Today.com, “Age is not a barrier to performance. Live life as an adventure and expect change and endorse it, embrace it.

“I think the beauty of being 91 is that you can look back and see how the little pieces fit into the big pieces of life, and life is a complete puzzle.”

Beskind had wanted to pursue a career as an inventor after high school but the job required an engineering degree.

Her guidance counsellor had told her that women weren’t accepted by engineering schools.

As a result, Beskind joined the army and became an occupational therapist instead.

However, in 2013, she saw an interview in which the founder of IDEO, David Kelley, spoke about the importance of diversity on a design team, and decided to apply to work at the firm.

“It took me about two months to write my resume, paring it down from nine pages. Then, I wrote the letter and sent it by snail mail,” Beskind told Today.com.

The Wall Street Journal also reports that the 91-year-old is a much-loved member of IDEO, offering feedback to designers who are working on products for the elderly. She also shares her prototypes with her team for feedback.

Beskind’s team members said not only did she bring a new perspective to IDEO but she also had an energy that’s simply uplifting.

“I want to be someplace stimulating, with people who are passionate and creative. This is the best experience I have had in my professional life,” she told the Wall Street Journal.