Crystal Martin

Crystal Martin is an international speaker, software developer, and advocate for diversity in the technology and business sectors. Martin began her professional journey as a Teach For America Corps member, teaching middle school mathematics in the St. Louis Public Schools system. Seeking to combine creativity, science, and community impact, she transitioned to a career in technology, finding it to be an intersection of her varied interests.

Before fully entering software development, Martin served as program director for CoderGirl at LaunchCode, an education initiative aimed at increasing women's participation in technology in St. Louis. In this role, she expanded the program to offer multiple learning options, collaborated with professional developers to curate curriculum, and recruited industry speakers and mentors to support participants. Martin also co-organized the Strange Loop Conference, focusing on increasing diversity in attendance and programming, and contributed to evaluating opportunity grants and speaker applications. Her work at LaunchCode was recognized by Fast Company in its Most Creative People feature.

Martin later became principal at Slalom, where she continues to apply her technical expertise and advocacy for diversity and inclusion. On the international speaking circuit, Martin delivers talks that encourage audiences to reconsider workplace culture and allyship. Her TEDx talk, "No, Hard Work Does Not Speak For Itself," delivered at TEDxStLouisWomen, argues that women must advocate for one another in business and that hard work alone is insufficient. She has also addressed technical audiences with her JSConf Hawaii talk, "JavaScript is AsynchroWAT?," which explores asynchronous operations in JavaScript.

Martin's professional work is grounded in a commitment to challenging systemic barriers and promoting inclusivity and gender equality in technology and business. Through her efforts, she seeks to dismantle inequitable structures and expand opportunities for individuals of all identities. Describing herself as a serial hobbyist and lifelong learner, Martin brings a multifaceted, human-centered perspective to her work, contributing to ongoing conversations at the intersection of technology, equity, and collaboration.