While very much concerned with the here and now of today's technologies and their applications on the Web, Maya also sees how The Webby Awards and the members of the Academy are part of a continuum of history. The Academy's work includes developing a fair and impartial process for judging the world's Web sites. Maya takes this responsibility very seriously. She sees how the Academy can influence the history of creative expression in new media, as well as the new economic and social structures that arise from it. Together with Tiffany Shlain, President of The Academy, she hopes to expand the role of the Academy--to effectively document an important part of history and build a community of experts and innovators in new media that can share its knowledge and help people from all backgrounds get a chance to participate in this industry.

It comes as no surprise that Maya would see the potential for the Academy's role in education and community building. When she first started working in technology in the early 90s, she recognized the opportunities that technical skills could offer someone who might otherwise see his or her career options as extremely limited. She co-started a Mac training program at Glide Memorial Church that successfully opened doors to people who previously were cut off from professional job opportunities.

Ten years later there are new opportunities. I asked Maya, from her bird's eye view, what advice she might give to WIM women. "It is still a new frontier, and there is still that opportunity unique to emerging forms - for people to be creative and succeed. Take advantage of this window of opportunity to find something important to you, or that you see missing out there, and use this new media to create it. Be creative, make a living, make a difference."