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Brandie Henry

Entrepreneurship

Brandie Henry(she/her)

Founder - Principal Product Manager · S4S Management - Self employed

University of Washington - BA, Geography; Saint Louis University - Agile Product Management Certificate, Agile Methodologies; City University of Seattle - Project Management Certificate, Project Management

Brandie Henry started her career at Boeing as a Product Data Specialist and worked her way up to IT Product Manager over more than a decade, proving that steady growth and curiosity can take you further than any single degree or connection. Today she works at the intersection of technology, product strategy, and community investment, bringing her expertise to both the aerospace industry and organizations like the Rainier Valley Community Development Fund. Her path shows that you don't have to have it all figured out from day one — you just have to keep showing up, stay solutions-focused, and bring your whole self to the table.

Their story

Project Management Professional - "You can do anything!"

16 min

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Key quotes

“I actually confessed to or sat down and talked to my manager about some of my frustrations and also said, hey, I have another skill I can do. Like I can do project management, I can help out. And next thing you know, opened my mouth and I was being fed.”

Brandee Henry

“There are certain undertones or microaggressions. It's not right, it's not in your face. But you know, when there's an opportunity or you're saying you're being told you're too aggressive or there's an opportunity that could be going to you is going to somebody else. I've experienced that.”

Brandee Henry

“I see people that look like me in high roles. The CIO once was African American. The CIO now is a woman. So, you know, I see people that look like me.”

Brandee Henry

“A lot of big part of my job right now is working with a variety of people and my stakeholders... having emotional intelligence, learning to have some empathy, compassion... effective listening is really important too.”

Brandee Henry

“Always write down what you like or what you want to do and use Law of attraction. And you never know what might come down.”

Brandee Henry

Career highlights

Speak up about your skills — your next opportunity might come from one honest conversation with your manager.

Brandee told her manager she was frustrated and also mentioned she had project management skills. Her manager immediately added those responsibilities to her role.

Get your PMP certification — it's like having 'MD' after your name but for project management, and it lets you work in any industry.

Brandee explains that a PMP (Project Management Professional) credential signals you can run a project anywhere, and IT project managers can earn from $80K up to $250K as Scrum Masters.

Your college major doesn't lock you in — the skills you build along the way are what really open doors.

Brandee's degree is in Geography/GIS, but the data analysis, customer communication, and database skills she built transferred directly into her Boeing IT and project management roles.

Emotional intelligence is just as important as technical skills — learning to listen, show empathy, and not take things personally will set you apart.

Brandee highlights effective listening and empathy as critical tools when managing stakeholders and navigating tough team dynamics.

If you're experiencing microaggressions at work, know you're not imagining it — and finding allies and leadership that supports you makes it possible to keep showing up as your full self.

Brandee opened up about being told she was 'too aggressive' and fearing unconscious bias, but described how visible representation and a supportive CEO helped her reclaim her confidence.

Write down what you want and use the law of attraction — being intentional about your goals can lead you to opportunities you didn't expect.

Brandee closes with this personal piece of advice, reflecting on how ambition and clarity helped her move into a career she genuinely loves.

Student summary
Brandee Henry is an IT Project Manager at Boeing, where she leads a team of software engineers, system architects, and network engineers to deliver software that helps design airplanes. Her job is all about keeping projects on schedule, managing risks, communicating with stakeholders, and making sure her team has what they need to deliver quality work on time. She's not a coder herself — she's the person who makes sure everything runs smoothly and that everyone stays on the same page. Brandee's path to project management wasn't a straight line. She started with an undergraduate degree in Geography with a concentration in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) — think the tech behind Google Maps. She got her foot in the door at Boeing doing GIS analyst work, then transitioned into an application support role. It was there that she noticed her lead was overwhelmed and schedules were unclear, so she spoke up, told her manager she had project management skills, and essentially created her own opportunity. That pivot showed that your degree doesn't have to define your entire career — your skills and initiative can take you somewhere new. One of the most powerful parts of Brandee's story is her honesty about navigating the workplace as a Black woman. She's experienced microaggressions — being told she was 'too aggressive' when she was just advocating for her work, and sensing that opportunities passed her by because of how she looked. She's been working through that, and she talks about the importance of representation: seeing a Black CIO and a woman CIO at Boeing gave her confidence to keep pushing. Her company's leadership taking a zero-tolerance stance on racism has helped her start putting her face on her profile and owning her expertise out loud. Brandee's advice is practical and real: get your PMP certification (Project Management Professional) because it's a credential that lets you manage projects in any industry. Salaries range from $80K–$250K+ depending on your specialization, with Scrum Masters in IT often earning top dollar. She also pushes students to write down what they want, lean into their niche skills, and speak up — because sometimes the opportunity you want is one conversation away. For students of color — especially first-gen students figuring out how to turn an unconventional background into a career — Brandee's story is a reminder that your skills are transferable, your voice matters, and there are people who look like you succeeding in tech and aerospace. You don't have to have it all figured out from day one.