<p>When we tell some people we’re a <a href="https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">B Corp</a>, they often smile and nod. That’s because the chances of finding a recruitment company that’s B Corp accredited is so small, it’s unlikely you’d have heard of it before.</p><p>What is a B Corp?</p><p>Certified B Corporations are leaders in the global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy.</p><p>It’s that stamp of approval that says, as a business you value society and the environment. We’re proud to be part of the movement.</p>

<p>We’ve donated over £250,000 and 1400+ hours of volunteering in the first five years of business. And we want to give even more. We love bringing clients along on this journey. Click below to find out about our current charity partner, and how you can get involved.</p><p>Our Mission.</p><p>We put people before profit. If that sounds like an empty promise, keep reading. We believe financial success shouldn’t be in lieu of social responsibility but work with it hand in hand. This belief runs through the core of our DNA</p>

Understanding why a recruiter joins a company is tricky business. But we think we’ve got it nailed.

<p>Ever heard of a company founded because of a book about giving back? You have now. The rousing ‘People Over Profit’ by Dale Partridge is why we exist.</p><p>In the book, Dale outlines the 7 core beliefs that enable business leaders to break the old ‘profit-first’ cycle, achieve incredible success and have a huge impact, all by simply putting people first.</p><p>And that’s what we’ve done. We’ve made recruitment, an industry which is inherently people-centric, about the people.</p><p>So whether it’s our customers, our team, charity partners or communities – it’s people over profit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>We connect the best and brightest in tech &amp; digital talent across the UK, US and Europe with awesome, impactful and innovative organizations.</p><p>We regularly turn down work if we don’t believe in the business. Our values have to match. This ensures we have more time and energy to represent clients we truly believe in, and do so 100% authentically forging stronger relationships between you and the candidate market.</p><p>We’re big fans of those companies harnessing tech for the good of the planet and society and do all we can to help them build diverse and capable teams introducing new ways of working for great impact.</p>

<p style="text-align: center;">It's super easy to get started and get access to lots of great volunteering opportunities, Simply sign up, fill out your profile, search and apply. </p>

<p style="text-align: center;">We want Technology Volunteers to be as simple as possible in supporting your journey in finding the right people to get you moving along with tech. That's why, for now we'll manage your project listing and account for you, no need to sign up or register.</p> <p style="text-align: center;">If you would like to have your project listed on our site and have our wonderful volunteers come knocking at the door - all you need to do is give us a shout and we'll be in touch</p>

<h3 class="heading purple">Are you a charity needing support?</h3>

<p>The SR2 team has a track record of building teams of exceptional people with specific skills and backgrounds including Software Engineering, DevOps, Product, Data, QA, UCD and Transformation. What’s certain is you’ll only ever work with someone who knows your market inside out and, if we don’t cover it, we won’t pay lip service.</p><p>It doesn’t matter whether you’re in the private or public sector, whether it’s your first hire or you’re scaling a team… we’ll find you the very best talent in the industry. Find out more and meet the heads of our Private and Public sector teams in the videos below.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Unser Auftrag</h3><p>Herzlich willkommen bei SR2 – der sozial verantwortungsvollen Personalagentur! Wir haben es uns zur Aufgabe gemacht, die besten und klügsten Talente im Bereich Technik und Digitales in Großbritannien, den USA und Europa mit großartigen, einflussreichen und innovativen Unternehmen zusammenzubringen.</p><p>Aber wie geht eigentlich „sozial verantwortungsvolles“ Rekrutieren? Im Prinzip wie die Personalbeschaffung – nur besser. Wir stellen die Menschen über den Profit und behandeln niemanden wie eine Ware oder Mittel zum Zweck. Wir kümmern uns um die Gemeinschaft und die Umwelt und engagieren uns für das Gemeinwohl.</p><p>Nachdem wir unsere preisgekrönte Agentur in den letzten 6 Jahren in Großbritannien aufgebaut haben, glauben wir, dass unser sozial verantwortungsvoller Rekrutierungsansatz auch in der pulsierenden Technologielandschaft Deutschlands funktioniert. Unser europäisches Team besteht aus Experten, die sich auf die folgenden wichtigen Tech-Sektoren spezialisiert haben: Cloud, SRE und DevOps, Computervision und maschinelles Lernen, Produkt- und Daten-Engineering.</p><p>Wir sind mehr als nur Personalvermittler – wir sind leidenschaftliche Verfechter eines sinnvollen Wandels. Wir können dabei bereits auf eine Erfolgsbilanz auf dem deutschen Markt zurückblicken und haben uns darauf spezialisiert, hochkarätige Tech-Talente mit einigen der führenden „Tech for Good“-Unternehmen des Landes zusammenzubringen: von FinTech über HealthTech und Beratungsunternehmen bis hin zu Cybersicherheitsfirmen.</p><p>Erfahren Sie mehr über die neue Ära der sozial verantwortungsvollen Rekrutierung und lernen Sie unseren CEO Chris Sheard und das Team Europe kennen:</p>

<h3>Our charity commitment</h3>
<p>We make two charitable donations every year representing 5% of our profits&hellip; and that&rsquo;s not all.</p>
<p>To support organisations who are close to our heart, every member of the SR2 team will volunteer 2 days of their time to support them throughout the year.</p>
<p>In the six years since our inception, we&rsquo;re blessed to say we&rsquo;ve given over &pound;250,000 to local charities and supported them with over 2000 hours of our time.</p>
<p>You&rsquo;ll be pleased to know we&rsquo;re not stopping there.</p>
<p>If there&rsquo;s a charity close to your heart, one that is integral to your community, help us out by <a href="mailto:info@sr2rec.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">suggesting</a> them for a future donation.</p>

<p>We have teamed up with <a href="https://thefutureforestcompany.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Future Forest Company</a> to help unf*ck the future! For every placement we make we will be planting a tree. The Future Forest Company are UK based and the candidate gets sent the pic and location of their sapling so they can go and visit their tree!</p>

<p>Sind Sie also auf der Suche nach Ihrer nächsten spannenden Herausforderung in der vielfältigen deutschen Tech-Branche oder möchten Sie mit einer Agentur zusammenarbeiten, um ein Tech-Team aufzubauen, das nicht nur Ihren Erfolg vorantreibt, sondern auch einen positiven Beitrag zur Gesellschaft und zu ethischen Tech-Praktiken leistet, dann sind Sie bei uns in den richtigen Händen.</p>

<h3>Make a Referral</h3>
<p>We&rsquo;re giving YOU the opportunity to make a big difference to a charity of your choice. It&rsquo;s easy &ndash; for every successful referral (be that a candidate we place, or position we fill) &ndash; we will donate &pound;250 to a charity of your choice.</p>
<p>Guaranteed warm fuzzy feeling inside.</p>

<p>Thanks for being here and welcome to Women Rock – a voice for diversity in tech! Here you will find some of the most inspirational stories about ED&amp;I in the tech industry. Women Rock was created by SR2 co-founder and all-round positive vibe advocate Alicia and exists to help transform the industry and create a positive movement!</p>

<p class="heading text-white" >We can match your employees and teams with innovative and exciting projects based on their tech skillset & the causes they are passionate about.</p> <p class="heading text-white" >Technology Volunteers offers remote, in-person, individual or team volunteering so whatever your preference or team set up, there will be a project to suit your organisation needs - all you need to do is get in touch with the team and we'll take it from there!</p>

<h3 class="heading text-white">Are you a business looking to develop your volunteering initiatives and improve you CSR</h3>

<h1>Events</h1><p>Community’s at the heart of everything we do. It’s even represented in our name.</p><p>We support local charities and give back to the local tech community with our monthly meet-ups.</p><p>We run a number of events every month, covering all forms of tech disciplines and important topics like ED&amp;I in tech.</p><p>See what’s coming up in your area and make sure you register to get notified of the events you want to be involved in.</p>

<p>We understand the power of community at SR2 – it’s through community we can push our limits, discover new ideas and lend motivation to those who need it.</p><p>We’re proud to support local charities and give back to the local tech community with our meetups. We facilitate, sponsor and support a number of events every month, covering various tech disciplines, leadership and important topics like ED&amp;I + more.</p><p>See what’s coming up in your area and make sure you register to get notified of events you want to be involved in.</p>

<h4 style="text-align: center;">OUR MISSION -  to have 10,000 volunteers on the platform and to have completed over 100 charity projects by 2025</h4>

<span>Menschen stehen </span><br><span class="primary-color underline">über Profit.</span>

<span class="primary-color underline">PEOPLE</span> OVER PROFIT<span class="primary-color">.</span>

Wir Sind <span class="primary-color underline"> SR2.</span>

Without <span class="primary-color underline">you</span>, we’re nothing. <br>You’re why we’re here and why we care<span class="primary-color">.</span>

Spezialistin IT Rekrutierung, <span class="primary-color underline"> ohne das Ego </span>

We will boost your <span class="primary-color underline">Brand</span>. <br>Bolster your <span class="primary-color underline">Business</span>.  <br>Propel your <span class="primary-color underline">Purpose</span>.

<p>So what actually is ‘socially responsible’ recruitment? Well it’s recruitment, done better. Done putting people ahead of profit, never treating anyone as a commodity or means to an end. Done with a care for community, the environment and with a commitment to giving back.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>For too long our industry’s had a bad rep. We’re changing that. We believe in making headlines for the right reasons, showing that business can be done with a double bottom line and that doing so enables attraction of the very best talent and ensures long term customer loyalty.&nbsp;</p>
<p>We’re authentic, socially responsible humans first and incredible recruiters second. By design.</p>

Specialist it recruitment<span class="primary-color"><br><span class="underline">Without<br></span> the ego</span>.

<p>We’re building something special here. But that’s not possible without first building the lives of our people.</p><p>You’re the glue that binds us, and the fuel that propels us.</p><p>We use our prowess for good. We enrich the lives of those we work with, and give purpose to those who help us achieve it.</p><p>If you’re seeking a position that’s more than a job, get in touch, and let’s discuss how we can change your life.</p><p>Like we’ve already done for these people...</p>

<h1 class="heading mb-4 slideUp">European <span class="underline primary-color">SQUAD</span>.</h1><p class="mb-4 slideUp">Our European division was set up during the pandemic and are now a strong team helping shape the future of tech start-ups around Europe.</p>

<h1 class="heading mb-4 slideUp">Ops <span class="underline primary-color">Team</span>.</h1><p class="mb-4 slideUp">The operations team are the backbone of SR2. From the Contractor Care and Finance teams to Marketing and L&D – the Ops team work insanely hard to support the wider company and most importantly maintain our culture.</p>

Every single one of us believes social responsibility can not only be synchronous with financial success but magnify it. Chris founded SR2 on that belief and every employee carries the torch. Our commitment to social responsibility is present in everything we do. We’re honest, transparent. We’ve got integrity in spades.We know all there is to know about Tech recruitment. Knowledge we’ve built up over years in the game. Knowledge is power, they say. And with great power comes great responsibility. Welcome to SR2.

JOIN THE <span class="underline primary-color">SQUAD</span>.

<p>Welcome to the SR2 blog where you will find everything from tech industry news and info on our tech meet-ups to what volunteering we've been doing, cute pics of dogs and everything in between...</p>

JOIN THE <span class="underline primary-color">SQUAD</span>.

<p>Technology Volunteers enables kind and generous tech professionals to connect with underfunded charities to work on important, purposeful and fulfilling projects that will help charities continue to create positive impact around the world.</p>

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<p>Heya all,&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Thanks for being here and welcome to Women Rock &ndash; a voice for diversity in tech!&nbsp;</p>
<p>I&rsquo;m Alicia, founder of Women Rock, co-founder of SR2, founder of Technology Volunteers organiser of Codebar (phewwww) I&rsquo;m a positive vibe advocate, lover of constant learning, mushrooms and anything pickled, dislikes pigeons, bad manners and baked beans! Outside of all of that, I&rsquo;m probably best known for my handstand ability and my almost 10-year tenure as a Tech recruiter in the UK, born and bred in Bristol!&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Over the last 10 years I have been a huge supporter of diversity in Tech but always felt I could do so much more, Women Rock is the start of my more. In the early part of my career, it was rare that I spoke or represented women in the industry. Technology wasn&rsquo;t offered to me as a career when I was leaving school, and my family or friends weren&rsquo;t interested in Tech so probably naively I didn&rsquo;t know women were in tech and that makes me sad and we all know we still have so much more to do but not just for women, we&rsquo;re talking about diversity as a whole.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>I love to build relationships every day and in starting this blog, being supported by our awesome Women Rock ambassadors and some of the best companies who are committed to talking about and improving ED&amp;I across our industry I really hope we can make the world a better place!&nbsp;</p>
<p>Women Rock isn&rsquo;t just for women, we have, and will, continue to hear stories from folk from ethnic minorities, folk who have physical and hidden disabilities. We have incredible stories from trans and gender-diverse peeps and we have spoken to many allies who are committed to live, work and support diversity in their workplace, careers and lives.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Included are conversations about successes, people's struggles, frustrations and commitment from their perspective. We have seen so much improvement when it comes to ED&amp;I but I just don&rsquo;t think we are sharing and shouting about it enough so that others can follow suit.&nbsp; I want to create an incredible community and Women Rock to be the place to go to that celebrates diversity.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>I&rsquo;ll leave you with my favourite quote &lsquo;&rsquo;No matter where you are in life, inspire and empower the women around you. Success is never reached alone. And wisdom and wealth are sweeter shared.&rsquo;&rsquo;&nbsp;</p>
<p>Be kind, get enough sleep and don&rsquo;t change for anyone.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Smiles,&nbsp;</p>
<p>Alicia x&nbsp;</p>

A letter from Alicia

<p>Meet the fabulous <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-patterson/">Louise</a>, Head of IT Operations at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/northumbrian-water/">Northumbrian Water Group (NWG)</a>. This incredible advocate for "learning while you earn" has been a game-changer with NWG's Digital Degree Apprenticeship, offering practical experience and a debt-free degree. Talk about opening doors to tech careers!</p>
<p>Louise is all about creating inclusive workplaces that celebrate diversity and help individuals thrive. In her interview, she dives into some of NWG's amazing initiatives like the Young Citizens Work Experience Festival, the Women in STEM working group, and female-only assessment centres. No wonder NWG has been recognized as a Great Place to Work for Women for three years running!</p>
<p>Get inspired by Louise's journey and the fantastic work she's doing at NWG.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Hi Louise, thank you for taking the time to speak to us. Firstly, please can you start by talking me through your position at Northumbrian Water Group?&nbsp;</h3>
<p>My name is Louise Patterson and I am Head of IT Operations and Resource Management at Northumbrian Water Group. &nbsp;I look after our Service Desk, User Experience, Cloud &amp; Infrastructure, Networks, Service Management and Quality Assurance teams.</p>
<h3>Please tell me about your story so far. How did you get into the world of Tech?&nbsp;</h3>
<p>Whilst I was studying for my Marketing degree at Newcastle University, I decided to do a year in the industry for my third year. &nbsp;I worked at IBM in the Office of the CIO which gave me great insight into IT telecommunications and I got the opportunity to work on some of their key projects, which I went back to support with during the summer after I graduated. &nbsp;This placement was invaluable as it gave me experience in the workplace which helped me stand out against other graduates and really helped me work out what I had a passion for and ultimately led me into a career within Technology. &nbsp;Following my final year at university, I joined the Asda Technology Graduate scheme starting as a Project Manager and this gave me a great platform into working in Tech as I spent 10 years getting the opportunity to move around various roles within their Technology team including Service Management, Governance and Programme Management. Before moving to Morrisons Technology team where I became Head of Service Management before moving back to the North East to my current role with Northumbrian Water.</p>
<h3>Work experience counts for a lot, and university isn&rsquo;t the only pathway to a career. Please can you tell me more about why you are an advocate of being able to &ldquo;learn while you earn&rdquo;?&nbsp;</h3>
<p>Absolutely, I have my year in the industry to thank for the opportunity I got when first leaving university. &nbsp;Times have changed from when I went to university, young people are leaving with a degree, a lot of debt and little to no work experience. &nbsp;So, I&rsquo;m a real advocate of apprenticeship schemes which I think give young people a far better start in their career. &nbsp;Earn as you learn and a degree completely debt free - it&rsquo;s just a no brainer for me and why we have launched our new Digital Degree Apprenticeship scheme earlier this year.</p>
<h3>NWG&rsquo;s Digital Degree Apprenticeship sounds incredible! Please can you tell me more about it and who will be able to access it?&nbsp;</h3>
<p>Of course I&rsquo;m really excited to be welcoming our new apprentices starting in September. &nbsp;They will spend 4 days a week working in our head office in Durham and then spend every Friday at the University of Sunderland to study for their Digital Technology degree. &nbsp;We&rsquo;ve worked with the University of Sunderland to put together a broader technology degree which is the IT consultant pathway. &nbsp;This allows the apprentices to study a broader range of topics rather than specialising in one area. &nbsp;Throughout the 3 years they will move to work in a different teams, around every 6 months, which will give them a taster of the various roles they could go into once they&rsquo;ve completed the scheme and they can gauge from the learning in their degree and from their work experience, what direction they want to take their career in. &nbsp;As a Women in STEM myself, it&rsquo;s fantastic to see that around 70% of the apprentices that are joining our Digital Degree Apprenticeship are female.</p>
<h3>You mentioned that you are also setting up a work experience programme for Year 10s. Why is it important for students to make the most out of work experience and how can employers make their work experience offering more valuable to students?</h3>
<p>Yes, alongside our Innovation Festival at the Newcastle Racecourse in July, we&rsquo;re also holding our very first Young Citizens Work Experience Festival. &nbsp;This is open to Year 10 or above students, to attend onsite at the racecourse between 9th &ndash; 12th July. &nbsp;We have a fantastic programme where they will have the opportunity to build up specific skills e.g. teamwork, communication, critical thinking, creativity amongst many more. &nbsp;As a takeaway they will be able to put together a CV of all of their skills online. &nbsp;There is also an opportunity for schools to get access to our online work experience if they can&rsquo;t attend in person. &nbsp;It&rsquo;s so important for young people to gain key transferable skills which will help them to be successful when applying for apprenticeships or jobs in the future. &nbsp;And employers need to put more focus onto the younger generation to give them these opportunities as they are our workforce of the future.<br>We spoke about the importance of diversity in the workforce and whilst there needs to be a drive to get more women in STEM, it is also equally important to foster an inclusive culture that welcomes everyone, and which will in return mean being able to retain great talent.</p>
<h3>Please can you tell me more about the work NWG are doing to foster an inclusive environment?</h3>
<p>Diversity is something I am incredibly passionate about and I am part of our Women in STEM working group where we look at how we can foster a more inclusive environment. &nbsp;It starts with recruitment, and this is something we&rsquo;re really working on and have seen some great results just recently. &nbsp;When recruiting for the Digital Degree Apprenticeship we reviewed job adverts and our website to make sure this would attract a diverse group of individuals and adapted our recruitment process. &nbsp;As an example, we held a female only assessment centre, as research shows that females have more confidence and perform better when they are not a minority in group exercises, and it is important for us to be inclusive and give everyone an opportunity to perform at their best. &nbsp;This received positive feedback from female candidates. &nbsp;As an employer NWG is well known for being a great place to work and we&rsquo;ve been recognised as a Great Place to Work for Women for the past 3 years. &nbsp;But we are always reviewing how we can continue to make it an inclusive environment, whether that being flexible working amongst many other support offerings.</p>
<h3>We spoke about the importance of having great role models. Who is/are your greatest role model/s and why?</h3>
<p>I&rsquo;ve always been surrounded by strong female role models in my family from grandmothers, my mother and my older sister, which has probably had more of an impact on me than I&rsquo;ve previously realised. &nbsp;My whole career has been in Technology, where women are a minority, but I think this early influence has given me the confidence when I have been the only women in a room, to not feel intimidated.</p>
<h3>If there was one book, song, and/or podcast you would recommend, what would it/they be and why?</h3>
<p>A book I&rsquo;ve just recently read is &lsquo;Zcomomy&rsquo; by Jason Dorsey and Denise Villa. &nbsp;It looks at how Gen Z will change the future of business and what to do about it. &nbsp;It&rsquo;s an interesting read and gives some great insight for leaders to think about when recruiting or working with Gen Z. &nbsp;I think sometimes different generations can be critical of each other, so it&rsquo;s important to better understand young people better as they are the future of our workforce.&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Any last words of inspiration?&nbsp;</h3>
<p>Say yes to opportunities that come your way to help work out what you are passionate about and always be your true authentic self.<br><br>Interviewed by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bella-snell-29a734190/">Bella Snell</a></p>

Louise Patterson | Northumbrian Water Group

<p>In this episode of Women Rock, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-teagle-93b04692/">Alicia </a>and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-morgans-270aa0154/">Kelly </a>discuss Kelly's recent bipolar disorder diagnosis and the need for more awareness and understanding of the condition <span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji';">🫶</span></p>
<p>They explore the challenges of misdiagnosis, the importance of early intervention, and the coping strategies that have been helpful for Kelly. They also touch on the stigma and misconceptions surrounding bipolar disorder and the need for better support from employers and the healthcare system. Kelly shares her plans to create a well-being plan and a book to help others navigate their own journeys with bipolar disorder <span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji';">✨</span></p>
<p>Some key takeaways <span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji';">⭐</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: inherit;"><span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji';">💚</span> Early intervention and accurate diagnosis are crucial for individuals with bipolar disorder to receive the appropriate support and treatment.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: inherit;"><span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji';">💚</span> Coping strategies such as meditation, journaling, and exercise can be beneficial for managing symptoms and promoting well-being.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: inherit;"><span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji';">💚</span> There is still a stigma surrounding bipolar disorder and a lack of understanding, highlighting the need for more awareness and education.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: inherit;"><span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji';">💚</span>&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: inherit;">Employers can play a role in supporting employees with bipolar disorder by creating a supportive and inclusive work environment.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: inherit;"><span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji';">💚</span> Individuals should trust their instincts and seek further evaluation if they suspect they may have a neurodivergent condition.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: inherit;"><span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji';">💚</span> More resources and information are needed to help individuals navigate their journey with bipolar disorder and other neurodivergent conditions</span></p>
<p>Thank you so much Kelly for sharing your story, we hope it reaches folk it needs to.</p>
<p><br><br><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oU78o4I5LFo" width="560" height="314" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>

Breaking The Stigma Around Bipolar | Kelly Morgans

<p>&lsquo;I joined Swift Strategies because of the people and their ambition to change the way things are.&rsquo;</p>
<p>Meet <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyn-venn/">Carolyn</a>, the Head of Business Operations at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/swift-strategies/">Swift Strategies</a>. &nbsp;From her early days marketing in the music scene to online sales, Carolyn's journey has been nothing short of inspiring. She's not just about business; she's passionate about making a difference with everything she does.</p>
<p>Passionate about equality, Carolyn founded The Reach Free School, an inclusive institution that recently earned the Equalities Gold Award. It's a place where diversity isn't just welcomed&mdash;it's celebrated. She's also a strongadvocate for breaking down gender stereotypes, pushing for inclusive uniforms that reflect today's realities.</p>
<p>If you're pondering a career change, Carolyn would tell you &nbsp;find what you love and don't settle. &nbsp;With Swift Strategies focusing on social value and welcoming new team members, Leading the charge for more diversity in tech and beyond.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Hi Carolyn, thank you for taking the time to speak to us. Firstly, please can you start by talking me through your position at Swift Strategies?</span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I&rsquo;m Head of Business Operations &ndash; responsible for the back office functions at our very busy Tech and transformation consultancy. Ops should be the invisible scaffolding behind the business. If something&rsquo;s annoying or time consuming, I want to make it better</span></p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Please tell me about your story so far. How did you get into the world of Tech?</span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I started my career in marketing, and had an amazing job with a music, video, games and book distributor organising new release activity and in store promotions for our retail clients. Release dates set the pace, and the industry was evolving fast towards being able to buy online. It seems so normal now, but it was a huge challenge to take orders for individual items and deliver to individual addresses when the industry was set up to fill shelves in high streets. We created a new way of working very quickly, and amending IT systems to meet our needs was a big part of the task.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I took some time out to have a family, and stepped away from the glitz of premieres and award ceremonies. &lsquo;Making things happen&rsquo; was always something I enjoyed, and business operations became a natural choice. I&rsquo;m not very good at accepting the status quo, and know how important tech is to improving our lives. I joined Swift Strategies because of the people and their ambition to &lsquo;change the way things are&rsquo;.</span></p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">What advice would you give to anyone looking to make a career change?</span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Think about what it is that you really enjoy, what makes you feel worthwhile, and don&rsquo;t settle for less. If you feel passionate about an industry or a role, it shines through and others will support you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span></span></p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">You mentioned the importance of having a network of supporters around you. Please can you tell me more about this and is there anybody in particular who has inspired you/been the most significant influence in your network.</span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">There have been some amazing people who, I suspect unknowingly, have provided support and helped to dispel my inner imposter syndrome! Early in my career, I worked with a videogame buyer who had joined the company in a junior role, and was progressing in a very male environment to be a highly respected member of the commercial team. She taught me about not panicking, keeping things in perspective and taking the time to reflect when you are in danger of being overwhelmed. Others have supported my campaign to change the school situation in South West Hertfordshire &ndash; a topic I knew absolutely nothing about and was a political hot potato. The belief people had in me, regardless of my experience, was invaluable.</span></p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">You founded a school that has recently celebrated its 10th&nbsp;Anniversary and is an incredible achievement, making sure thousands of students have had access to a good education. Please can you tell me more about how this came about.</span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I&rsquo;ve mentioned already that I&rsquo;m not very good at accepting the &ldquo;way things are&rdquo;. When I discovered the lack of local school places and how the council were effectively shrugging their shoulders in response, I joined a small group of local parents campaigning for changes to admissions criteria and the ability to open a new school. However, the introduction of the Free School programme in 2010 meant that if we wanted a new school, we had to roll up our sleeves and do it ourselves. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I had to learn about site allocations, the planning inspectorate, the process to open a school and how to prove we needed one. We rapidly discovered that we needed education experts, so joined forces with three local teachers who shared our ambition. We also needed pupils, so spent weekends persuading families to add our imaginary school to their application forms. Just over a year after receiving approval from the Department for Education, we opened The Reach Free School in a temporary home of an empty office block. It took another five years for us to move into our brand new purpose built school, but we were determined to negotiate our way through the planning, budget, design and build process to get the best possible school environment for our community.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">My biggest inspiration are my four fellow school founders. It was, and still is, a phenomenal journey, and one where we&rsquo;ve shaped the lives of so many young people.</span></p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">You mentioned the importance of making sure that the school was &ldquo;non-selective&rdquo; to ensure everyone in your area had the ability to fulfil their potential. Please can you tell me more about this and the importance of making a welcoming space for everyone within education.</span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Our community is surrounded by partially selective schools, where children at age 10 sit an exam and are ranked according to their test score. We believe this has a negative impact on many children and families, and wanted to establish a school where the test result was irrelevant. The ethos is ACE or &ldquo;Achievement, Community and Enjoyment&rdquo;, and recognises that if you do not enjoy school, you will not achieve, and you cannot have either of these without a strong community</span></p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The school has also recently won the Equalities Gold Award which is amazing! Please tell me more about this.</span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is an important part of our Community ethos, and the Equalities Award enabled us to take another look at the school, its processes, policies and resources to ensure we were creating an environment where everyone was valued. Nothing was off-limits &ndash; library books, displays, uniform, curriculum design, policy wording and evidence of equality in every area. It&rsquo;s amazing what you overlook, just because it has always been that way! </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">We are one of the first secondary schools to be awarded the highest Gold standard, in recognition of the approach taken to ensure every pupil is valued &ndash; not just by staff and their classmates, but by themselves as well. We wanted to make sure pupils could see themselves reflected in the lessons, as &ldquo;if you can&rsquo;t see it, how can you be it?&rdquo;</span></p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Gender constructs are formed from an early age, and we spoke about how seemingly simple things like uniforms make a difference. How important is it that we make uniforms more inclusive and what difference does it make?</span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Uniforms are excellent at removing social barriers at school and developing a sense of belonging. But it isn&rsquo;t necessary to divide pupils into boys and girls for the majority of their time at school and differentiate pupils through clothing. The school should decide on appropriate uniform options for learning regardless of sex. For example, as an adult, I do not choose to wear a short pleated skirt to exercise in, I wear sports leggings or shorts. When I am sat at my desk working, I may be wearing a smart skirt, or I may be wearing trousers. My job is not impacted by my trousers vs skirt choice, and it&rsquo;s crazy that we continue to teach young people that gender specific school uniforms are a valid identifier. We should step back and ask ourselves why we don&rsquo;t send 4 year olds to school in jogging bottoms and a T-shirt, rather than pinafore dresses, tights or clothes with buttons and zips. I suspect we are abiding by tradition, and are inadvertently continuing to embed gender stereotypes into our classrooms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">What are your thoughts on the current IT courses students have access to and what do you think needs to change in the current education system to make courses better?</span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Technology is hugely important to our school. We have been a Google Classroom school since opening in 2013, and all our pupils have their own Chromebook throughout their time at school. We offer Computer Science at GCSE and A Level, and ICT vocational qualifications, and it is always a popular subject. But it takes a long time to develop and introduce a GSCE or A level course, so they aren&rsquo;t as up to date and inspiring as you&rsquo;d hope. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Children use tech all day, every day, and they are amazing at creating their own content. We need to tap into the joy they have from interacting with tech and match it with a course that shows them how to create and develop new applications. AI will change everything. Teachers and pupils are already using AI, and it&rsquo;s important we learn how to best utilise the latest tech tool. It&rsquo;s an exciting time. </span></p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">It&rsquo;s clear the difference you have made so far, and the amazing work is never done! What challenge are you taking on next?</span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Swift Strategies&rsquo; Social Value strategy is firmly within my sights. We&rsquo;re all really keen to make sure our work, effort and impact is worthwhile. I&rsquo;m looking forward to 3 new women joining our team this month, and it will be amazing to support the development of more women in tech!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>Interviewed by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bella-snell-29a734190/">Bella Snell&nbsp;</a></span></span></p>

Carolyn Venn | Swift Strategies

<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">&ldquo;Confidence is a behaviour, not a personality type. It&rsquo;s something you can learn!&rdquo;</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; word-spacing: 0px;"> <br><br></span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/clareeyoung/">Clare Young</a> is a Director with DXW a leading employee-owned digital agency that works with the Public and Charity sectors.</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Clare shares her story, how she practices confidence and how that&rsquo;s transformed her at work.</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">On ED&amp;I she explains how it&rsquo;s everyone&rsquo;s responsibility to understand the problem and take ownership. How recruitment can help address the balance (always happy to help!).</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Why it&rsquo;s important that businesses and teams do everything to support diverse workforces, and what it means to offer genuine flexible working - whether that&rsquo;s study support or going to the other side of the world to watch the cricket.</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">She shares her journey and the importance of having the confidence to challenge people correctly.</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">How <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/dxw/">DXW </a>have achieved a 50:50 gender split including some practical tips on how you can improve things in your organisation.</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">And that a business is the people that are in it and not the shareholders.</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">PS how her skills as a Delivery Lead supported Comic Relief as they raised the small sum of &pound;78 million.<br><br><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H9u7Hjz4bNk" width="560" height="314" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><br><br></span></p>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Interviewed by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-dennison/">Ben Dennison</a></span></p>

Clare Young | DXW

<p>Meet Zara Weston, a Creative Producer with over 16 years of graphic design expertise. From the serene landscapes of Somerset to the bustling streets of London and back to the South-West, her journey reflects a passion for precision and creativity.</p>
<p>With a childhood filled with art and creativity, led her to pursue graphic design at Bridgwater College and later at the University of the Arts London. Her love for detail and precision guided her towards a career in print design, where she flourished and eventually became a Creative Lead at Motability Operations.</p>
<p>But Zara&rsquo;s path wasn&rsquo;t without its challenges. As a young woman navigating the corporate world, she learned the importance of self-belief and resilience. Now, as a mentor to young designers, she imparts the wisdom gained from her own journey, encouraging others to pursue their passions with determination and perseverance.</p>
<p>Beyond her career, Zara finds solace in the great outdoors, indulging her love for running and CrossFit. With her two beloved dogs by her side, she embraces life&rsquo;s challenges with a mantra that has guided her every step of the way: trust your instincts.</p>
<h2>Thank you for taking the time to talk with us today, Zara, Can we start by you telling us about your background and what inspired you to start a career in Graphic Design?</h2>
<p>My name is Zara Weston. I am a Creative <span class="ui-provider a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z ab ac ae af ag ah ai aj ak" dir="ltr">Producer </span>and specialist with over 16 years industry experience. I trained in graphic design at Bridgwater College in Somerset as well as completing two degrees in graphic design at the University of the Arts London. I lived and developed my career in London for 14 years, then relocated back to the South-West to run a design agency in Bristol 5 years ago.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>I have always been creative as far back as I can remember, as a child I loved art, painting, drawing you name it - at primary and secondary school I always excelled in this area. I was a very quiet and reserved individual when I was younger and I found I could truly express myself in art. I transitioned to Graphic Design at college when I had two paths to decide on: that on fine art and graphic design. My work has always been detailed orientated and neat, I felt more drawn to the opportunity of Graphic Design &ndash; I loved learning the Adobe programmes and experimenting with print. I quickly became passionate in print design and this was the path I took through to university. &nbsp;<br>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>What is your current role?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Creative Lead at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/motabilityoperations/">Motability Operations.&nbsp;</a></p>
<h2>You moved from a small town in Somerset to London at only 18 years old, big change, what did you learn from that life move at such a young age?</h2>
<p>When I think back now I think I must have been crazy! I have always been hugely ambitious &ndash; the sky is the limit in terms of what we can achieve in life. I had thought about moving to London as a teenager for a while, the life and spirit of the city very much appealed to me &ndash; there was a bus that used to go from my local Asda there and I would always go up to visit. When I applied for University, I went straight there for my interview and just thought: &lsquo;this is it&rsquo;.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>Moving there fully was a scary and thrilling experience &ndash; I loved the freedom and the opportunity to discover who I was as a person. I learnt that if you don&rsquo;t go after what you want, you will never have it &ndash; if you never ask the answer is always no. I grew in confidence and learnt to speak up for myself in what can be a harsh environment.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Moving home, working in London at such a young age, takes a lot of self-belief, what would you say to someone whose in a similar position to you in 2024?</h2>
<p>I would say that even against all odds if you want a career in any subject enough it will be yours. You must be true to yourself and belief in yourself because you are the only person that can do it.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>As a female Designer, have you faced any unique challenges in your career? How have you overcome them?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>I graduated at 21 and went head first into the industry, one challenge I had was that I was always the youngest and least experienced person in the room no matter the qualifications I had. I learnt to overcome that by reminding myself of where I was at, always asking questions and working hard to learn what I needed to learn to get to where I want to be. There is real value in hard work and graft, you could be the most gifted person but if you are unwilling to work hard you won&rsquo;t progress.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>You started your life working with cooperate clients, what did you learn from being a young female in those sorts of environments?</h2>
<p>The corporate world can be tough, especially in London. I have sat in many large board meetings being the only female in the room &ndash; I have learnt the importance of learning to stand on my own two feet, believe in myself and skillset along with trying not to worry about what people think of me. Being confident in my own skin has taken time, but I have always been extremely headstrong and have used this as a tool to get me to where I am today. &nbsp;</p>
<h2>You have led design teams, How do you use your experience to support and guide people who may struggle with self belief?</h2>
<p>I am quite an emotional and passionate person, which I struggled with up against challenges early on in my career. But now I believe it makes me a good leader and able to connect with people on a deeper level &ndash; I am always interested to understand the person first, what do they want to achieve, what makes them tick &ndash; who are they as an individual. I understand from experience the struggle with self-belief, sometimes it&rsquo;s about simply not giving up, putting one foot in front of the other and showing up for yourself.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>You have helped teach young designers at colleges over the last 10 years, what advice would you give to someone first starting out in Graphic Design?</h2>
<p>To go for it! A career in graphic design is truly rewarding and you will never work another day in your life if you love what you do. The first five years in the industry can be tough, you have got to really want to be a designer to be successful &ndash; perseverance is critical.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>What do you do outside of work?</h2>
<p>I am a keen runner and love the outdoors &ndash; I have run marathons in many different countries and raised thousands for charity from doing a million bake sales. Since I moved back to Somerset, I have been getting more into trial running &ndash; I love a challenge. I also took up CrossFit two years ago and not looked back, if I can manage to do a hand-stand at 5.30am in the morning then I can do anything.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>Other than that, I have two gorgeous dogs (one golden retriever and one black lab) and you can often find me out in the country walking them.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Finally, do you have a mantra you live by?</h2>
<p>I would always say go with your gut feeling because it is usually right.<br><br></p>
<p>Interviewed by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-booth-82b01a84/">George Booth&nbsp;</a></p>

Zara Weston | Motability Operations

<p>"Authenticity is the courage to embrace our differences, and diversity is the celebration of those differences."&nbsp;</p>
<p>Anne-Lise joined us to share insights on a range of topics, including her remarkable journey to becoming a partner at one of the world&rsquo;s leading management consultancies. She offers practical tips to support ED&amp;I efforts, such as advocating for part-time opportunities, promoting shared leave for fathers, and partnering with external agencies for comprehensive D&amp;I training.&nbsp;</p>
<p>She emphasizes the power of speaking up when witnessing injustice, the significance of allyship, and the importance of recognizing personal biases. Additionally, Anne-Lise underscores the critical role of refining hiring practices to attract a diverse talent pool.&nbsp;</p>
<p>She also touches on her experiences with imposter syndrome, stressing the value of finding one's voice and having relatable role models. And lastly, she ventures into the age-old debate: skiing vs. snowboarding.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ih-VHF8xNJU?si=R8ZFkUCfpV0mDgwT" width="560" height="314" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Interviewed by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-dennison/">Ben Dennison</a></p>

Anne-Lise Antolinos | The Berkeley Partnership

<p>&ldquo;If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.&rdquo; - Katharine Hepburn</p>
<p>An English and Creative Writing Graduate turned agile coach extraordinaire and Delivery Director at Cprime as well as an active speaker on all things agile. She also started her life in recruitment showing there&rsquo;s hope for us yet&hellip;</p>
<p>After taking an uncommon route into tech she shares her journey and talks through the power of doing what you enjoy, and how a different approach brings new perspectives and can add real value to a team.</p>
<p>She opens up about some of the challenges she&rsquo;s faced and how she overcame them, shares some practical things we can all do eery day to create a more inclusive workplace, and shares some positives she&rsquo;s seen from companies helping people return to work.</p>
<p>Finally, she talks about the Power of a growth Mindset, and how we can stop viewing things as failures but instead lessons learnt.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iG7TWIwXMr4" width="560" height="314" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Interviewed by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-dennison/">Ben Dennison</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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Lydia Hawthorn | Cprime

<p>Meet <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/elishakirkham/">Elisha</a>, she joined <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/softcat/">Softcat</a> in 2014 when the company&rsquo;s revenue was at &pound;500m and this year they achieved &pound;2.56b. Initially joining their Manchester office on reception, quickly being highlighted as a future superstar for the business. Climbing the ranks over the last 10 years to lead the function that manages all Softcat&rsquo;s recruitment across the UK, Ireland, and their international offices.</p>
<p>Softcat has been an industry leader in terms of their diverse and inclusive culture that is truly unmatched in the IT channel. Elisha has played an instrumental part of that offering a truly unique requirements strategy that has led to their record-breaking year on year growth.</p>
<p>During the conversation we discuss a variety of subjects and one thing that will shine through and in my opinion, is her superpower, is dropping her guard and showing complete vulnerability. If everyone in the technology could be a little bit more like Elisha, the world would be a better place &ndash; Enjoy!</p>
<h3><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Congratulations on winning the CRN Outstanding Returner award! It's an incredible achievement to be recognized by a leading awards body in the industry. Was this the first time you have won the award?</span></h3>
<p>No, I think it's been going for a while now because I know we've had a few people go for it in previous years, so I think it's a long-standing award. I came back from maternity leave, and I flagged to my management team that it was something I wanted to go for. This is something I want to talk about at some point as well, I've had a lot of people come to me and have conversations with me about, how did you go about achieving what you've achieved since you returned from maternity leave? Has it been luck? Has it been the right people around you? What has it been? My answer is the same every time. I asked for everything I got. I asked to be nominated for CRN Outstanding Returner 2023 because I genuinely believed I deserved it. I asked to be put on our leadership development programme because I genuinely believed I warranted a place. I truly believe that unless you back yourself enough to say, I deserve this, I'm going to put myself on people's radar and say, I want to go for this. I want to be recognised in this way. The chances of those types of things happening organically are often much slimmer.</p>
<h3><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Can you share your experience returning from maternity leave? It's a common yet rarely discussed challenge. What were the unique challenges you faced and how did you overcome them?</span></h3>
<p>So, I think the most important thing to start with is that everybody's experience is individual to them. Talking specifically about maternity leave and returning from having a baby, every woman will experience that differently, and I think that is the first thing managers, or people supporting those returners, need to communicate that there's no right or wrong. So many women leave to have a baby and want to disconnect from everything and have 12 months, 9 months, whatever they take to focus on the new part of their life, to give their all and don't want to be thinking about work and want to compartmentalize in that way, which works for so many.</p>
<p>Then you get another subsection of women who are and want more of a balance, wanting to give focus to this new part of their life, but also want to stay connected to a piece of the &ldquo;old&rdquo; them. That's more where I fell. So, throughout the entirety of my maternity leave, don't get me wrong, I wasn't on team meetings or anything like that, but I kept in contact with my team, a big piece of this puzzle is I had a significant case postnatal depression after having my little boy Max.</p>
<p>There was adjustment and life had changed, but I was okay. There was all of that, plus the fact that I was trying to wade my way through these postnatal mental health issues that I didn't know where to start with. I think all of that culminated by the time it came to me returning to work. That was around 11 or 12 months after having Max. I was excited to get back to a version of the &ldquo;old me&rdquo;. I knew it wasn't going to be exactly how things were because my entire life had changed, I was a mum now and things were different, and priorities were different, but the idea of getting a bit of me back, having time to have adult conversations and talk about things that weren't related to nappies, feeding or weaning, I was excited for.</p>
<h3><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">What advice can you offer, based on your experience at Softcat, on supporting individuals returning from extended leave? How can other businesses implement similar steps to ensure a smooth transition back into the workplace?</span></h3>
<p>So, I think some practicalities need to be considered, right? I think there are the basics, like having some kind of internal returner buddy system is important, because as much as a manager can be there in every way to listen and support, there's an argument for if you've not been through it, it's very difficult to empathise and understand on a real level what that person's experiencing.</p>
<p>So, I think the practicalities of having an internal buddy system in place, so that every returner coming back into the business, has or will be connected with somebody who has gone through the same experience themselves and can connect authentically on what that person's going through and validate their experience, from a position of actually knowing what it's like is super important.</p>
<p>Listening to somebody one-to-one and nodding and smiling, versus carving out the time of your day to specifically go and sit with somebody and ask how are you? Are you okay? Is there anything I can do? Do you have all the support you need? I am a massive believer in, actively listening to someone and this isn't just listening with your ears, it's listening with every part of you, the engagement, the eye contact, the nodding, all of that culminates into an experience that makes somebody feel genuinely seen, heard, and validated.</p>
<h3><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">After our conversations, I can see your superpower is your openness and willingness to show vulnerability. In a world where everyone faces challenges, how has embracing vulnerability benefited you, and do you believe it's made you a better leader?</span></h3>
<p>Yes, so firstly I agree with you, Mark. I am a true believer in the fact that vulnerability sits at the heart of effective leadership, not even just effective leadership, but impactful leadership, people you want to follow, people you want to listen to and want to be led by. If you go back 10 years or so, that was a pretty unheard of concept and very much against the grain. It's becoming more prevalent now. It's something that people are talking about, vulnerability and emotional intelligence in leadership. We can't talk about it enough; I think it is that important. My experience of vulnerability as a conscious concept, if I'm honest, I think was probably born out of pure desperation. I referenced earlier that I had postnatal depression off the back of having Max, but before that, if we go back to 2019, I had eight weeks or so off work just due to burnout. I drilled myself into the ground, which had exasperated my anxiety, and it had just gone from zero to 100 across a couple of months.</p>
<p>I very much put my head in the sand and didn't acknowledge what was happening. Everybody around me started to notice, saying things such as You don't seem like yourself? What's happening? I just was adamant that I was fine until I wasn't, and that culminated in eight weeks off work, signed off officially by a doctor, sick leave, and all that kind of stuff. That was my first real experience, with mental health challenges and how to navigate them.</p>
<p>That was the beginning of me starting to acknowledge the importance of being vulnerable and how that can connect you with others. I think it's important to acknowledge the power of somebody in leadership talking about those things very openly. Whether it be with your direct team or other people around you, it sets a tone, and the expectation isn't to be perfect, always at 150% contributor because none of us are that. As a manager or as a leader, I think it is truly irresponsible if you are consciously or subconsciously giving that expectation out to the people around you, or if you are portraying that you never really struggle and you're setting this expectation with your team and the people around you. Teaching that to progress and to get to your position, your level or move forward in their careers, they must be in a position where they know everything and nothing phases them and they never have a bad day, and that's just not reality for anybody.</p>
<p>I think it should be non-negotiable to be an effective leader, you must have a certain level of emotional intelligence, and alongside that comes the ability to be vulnerable in an impactful way, I think this is worth mentioning, when I talk about vulnerability, I'm talking about you sharing a part of yourself that enables somebody else to see themselves reflected.</p>
<p>Interviewed by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-reddy-588a5986/">Mark Reddy</a></p>

Elisha Kirkham | Softcat

<p class="MsoNormal">Introducing <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-baker-109b375/">Laura</a>, with a bachelor&rsquo;s in software engineering and being the only female to complete the course, she began her career within Software Engineering at Landmark information group. After having children her career took a turn; Laura developed a keen interest in AI Architecture and fast-forward 6 years, she is leading from the front as the Head of Data Engineering and Platform at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/irwin-mitchell/">Irwin Mitchell</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">She describes her leadership style as nurturing and empowering, with a huge focus on inclusivity. Laura went through her school years, even up to university age with undiagnosed Dyslexia, and was only diagnosed whilst at university. This is her self-proclaimed superpower and testified that having Neurodiverse talent within a team adds a diverse approach on projects - which is invaluable! So, if you are Neurodiverse yourself, and seeking a role model within the Tech world, Laura is certainly that person!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Be prepared for a fantastic story into the rise of a Female leader in tech!</p>
<h2>Hi Laura, thank you for being involved with Women Rock! Could you tell me a bit about how you first got started in Tech?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>I have always like maths at school, so I ended up doing an Advanced GVNQ in Computing, so glad I did. I didn&rsquo;t know it then, but that was the start of my journey. I loved the programming sections and found I was pretty good at those bits. This led me to do a BSc in Software Engineering, I was 1 of 3 females on the course, and the only female to finish. For my final project, I did a crude natural language solution, which I didn&rsquo;t do a particularly good job on, but led me to pursue a MSc in Applied AI, this became a corner stone of my career since.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>You are the Head of Data Engineering and Platform at Iwin Mitchell; we absolutely love to see a woman leading from the front within a company. How would you describe your leadership style and what do you enjoy most about the job?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>I have a nurturing and inclusive style. I want the people in my team to feel comfortable to be themselves and feel part of a cohesive team. I also believe in empowering the team, ensuring they can take ownership. I want them to feel like they are backed and supported, but in exchange I want them to provide this to each of their teammates.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The thing I like most about my job is all the cool stuff we are building, this ranges from great architecture using cutting edge technologies for providing value to the business, to a building a wonderful team that is maturing and developing together.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>As a woman in technology, what would you say is the best and worst thing you&rsquo;ve encountered within the industry over the years, and what did this teach you?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>I was in a room with 10 or so male colleagues as a relatively junior software engineer, I challenged someone&rsquo;s point and the rebuke I received was attributing my challenge to &ldquo;female hormones&rdquo;. I was absolutely fuming, and embarrassed... thanks mate, he might as well have said &ldquo;get back in the kitchen and make me some pie&rdquo;. I think this is appalling, what a way to keep a woman in her box. Wouldn&rsquo;t happen in my team!&nbsp;</p>
<p>The best bit is... &ldquo;being in the kitchen making pies&rdquo;. No Seriously, I think the best bit is how women can support each other, I love the movement to support women in tech as a whole. I used to see it as a badge of honour that I was one of so few females. I took a while to see that me being the only female was due to a systemic problem. Being from a farming community with a dad with only daughters I was always brought up to believe that I could do anything a man could do, so it never occurred to me that I wouldn&rsquo;t be able to follow a career in tech, or that other women weren&rsquo;t able to follow this path, for whatever reason.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Quite a lot of women have felt they have had to make sacrifices with family to pursue their career choices, as a Mother yourself have you ever come up against any barriers like this and if so, how did you overcome them?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>I have two children, I had as long off work as possible when I had them, around 14 months with each of the them. Until both were in school, I remained part time. For a few years this stunted my career however, with the support from a fabulous female boss I was able to power on through and make some huge leaps in my career. I did have to work really hard to achieve this. Toward the end of being part time, I was working a lot of extra hours, but hey it paid off in spades!! But should it have been that way?&nbsp;</p>
<p>Given that I took so much time off with the kids, I don&rsquo;t feel like I sacrificed anything, I have been very careful because I don&rsquo;t want to look back with regret, my career will still be there, but my kids will have grown up.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>I know that you are passionate building a diverse team at Iwin Mitchell, and you&rsquo;ve been successful with diverse hires in the past &ndash; How do you ensure your interview/recruitment process is inclusive and what advice would you give to other hiring managers around this?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Irwin Mitchell is very passionate about diversity and inclusion. It&rsquo;s not just lip service, the company is very proud of it&rsquo;s gender equality and have a good proportion of female senior leadership (which is very inspiring). The advice I would give, is "keep an open mind&rdquo;, interviews are stressful for most people, but this can be on a whole other level for a neurodivergent person, the behaviours you see might not be quite what your used to, so you need to try not to put this person in a box by making a snap decision about them.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Why would you say that Iwin Mitchell is a great place to work for people from all different backgrounds and walks of life?</h2>
<p>Irwin Mitchell is a great place to due to its culture. We have a &ldquo;flexible by choice&rdquo; policy that is reflected in all areas of the business and is held core to IM&rsquo;s values. This is something that the business is proud of, and the people.&nbsp;</p>
<p>We also have a high percentage of female employees, although we could do with evening it up a bit in Data! The culture is very inclusive and friendly, there is quite a long average tenure at IM, I think that is mostly down to people being happy and satisfied.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Let&rsquo;s talk about your self-proclaimed superpower! We have talked previously about you growing up struggling with un-diagnosed Dyslexia and how later in life you sought out a diagnosis. Tell me more about that and the impact it&rsquo;s made on your career?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>I have been very open with work and colleagues about being dyslexic. I think this has had a positive impact on my career, I can often think about a problem or solution differently from peers and having that diversity is useful in a team. I noticed early on in my career, that neurodiversity is very common in the engineering space, possibly the abstract and logical nature of it as a craft, so I&rsquo;m in good company. I see it an advantage to think different than others and I seem to excel in some other areas such as spotting patterns and spatial reasoning. I think it helps me to be an abstract thinker.</p>
<p>It can be more stressful in meetings if I have to read a body of text, and I&rsquo;m thinking &ldquo;this is going to take me much longer that everyone else&rdquo;.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>On the topic of Neurodiversity, what advice would you personally give to hiring managers/employers who are trying to ensure their interview process is also attracting neurodiverse candidates?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>I would make it clear in the job advert that neurodiversity is valued, not just accepted, but valued. I would put a short paragraph, maybe a couple of lines near the top of the advert. These is much more appealing that a statement at the bottom that sound a bit like an after statement, or token effort to be inclusive.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>If you could go back to your 16 year old self, what advice would you give her?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Buy stocks in Google!!&nbsp;</p>
<p>But seriously I would say &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t have to be the cleverest person in the room to be successful and kind to yourself&rdquo;.</p>
<p>Accademia came easier to my sibling, so I always felt like the thick one, but I have gone on to make a great career that I&rsquo;m proud of.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>What do you think the biggest thing tech companies could do to attract more female talent? And I guess, if it was you looking &ndash; what would attract you to a company?</h2>
<p>Flexibilty, fair compensation, career progression, and interesting work. For me, it would be a combination of these things. I love working from home, I can relax and deliver, I can contact and access the people I need quickly and easily. Flexibility is important to me and was certainly a major consideration when I chose the role at Irwin Mitchell, not only as a mum, but also from a &ldquo;manage your energy not your time&rdquo; perspective.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Career progression and interesting work are also very attractive, most of us like to make a difference, add value, and feel appreciated. I like to see the potential in the domain and data, also working with a relevant tech stack that is going to keep skills on point with the industry.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Who is someone in your life that inspires you?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>My parents are my biggest inspiration. I grew up in West Somerset, in the south of England, which is one the lowest social mobility areas in the England. My parents were tenant farmers on a Crown Estate farm on Exmoor, which for anyone who knows the area, would know that&rsquo;s pretty tuff farming land. Lots of farmers weren&rsquo;t coping in the area but Dad diversified, I watched him make a successful Ice-cream making business, even innovating, and making solar panelled ice-cream vans.</p>
<p>Mum went back to study and become a solicitor; this had a huge impact on me for what it takes to succeed.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Finally, could you leave us with your favourite quote?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Just arrive!</p>
<p>Interviewed by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-townsend-a2990b282/">Adam Townsend</a></p>

Laura Baker | Iwin Mitchell

<p>Meet the Incredible <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hafsa-patel-02688a3b/">Hafsa</a>, who fell into the wonderful world of tech unexpectedly, through trial and error throughout her career so far. Hafsa argues that "it's the journey that matters", using failures and critical feedback as her compass for growth, and proving that there are lots of opportunities and pathways for a successful career in tech that might not be expected.</p>
<p>Hafsa is now leading the Salesforce Administration team at the FCA, and highlights her experience as a visible Muslim in the tech space, sharing the prejudices and challenges she has faced in her career, which has fueled her commitment to encourage more diversity in tech. This interview is a tribute to the women in Hafsa's life who have played a pivotal role in shaping her career and why finding your values and staying true to your beliefs is important.</p>
<p>In a world driven by data and AI, diversity is not just a virtue; it's a strategic imperative, and Hafsa highlights the importance of investing in a diverse workforce, where diversity of thought from a workforce of individuals with differing experiences and backgrounds, will lead to real progression and development for organisations.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Hi Hafsa, thank you for taking the time to speak to us. Firstly, please can you start by talking me through your position at the FCA?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>I&rsquo;ve been at the FCA for a record (for me) 5 years, I currently lead the Salesforce Administrator team, for those that know Salesforce would know we configure! The team works on a variety of support, change and processes in a highly complicated tech eco-system, as is the case in any large organisation. We are a relatively small team but hugely effective and the role has helped me learn so much more about technology than I had ever imagined.</p>
<h2>Tell me about your story so far. How did you get into the wonderful world of tech?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>I landed in the world of tech accidentally. There was no planning, and I didn&rsquo;t initially have the educational background for tech, but it somehow worked out&hellip;</p>
<p>After finishing my Economics degree, I decided to continue my studies for an extra year and discovered Accounting wasn&rsquo;t for me (good thing I discovered this early on), but I had some decent excel and data skills so landed in a Reporting and Data Role in the Financial sector. This was followed by a Data Analyst role where I was thrown in the deep end of Salesforce configuration and technology change.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Throughout my previous roles there has always been some level of technology change, from testing for a new software being launched, supporting the rollout of software, or configuring changes to user needs - and I took full advantage of these opportunities. I immersed myself in the tech change, learnt a huge amount and adapted to the tech world I was finding myself in, and built a career in technology.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>You are a big fan of &ldquo;trial and error&rdquo;. Please can you tell me more about why you value critical feedback and why failing is important?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>I think I learnt early on that unless you try something you won&rsquo;t realise what you like or dislike, and unless you fail you cannot grow as an individual.&nbsp;</p>
<p>You hear a lot of people say, &ldquo;it&rsquo;s the journey that matters&rdquo; and I truly believe that. When I look back at the memories I cherish from my journey, it&rsquo;s not just what I achieved in the end, but the struggles I went through and overcame, and of course the people I met along the way. I realised early on: the more I failed at new things, the more I learnt. For me, learning is one of the most important aspects of job satisfaction &ndash; If I&rsquo;m not learning I&rsquo;m usually bored! &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>Alongside failing, feedback is hugely important to me, as to grow you need to be able to ask for and be willing to receive feedback, which is a skill in itself! It&rsquo;s hard to hear what you need to change or improve on, but as with anything, to grow you must adapt. If you limit yourself and don&rsquo;t take onboard feedback, it can be really hard to see your blind-spots. The things I love doing today are the things I was terrible at when I first started. Had I given up on them due to my failures or lack of expertise and not listened to those who were willing to advise and help, I would not be who I am today.</p>
<h2>You mentioned that your religion has influenced your career, choosing to work for companies where you can make a positive impact. Please can you tell me more about the role religion has played in your career so far, and how the prejudice you mentioned you have been met with has shaped your experience in the tech space. &nbsp;</h2>
<p>My religion is the basis of my values, and this has been pivotal in me choosing what I do and who I work for. I ensure whatever role I am working in aligns with my values and I&rsquo;m making a positive impact on society, and this all comes back to the values that my religion has helped instil in me: being a good person through kindness, charity, justice and respect. Most of all my roles and the organisations I work for had some level of positive impact to others, which limits my options but also makes my work all the more valuable to me.</p>
<p>Being a visible Muslim (I wear a headscarf) has meant there has been a number of prejudices I have had to overcome, especially very early on in my career but as I gained confidence and my career expanded to technology I realised that those pre-judices helped me become more resilient and helped me gain the skills I needed to bring more diversity in the world of technology</p>
<h2>Why is it so important to have a diverse workforce and how can companies do better?</h2>
<p>Invest in people! I can&rsquo;t stress enough how ensuring we have a diverse workforce means we have diversity of thought, ideas, and leadership, and to achieve this we need to be willing to invest the time and effort into people so they can progress within organisations and careers. &nbsp;</p>
<p>It takes a lot of time and effort, and we are now in a workforce where we are so stretched that&rsquo;s it&rsquo;s easy to just hire someone who can do the job today rather than invest the time and train people. But from my experience I have found it so rewarding to see individuals grow in skills, confidence, and so much more, to achieve not just their day job but add value with new ideas, concepts, and better ways of works!</p>
<p>I do believe we risk our future by not investing in a diverse workforce &ndash; in a world where data and AI are the buzz words, technology change is pivotal for the survival of most organisations. Without the diversity of thought, which comes from diverse experiences and backgrounds, changes to the way we work and the way we can make the most of technology can be hard to achieve &ndash; for real progression and change for organisations diversity through investment is key!&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Who have been/are the most influential people in your career?</h2>
<p>Women!&nbsp;</p>
<p>I don&rsquo;t have a specific role or had even thought about it until recently but looking back a few of the key people that have influenced and inspired my career are women, they saw potential in me, believed in me, pushed me, and inspired me to do what I love.&nbsp;</p>
<p>For specifics I&rsquo;ll start with the clich&eacute; and say my mother; her resilience, adaptability and unshakeable faith inspires me every day - she began her life in the UK in the 80&rsquo;s from a rural village in India with limited education for women, and achieved more than most could imagine. She also pushed me to follow my dreams by studying courses that I loved and she had never heard of, and importantly she has also ensured happiness is a key part of my definition of success.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Another inspirational woman to me is a former manager of mine: ECP &ndash; an incredible woman and influence who inspired me to want to achieve more from my career and continue learning. Her exceptional management skills are something I strive for as part of my line-management journey all the time, including the ability to invest in people.&nbsp;</p>
<p>And lastly the amazing friends, colleagues and comrades in my life whose different life journeys, support and wisdom have helped me set and achieve some exceptional goals &ndash; had it not been for these wonderful women in my life I would not have even imagined being where I am today!&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Any last words of inspiration?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Find what you value and stay true to it! &nbsp;&nbsp;<br>And remember everyone is on their own journey, there&rsquo;s no need to compare yourself to others &ndash; do what you love, be willing to learn and achieve!&nbsp;</p>
<p>Interviewed by<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bella-snell-29a734190/"> Bella Snell</a></p>

Hafsa Patel | Financial Conduct Authority

<p style="margin: 0cm;">Meet Holly, with a foundation in STEM A-levels, she delved into Materials Engineering, securing a Research Engineer role in Metrology post-Masters. Holly's journey took a turn into people management and leadership, guiding teams at ASOS and currently as Engineering Manager at Enable.</p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: inherit;">She defines her leadership style as "dynamic" and authentic, driving diverse team success. As the initiator of the UK Women in Engineering meetup at Enable, she champions a global community, fosters a sense of belonging and empowerment among female engineers, reflecting in a positive impact within just three months! &nbsp;Holly's recruitment strategy involves decoding job descriptions, eliminating biases, and enhancing language for inclusivity.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Trust your gut, transparency, and diversity form the core of Holly's insightful career advice. &nbsp;Inspired by luminaries like Michelle Obama, Taylor Swift, and her empowering family, she embraces the mantra: "You can't be what you can't see."</span></p>
<h2><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Hi Holly, thank you for being involved with Women Rock! Could you tell me a bit about how you first got started in Tech and a little bit about who you are outside of work.</span></h2>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Absolutely, and thank you for having me! So I guess I started in Tech at the point of choosing my A-Level subjects which just happened to be very STEM based. Maths, science and problem solving was always something I was good at during school so at the time those type subjects felt like the obvious choice. After studying a Masters in Materials Engineers at University I got accepted onto a Graduate Scheme in the world of R&amp;D (Research and Development) as a Research Engineer in the field of Metrology. </span></p>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">After progressing my career technically, I took a sideways step into people management and leadership, managing a team of research engineers specializing in data engineering, data science and software engineering. This opened up opportunities at other organisations and I took a role at ASOS as an Engineering Manager, managing teams of software engineers and QA engineers in the fintech space. About 9 months ago I joined a SaaS startup, Enable as an Engineering Manager and since then I&rsquo;ve been focusing heavily on growing our diversity within Engineering and building awareness around everything DEI. </span></p>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Outside of work you&rsquo;ll find me either on a dog walk, having a pub lunch, or on a dog walk to a pub lunch!</span></p>
<h2><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">As the Engineering Manager at Enable and an advocate for diversity in the workplace. How would you describe your leadership style and what do you enjoy most about the job? </span></h2>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I think my leadership style is &ldquo;dynamic&rdquo;. Everyone in my team is different right, so how I engage with and manage each of them also needs to be different to get the best out of them. I like the think my leadership style is authentic, empowering and adaptive.</span></p>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">My favourite part my role is working with people. I really enjoy working with different people, coaching and supporting their development, as well as building collaborative and empowered teams of highly skilled engineers. I also really like the ever-changing landscape of the organisation and the scope to be able to involve myself in many different areas of the organisation as well as focusing my time on both technical and non-technical initiatives.</span></p>
<h2><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">As a woman in working in the technology sector, what would you say is the best and worst thing you&rsquo;ve encountered within the industry over the years?</span></h2>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I love this question! I think the best thing particularly as a woman is the network and community you can build. So often women are under-represented in this space, there&rsquo;s a statistic that 32% of women in technical and engineering roles are often the only women in the room at work, which leads us to find that representation outside of our immediate team or organisation. I know I have benefited so much from finding and connecting with other female leaders and built that network and community of support around myself. That statistic can also be used as the worst thing too, women are so under-represented within the tech space, and having all forms of diversity brings diversity of thought, you can&rsquo;t have innovation with the same people in the room. </span></p>
<h2><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I was really inspired by your post on Enable&rsquo;s UK Women in Engineering meetup, could you tell me a little bit about it, what your role is and the affect you feel it has? </span></h2>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Absolutely, going back to my previous point around of the power and importance of a community this was something I really wanted to bring to Enable and share with other female engineers here. So, I&rsquo;ve kicked off a UK and now Toronto community with the plan that we will also have a global meetup once a quarter. The purpose is to bring all our female engineers together to share our experiences, talk through some of the nuances of being a woman in the tech landscape we are in and how we can advocate for, support and celebrate each other. One of the most important things for me is that feeling of belonging and my hope is that by spending an hour a month with other technical women gives us the sense of belonging and representation we sometimes don&rsquo;t have in our own teams. </span></p>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">So my role is essentially facilitation, I want this community to be a safe space of empowerment so we talk through topics like mentoring, how to find a mentor, how to structure a conversation with a mentor etc. things like goal setting and how to articulate your goals in a way that feels empowered, achievable and authentic. I also take so much away from those sessions personally, so I&rsquo;m grateful to all the amazing women that come along and share their thoughts, experiences and guidance. I actually did a quick anonymous survey before the first session and then following the 3rd session asking our female engineers how empowered they felt, how represented they felt and what their sense of belonging is and all three increased after just 3 months of the community so I&rsquo;m hoping the numbers speak for themselves! </span></p>
<h2><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I know that you are passionate about building a diverse team at Enable, &ndash; How do you ensure your interview process is inclusive and what advice would you give to other hiring managers around this?</span></h2>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">This is something I&rsquo;ve been working closely with our Talent team on, there&rsquo;s some really simple adjustments that can be made that can have a huge impact from an inclusivity point of view. Things like gender decoding job descriptions, changing some of the language around &lsquo;non-negotiables&rsquo; so for example changing &ldquo;Must have a computer science degree&rdquo; to &ldquo;Computer science degree desirable, other STEM degrees considered&rdquo; hugely opens up the candidate pool and therefore the diversity you can bring to the organisation. There are now so many routes into tech, from apprenticeships and internships to bootcamps that even specifying needing a degree can be a limiting factor. </span></p>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Another thing I think is really important for minority groups is having representation on the interview panel, it&rsquo;s important that this isn&rsquo;t a tokenised approach but authentic and representative of the organisation current level of diversity. </span></p>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">A really practical step for hiring managers around this is doing unconscious bias training, we all have biases we might be unaware of but being cognisant of them and bringing those biases into our conscious means as hiring managers we can be better aware of the impact and importance of biases in an interview process. </span></p>
<h2><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">If you could go back in time to when you first started your career in tech, what piece of advice would you give yourself?</span></h2>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Trust your gut. I think it&rsquo;s taken a long time for me to fully trust my own instincts and trust myself. Often as we are progressing through our careers we think everyone more senior than us knows so much more, and has so much more insight. As I&rsquo;ve progressed in my own career I&rsquo;ve realised that most people experience some form of imposter syndrome, that there is always more to learn and that everyone is (mostly) just doing their best. Trust that your experience and skillset has got you to where you are and be willing to continuously learn. </span></p>
<h2><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">What do you think the biggest thing tech companies could do to attract more female talent? And I guess if it was you looking &ndash; what would attract you to a company?</span></h2>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Transparency! I&rsquo;m not talking about the little blurb at the bottom of job adverts, I mean being transparent throughout the recruitment process and being intentional with your transparency. Share your family friendly policies with candidates, share your flexible working policies, share information on your ERGs, share the accountable actions the company is taking to build their inclusive culture and most importantly be honest. No one is perfect, and we can&rsquo;t expect companies to be perfect either. So be honest about where you have room to grow and what&rsquo;s next from a business commitment, you might even find that a candidate has experience bringing that to life in another organisation! </span></p>
<h2><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Who is someone in your life that inspires you? </span></h2>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">There are so many people that inspire me, and it feels unfair to name just one person! Obviously, there are the classic choices like Michelle Obama, how she balanced life as a mother, a wife, the First Lady, and a trailblazer. People like Taylor Swift and how she has built such an authentic and passionate fan base, how she celebrates other women and uses her voice to champion marginalised groups, but inspiration can come from everywhere. I&rsquo;m really lucky to have quite a large family and be surrounded by so many empowering women in my mother and my (MANY!) aunts, how each of them have balanced family life with their careers, and the ceilings they have smashed inspire me to continue to push myself outside of my comfort zone. Finally, my cheerleaders, I have a handful of incredibly inspiring women around me, from doctors to teachers to private chefs to &ldquo;head of&rsquo;s&rdquo; in a corporate world, each one of those women continue to inspire me, shape my life bring endless amounts of support and laughter to my life. </span></p>
<h2><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Finally, could you leave us with your favourite quote? </span></h2>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">&ldquo;You can&rsquo;t be what you can&rsquo;t see&rdquo;. This is something I resonate with a lot as a woman in tech. Being able to see highly ambitious and technical women makes that path seem so much more possible, and if those women don&rsquo;t exist in your current organisation they absolutely exist outside of your organisation, so go find them, build your own network of people that inspire you, that encourage you and advocate for you!&nbsp;</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Interviewed by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/robmarsh-sr2/">Rob Marsh</a> </span></p>

Holly Mather | Enable

<p>Introducing <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmafeltham/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Emma Feltham</span></a>, Head of IT Delivery at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-trust/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">National Trust</span></a>. Driven by her academic prowess, Emma holds both a degree and a Ph.D. in Chemistry. Transitioning seamlessly from her background in science, Emma is in her fourth leadership role in IT at National Trust, demonstrating not only her adaptability but also her unwavering dedication to driving technological innovation.</p>
<p>Beyond her technical expertise, Emma is distinguished by her advocacy for Diversity and Inclusion. Her leadership is marked by a profound commitment to creating an inclusive and welcoming workplace, ensuring that diverse voices are not only heard but celebrated. Her multifaceted background and dedication to creating an inclusive workplace make her a standout figure.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Hi Emma, thank you for taking the time to speak to us. Firstly, please can you start by talking me through your position at National Trust?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Hi Harry, great to talk to you, it&rsquo;s always a pleasure talking to other people who are passionate about diversity and inclusion. I&rsquo;m Head of IT Delivery at National Trust. My role is all about a portfolio of live IT services, projects and programmes that deliver our revenue-generating and customer-facing services. My teams support our membership and fundraising platform that&rsquo;s built on Salesforce, and also all of our commercial systems at our properties &ndash; our tills, credit card machines, car park machines, allergens label printing, workforce planning tool, and lots more. It&rsquo;s a really interesting and varied role, and I get to make a difference to the experience we give our supporters every day.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Tell me about your story so far. How did you get into the world of tech?</h2>
<p>I&rsquo;ve got a background in science. I did a degree and a PhD in Chemistry and then did some follow-on research. I realised whilst doing that, that although I loved science and research, I also really enjoyed lots of other things about my job &ndash; talking to people about the research we were doing and bringing it to life for them, networking and making connections to different people, and teaching and supporting students. That led to me looking for a role where I could use my scientific background alongside my wider skills &ndash; and I spent the next 10 years at the Research Councils. My roles there were all about understanding different fields of research, helping academics to find opportunities for funding their research, and helping them to partner with companies that do research in the UK.</p>
<p>I reached another cross-roads about 11 years ago where I wanted to find an organisation and a role that would bring together my broad experience across Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths in an organisation that&rsquo;s making a difference to the planet &ndash; aligning to my personal values. I saw my first role at National Trust being advertised and thought that I had everything they were looking for except a background in IT &ndash; but with a very broad background across STEM I knew I could learn what I needed to about IT &ndash; and I&rsquo;ve never looked back. I&rsquo;m in my fourth leadership role in IT at National Trust and it&rsquo;s been so interesting &ndash; technology can enable so much.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>If you weren&rsquo;t working in the wonderful world of tech, what do you think you would be doing instead and why?</h2>
<p>I think I&rsquo;d be doing something in STEM &ndash; probably something to do with nature, the environment, or climate change. I&rsquo;ve always had a very technical brain, I like the intellectual challenge, and I want to do something that makes a difference.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>You have achieved a lot in your career so far and mentioned the importance of mentoring &ndash; tell me more about this.</h2>
<p>I&rsquo;ve had some brilliant mentors through my career &ndash; when I first moved into a management role I asked an experienced manager who I really respected to be a mentor for me &ndash; it was so helpful to have someone to talk line management challenges through with. When I moved into my current role at the start of 2020, I looked for an external mentor, someone who&rsquo;d had experience of similar roles, who could be a sounding board and source of advice. I&rsquo;ve also mentored some brilliant people &ndash; it&rsquo;s so rewarding to see people progressing and making the most of their potential, and knowing you&rsquo;ve been part of that. I think you can gain a lot as a mentor &ndash; it makes you reflect on what you&rsquo;ve learnt and why you&rsquo;re good at certain things, it can also make you think about things differently and give you a fresh perspective. Always think about what you are seeking a mentor for and find someone who&rsquo;s a good match, someone who is good at the thing you want to develop in.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>You have a STEM background, and have a degree and PhD in Chemistry. How could curriculums change to promote D&amp;I in tech?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>I think the biggest difference that can be made is for people to stop talking about &lsquo;girls subjects&rsquo; and &lsquo;boys subjects&rsquo;, and for us to showcase the brilliant role models that there are across all subjects of STEM. I think we also need to do more to show young people the huge variety of jobs that are out there and the very broad backgrounds that people come from. My career path hasn&rsquo;t been an obvious linear path, I don&rsquo;t think many people follow a linear career path, lots of people move sideways and make some big changes at points in their careers, but I think that often people aren&rsquo;t aware of what the possibilities are.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Where does your passion for D&amp;I come from and what have you done within NT or outside of work?</h2>
<p>I realised during my degree that there were a lot less women than men on the course, and as I progressed through my career there were less and less women around me. I had a really stark moment whilst doing my postdoctoral research, when an external review panel asked to meet the most senior women in the department, and as a postdoctoral researcher of 26 I was the most senior woman! I also had the experience of working with an incredibly bright undergraduate project student who told me that she really wanted to do her project in our group, but didn&rsquo;t feel comfortable joining the group until she met me &ndash; she was relieved that there was another woman in the group (I was the only one). I then started talking at lots of external Women in STEM events, and the more I talked to others, I realised how many people were missing out on opportunities because they didn&rsquo;t think they&rsquo;d be welcome because of their differences.</p>
<p>I was a member of and then chaired the Corporate IT Forum Gender Balance &amp; Diversity Group until 2021, I co-founded the Swindon Inclusion &amp; Diversity Network in 2019, and I&rsquo;ve recently set up a Women in Tech group at National Trust. What I&rsquo;ve learnt is that things that help and support women in technology are things that are good for people generally &ndash; it&rsquo;s not just women who are parents or carers, it&rsquo;s not just women who experience discrimination, bias, and barriers in their careers. I want to give people the opportunity to share and learn. I&rsquo;m lucky to work for an organisation that is serious about diversity and where we have lots of different networks and groups, as well as access to really helpful training material, so we can all keep learning more in this space.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>You mentioned that throughout your career sometimes you have been the only woman at the table. What has been your experience around this and what can be done to make spaces more inclusive for women in tech?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>I think I&rsquo;m lucky that my parents raised me to always be myself and always encouraged me and told me that I could do whatever I wanted to do. They instilled a strong sense of my worth in me and as a result I&rsquo;ve stood up for myself when I&rsquo;ve needed to. I&rsquo;ve also worked hard to prove myself and there were times earlier in my career when I really had to prove myself to be taken seriously &ndash; I came across some men who were surprised to have a young woman at the table. I think role models and support groups or networks are really important. I also think that women who have &lsquo;made it&rsquo; and are in senior roles have a responsibility to step in and challenge inappropriate behaviour or &lsquo;banter&rsquo; and to support the women around them. One of the things that I love at National Trust is how many allies we have &ndash; men can make a really big difference by taking the time to understand the barriers and challenges that women can face, and by stepping in and supporting their female colleagues when it&rsquo;s needed. I&rsquo;m really pleased that our Women in Tech group has an allies group too.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>What are your proudest achievements?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>I&rsquo;m incredibly proud of the programme team I&rsquo;ve been part of for the past four years who have delivered our Salesforce platform &ndash; it&rsquo;s been a huge and complex programme, and going live on the new platform in January 2023 was a massive milestone for us all. I&rsquo;m really happy that I got the Women in Tech group started at National Trust this year &ndash; it&rsquo;s something I&rsquo;ve wanted to do for a long time, and it&rsquo;s been really positive to see how many of my colleagues have attended our sessions and how many ideas they have for future sessions. I&rsquo;m still also very proud of getting my PhD &ndash; it was a challenging experience and took a lot of hard work and commitment!&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Any last words of inspiration?</h2>
<p>Be curious and interested in the people around you &ndash; there is always so much to learn. You never know what someone else&rsquo;s experience has been or what barriers or challenges they&rsquo;ve overcome. There is so much value in our differences &ndash; if we all look and think the same then we won&rsquo;t discover new things. Celebrate people!&nbsp;</p>
<p>Interviewed by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-murphy-2ab061129/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Hary Murphy</span></a></p>

Emma Feltham | National Trust

<p>In our pursuit of celebrating exceptional women in tech, we are honoured to introduce you to<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-anne-lawrence-06651416/"> Sally-Anne</a>, Delivery Director at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/swift-strategies/">Swift Strategies</a>, whose story is a testament to the dynamic and diverse roles women play in the world of technology.</p>
<p>She shares insights into her career, and is an advocate for a more inclusive approach to technology education, currently undertaking a programme with Birmingham City university to mentor students, and emphasises the need for broader curriculums that not only focus on programming but also explore various roles crucial for successful delivery.</p>
<p>In previous roles, Sally-Anne often found herself to be the only female at the table, and shares her experiences and insights on making spaces more inclusive for women in tech. She believes in addressing biases constructively and challenging stereotypes to create a more balanced and welcoming environment.</p>
<p>Throughout her career Sally-Anne has learnt invaluable lessons as a working parent in a leadership role, with collaboration and kindness being her guiding principles.</p>
<h2>Hi Sally-Anne, thank you for taking the time to speak to us. Firstly, please can you start by talking me through your position at Swift Strategies?</h2>
<p>Hi Bella, thank you for including me in this series of blogs for amazing, inspirational women!</p>
<p>I am the Delivery Director here at Swift Strategies, I focus on delivery for our clients. I support the teams and deliver programmes myself too. We are focussed on digital; data and technology transformation and our key motivation is working with our clients supporting them to achieve their goals and vision.</p>
<h2>Tell me about your story so far. How did you get into the world of tech?</h2>
<p>I actually have a degree in technology from Liverpool University, although I wouldn't describe myself as technical; I take a common-sense approach to technology and always ask my teams to explain things to me. After I graduated, I worked in resource management at IBM and then Serco Solutions where I moved into Programme Management Support.</p>
<p>I then progressed to the world of contracting which led me to work across government in project and programme management roles. I have often been asked to fix things and &lsquo;knit the fog&rsquo; to deliver IT and change; translating stakeholder requirements into delivery approaches and plans.</p>
<p>I worked with Nathan (Founder of Swift Strategies) in the past and joined Swift Strategies in September 2021, becoming the Delivery Director in May 2023! I am loving my new role and Swift Strategies is a great place to be!</p>
<h2>If you weren&rsquo;t working in the wonderful world of tech, what do you think you would be doing instead and why?</h2>
<p>Crikey that is a difficult question, I love technology and my job! I would have to say a job in travel as I adore holidays. The best place I have been to is South America; I loved Buenos Aires! I would love to go to Japan and New York (can&rsquo;t believe I haven&rsquo;t been!).</p>
<h2>You have achieved a lot in your career so far and mentioned the importance of mentoring and finding ways to help graduates to get started in their career. Tell me more about this.</h2>
<p>This is something I feel really passionately about, I remember graduating from university and thinking &lsquo;what now?&rsquo;. There are so many different jobs out there that you never knew existed and you don&rsquo;t really know what they mean!</p>
<p>I am just starting to support the Birmingham City University mentoring programme to help students with some key skills, advice and guidance for their careers once they have graduated. If I can help build at least one person's confidence and pathway into the first stages of their career I think this is a win, and hopefully more if I can help!</p>
<h2>You have a degree in I.T yourself and mentioned curriculums not being broad enough to encourage young people, especially young women in schools, to pursue careers in tech. How could curriculums change to promote D&amp;I in tech?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span></h2>
<p>The current GCSE and A-Level for IT and Computer Science is programming heavy and is in the main taken by boys due to the technical nature of the course. Wouldn&rsquo;t it be great if these also explored working in an agile team, covering all the other roles needed for successful delivery; business analysis, user research, product and delivery management, testing etc. This would provide a more rounded accessible qualification and promote an appreciation of all the qualities and roles needed in the work environment.</p>
<p>When I took my A-Levels my mum moved us to a large mixed 6th Form College from an all-girls school, it was quite a shock! She was keen for us to transition to an environment more like University</p>
<h2>You are a working Mum yourself. How does being a Mum enrich your work?</h2>
<p>Being a mum keeps me grounded, one minute you can be running a multi-million-pound programme and the next you are on the school run watching the kids play sport and dealing with what is for dinner! There is always a bigger picture, and the key is being able to step back from the detail and focus on the things that matter the most, I always encourage my teams to do the same.</p>
<h2>Your position is people oriented, and you mentioned being good at reading a room and understanding individuals. Why is it important to have female leaders with &ldquo;feminine&rdquo; qualities such as empathy?</h2>
<p>For me it's about understanding why people are acting in a certain way, what makes them tick and how to get the best out of them. Getting to know people is key so you can support them when they need it, the more you give the more you get.</p>
<h2>You mentioned that throughout your career you have often been the only woman at the table. What has been your experience around this and what can be done to make spaces more inclusive for women in tech?</h2>
<p>I am often in technical meetings that are male dominated, this has never worried me and I am happy to ask the &lsquo;silly questions&rsquo;. I have experienced people not responding directly to me and speaking to the other technical people in the room, I simply addressed this in a polite way. For me its about making these observations and calling them out, not being afraid to challenge constructively, we are all people after all!</p>
<h2>What are your proudest achievements (personal and/or professional)?</h2>
<p>I have two girls who I am proud of every day!</p>
<p>From a work perspective there are lots of things; the delivery of a Change Programme transitioning 1500 users to new IT systems and kit that went really well was definitely a highlight for me!</p>
<h2>Any last words of inspiration?</h2>
<p>Collaboration and kindness (to yourself and others) are key</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Interviewed by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bella-snell-29a734190/">Bella Snell</a></span></p>

Sally-Anne Lawrence | Swift Strategies

Let's Take A Moment To Reflect

<p style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/camillabrizzi/">Camilla Brizzi</a>, Full Stack Software Engineer, coding influencer/content creator on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/breezycoder/">@breezycoder</a> and 1:1 mentor for women &amp; non-binary folks looking to switch careers. Is there anything this lady can&rsquo;t do?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">She is breaking the norm and challenging the status quo! The pressure of society tells us that we need all our s**t figured out by the time we are 30, in this refreshing interview Cami shares her story of how she fell in love with coding and quit her job as a teacher to pursue a career in tech at the age of 30. Don&rsquo;t miss out reading this one, it gave us goosebumps!</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">If there&rsquo;s something that Cami&rsquo;s story teaches us the most, is to never let&nbsp;<span class="ui-provider a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z ab ac ae af ag ah ai aj ak" dir="ltr">someone else's fears or age hold you back</span>. You can do ANYTHING you put your mind to.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Camilla is truly a force to be reckoned with, firstly she is one of the coolest, most passionate people the tech market and is admired by all of us here at Women Rock. Her inspirational story of taking the &ldquo;risk&rdquo; to switch careers at age 30. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/javajackson/">Steph</a> first met Camilla in 2022 during her job search after she&rsquo;d completed a coding bootcamp, she was in the process of switching careers from teaching Science to become a professional software developer.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">In true Cami style, it did not take her long to secure a job because she is amazing. Cami teamed up with SR2 to find her first Software Engineer role with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/motabilityoperations/">Motability Operations</a> in Bristol, a software company who are improving the lives of people living in allowance of the government disability allowance.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">Outside of work, Cami has an ever-growing following on Instagram where she creates content to inspire other girls in tech make sure you follow her&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/breezycoder/">@breezycoder</a> and she is now offering 1:1 mentoring to other women and non-binary folks who are looking to make the career switch.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">We love you Cami, you seriously rock!&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<h2><br>Your story will be one that will inspire so many being a career switcher after teaching science to school students for 4+ years. Could you share a bit about your journey so far and why you chose to become a software engineer?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Ciao! I&rsquo;m so excited to be on Women Rock, thank you for having me <span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji';">❤️</span></p>
<p>As a kid, I was known to ask a lot of why&rsquo;s and capture unfortunate critters to force them under my rudimentary microscope. I left rural Sardinia - where I&rsquo;m from - as soon as I finished school to study Forensic Science in the UK. The problem-solving element of it, combined with the prospect of making a real difference to the families of those people who could no longer speak for themselves, was what drew me to it. I loved my degree, did very well and proceeded to do master&rsquo;s in Crime and Forensic Science at UCL, where I had the opportunity to do my own research on a case of potential miscarriage or justice, as well as deepen my knowledge of data science. The year I started my undergrad, the Forensic Science Service was closed and forensics got in the hands of private laboratories. Unfortunately, this meant that once I got my MSc, I became overqualified for most of the roles out there. A few months into application hell forced me to think creatively about my skills, which led me to become a Show Presenter at the London Science Museum. This inevitably caused me to fall in love with education, so I decided to train to become a teacher a year later, and then ended up teaching Science and A-Level Biology in a secondary school for four years after that.</p>
<p>How does all this lead to programming? Well, for various reasons, teaching wasn&rsquo;t something I wanted to continue with forever. It lacked flexibility and work-life balance, as an example. Since covid, I started to feel more and more trapped and I wanted to be able to go visit my family more often than once a year. I picked up coding as a hobby, initially, like someone might get started on Duolingo. I worked through a couple of courses on Codecademy and I was hooked. I signed up for an evening course provided by Code First Girls, then signed up for another one, and handed in my notice a few weeks later. I knew I wanted to dedicate myself to learning to code full-time and I just had to take that brave decision then, before knowing how I was going to do that exactly. Luckily, I made it onto the amazing School of Code bootcamp, which is fully-funded, and in four months I gained the skills I needed to get my first job in tech. Less than a month after that ended, I was offered my current role as a full-stack Software Engineer.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Younger me never thought this would be my path. The only computer &lsquo;lessons&rsquo; I had in school involved sharing a PC to play around with Paint and Word every few months. Of course, I had MySpace and - even better - I was an admin to one of the official My Chemical Romance <span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji';">🖤</span> online<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>fanclubs in Italy, which meant I dabbled in very basic &lsquo;coding&rsquo;, but unfortunately I used to think real programmers didn&rsquo;t look anything like me. I know my career has been a road with lots of turns, but I honestly believe this has given me the confidence to challenge myself in ways I had never imagined, and I wouldn&rsquo;t have it any other way.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>It&rsquo;s amazing to see that you&rsquo;ve switched careers so successfully, there are a lot of people who would be really inspired by what you&rsquo;ve done so far &ndash; what advice would you give to other women who are wanting to break into a tech career?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Don&rsquo;t let your age or other people&rsquo;s fears stop you. It&rsquo;s funny how many people I have met in the field worry about having started &lsquo;too late&rsquo;, yet they are all doing brilliantly. Recently, I spoke to this girl in her second year at uni who was comparing herself to people who were coding since the age of 5. I couldn&rsquo;t help but giggle, given my situation, but I made sure to reassure her that it really doesn&rsquo;t matter. There is always going to be somebody better than you, but it&rsquo;s not about that. It&rsquo;s about working a job that makes you happy, and appreciating all of the fresh perspectives and other skills you bring to it. You may not have started when you were 5, but you have done so much more since then, and that is a real asset.</p>
<p>Cherish and learn to sell your uniqueness, and don&rsquo;t compare your path to the one of others. I also would recommend to anone considering a career in tech to find a mentor who can be a cheerleader and help you out with practical advice as well as networking. I had two, and I am super grateful to them for giving me the extra boost of confidence I needed when started looking for a job. Finally, it&rsquo;s always worth attending tech meet-ups. In Bristol, I went to the Women&rsquo;s Tech Hub and Code Hub evenings soon after my first &lsquo;Hello World&rsquo;, and it was a great way to get rid of my preconceptions of what &lsquo;tech people&rsquo; were like. Everyone was super welcoming and that played a big part in my final decision to switch career.</p>
<h2>As a woman joining an industry that is predominantly made up of males and a lack of diversity, what has been the biggest surprise to you so far?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>To be honest- and sadly - no surprises in the negative sense. I have always been a woman in STEM so I am used to experiencing some struggles in being taken seriously due to gender perception. I guess, I hadn&rsquo;t realised fully realised quite how much male-dominated the industry truly is until I started attending tech events. However, I have been positively surprised by how helpful and encouraging the vast majority of techies I have connected with have been, both online and in-person, and I am very fortunate to have found a company that values me and has been incredibly supportive from the start.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>I saw that joined the GirlCode family to offer mentorship to other girls interested in tech, could you tell us a bit more about that?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>I love the GirlCode community! It&rsquo;s a brilliant platform that I am proud to be and ambassador for, and with it I intend to do more to help other women succeed in tech. I have given CV and general career advice to a couple already, as well as other people I met through my Instagram page - @breezycoder. I&rsquo;ve also been doing that on LinkedIn, and I am going to be mentoring a new career-switcher Junior at work from January. The coaching aspect of teaching was one of my favourite parts of the job, and I am excited to develop this further in my current role. Future aspirations include inspiring more young girls into tech through outreach work. If only I could have some extra days in the week!</p>
<h2>What has been the best thing about becoming a software engineer for you so far?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>It has to be the amount of learning involved! There isn&rsquo;t a single day that goes without me feeling out of my &lsquo;comfort zone&rsquo;, and that is so exciting. I like to be challenged and I like learning new skills. There is a lot of context-switching - which can be daunting - but once you accept that you have to get it wrong first to get it right, you can start appreciating all the novelty.</p>
<h2>In your opinion, why do you think there are so little women in tech roles and what could companies looking to hire more diversity do to change that?</h2>
<p>For me, the low uptake of computer science degrees and tech roles by women has to do - in great part - with lack of representation in the industry. That&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s so important that companies have a deep look at what they can do to retain the brilliant women they already have. Around 50% of women leave the field by the age of 35, so it&rsquo;s not just about hiring more at entry / junior level - although that is very important too. Employers must support women throughout their career, making sure they can access and thrive in higher-paying and leadership roles, regardless of whether they are dealing with motherhood or are being affected by symptoms of reproductive health issues, for example. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of systemic sexism in tech, but I am hopeful that the younger generation will be inspired by the ever-growing talent pool of fantastic women in STEM, lots of whom are spreading the word through social media. That&rsquo;s pretty much what drew me to coding in the first place.</p>
<h2>If you could go back and give your younger self some advice what would you tell her?&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Wear your skin proud, take up space and fight to get the help you need. I know it hurts now, but one day you&rsquo;ll realise that none of this matters, and that your beauty goes far beyond your looks. Also, definitely don&rsquo;t pick up smoking to chat up a boy! <span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji';">😤</span></p>
<h2>What is your favourite quote?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>I really love this one by Italian Nobel-prize scientist and former senator for life, Rita Levi-Montalcini:&nbsp;</p>
<p>&lsquo;Above all, don&rsquo;t fear difficult moments. The best comes from them.&rsquo;<br><br>Interviewed by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/javajackson/">Steph Jackson</a></p>

Camilla Brizzi | Motability Operations 

<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/raghadhav/">Raghad</a> is someone who has followed her dream of becoming a software engineer, but not only that, she&rsquo;s also helped other women follow that same dream.</span></p>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Whilst completing a business course in 2020, Raghad got the inspiration for &lsquo;She Codes Too&rsquo;, a bootcamp that supports women in Iraq with their goal of having a career in the tech industry.</span></p>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Having started as an idea, this has now transformed into fully-fledged in-person bootcamp that is expanding to other locations across Iraq, changing multiple lives! Raghad, you&rsquo;re an inspiration!</span></p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Can you give us a brief overview of your own background and how you qualified as a Computer Scientist?</span></h2>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I am originally from Iraq and grew up in a small town near the ancient city of Babylon. I completed my undergraduate degree in computer science at the University of Babylon. After that, I was fortunate enough to get a scholarship to study for a Master's degree in computer science at the University of Bristol in the UK. As a requirement of my scholarship, I had to return to Iraq and work for five years as a lecturer at a university in Baghdad. </span></p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">You mentioned that you&rsquo;re originally from Iraq &ndash; can you share with us what some of the barriers are that women in Iraq face when looking to get into the tech industry? </span></h2>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Women in Iraq often face many barriers when considering a career in tech. Beginning with societal norms and expectations that usually steer them towards professions like medicine or teaching, rather than encouraging them to explore tech-related careers. Similarly, these norms and expectations may require women to stay at home, restricting their movement freely and travelling around the country, which can limit their ability to attend events like tech bootcamps or coding workshops. </span></p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Can you tell us a bit about the She Codes Too initiative that you created &amp; how it works? </span></h2>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I started She Codes Too (SCT) after participating in a UN program in Japan that taught about business development. Instead of starting a for-profit business, I chose to create She Codes Too as a charitable initiative. SCT started its journey in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, by providing online coding courses for women. Initially, I taught programming courses myself but soon formed a team of volunteers to assist me.</span></p>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Last year, SCT received funding from the UN Development Programme and this year we received funding from the US Embassy in Iraq. We also collaborate with Meta &ndash; formerly Facebook &ndash; and Baghdad Business School.</span></p>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Now SCT has funding, we can employ full-time staff members to help run 6-month-long front-end web development programs in person in Baghdad. The programs not only focus on programming but also develop a programmer's mindset. Participants learn both the skills required by industry but also communication and team skills to ensure they are ready for tech careers after graduating. </span></p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Was there a particular event or moment that inspired you to create She Codes Too?</span></h2>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">During my previous job as a lecturer in Iraq, I was keenly aware of female students being discouraged from developing their tech skills. This made me want to create a space for them to feel comfortable and empowered to become software engineers; hence, I started the She Codes Too initiative. I believed that creating such a supportive environment could refocus and empower women, providing them with a sense of belonging and encouragement within the tech industry. </span></p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Can you share any success stories from She Codes Too so far?</span></h2>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">She Codes Too were able to connect its graduates with employers in tech companies in Iraq. Two of our graduates secured internships as junior web developers in a tech company in Baghdad, while another two received job offers as web developers in another tech firm. Several other graduates are currently in the interview process, and we believe that many more will soon secure jobs with our support.</span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">What is the long-term vision for She Codes Too?</span></h2>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">We aim to expand She Codes Too to reach other cities in Iraq; however, other cities (e.g. Mosul) pose an even greater challenge due to a lack of resources and other external factors. </span></p>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Beyond that, we also have an ambition to take She Codes Too to even more countries. It is important however to ensure the sustainability of She Codes Too. We aim to build an organisation that can run stably in terms of resources and funding, allowing us to continue our mission and impact for years to come. </span></p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">What advice would you have for anyone else who&rsquo;s interested in setting up something like She Codes Too?</span></h2>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">My advice is to start with a genuine passion because this will be the driving force. One needs to understand the specific needs of the target audience and to design the programs accordingly. </span></p>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">When thinking about sustainability for a charity like She Codes Too, it is important to know how to seek funds, form partnerships, and build a committed team. One needs to be prepared to take on any required role to make it work. And lastly, remain patient. Initiatives like this require determination and patience, but the impact and fulfilment they provide make the journey truly rewarding.</span></p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">What&rsquo;s next for you personally Raghad? </span></h2>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I recently got married and settled in the UK. I would personally love to continue building a life here and enjoy seeing more of this country and the rest of Europe with my husband.</span></p>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">On a professional level, I would like to continue my path in technology and develop my skills to reach a senior level in my career. What motivates me the most is the opportunity to inspire and empower women to challenge societal norms, break barriers, and pursue their aspirations fearlessly.</span></p>
<h2><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">It&rsquo;s tradition on Women Rock to finish with a motto or inspirational quote &ndash; have you got one you would like to sign-off with? </span></h2>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">We have this famous quote in Arabic that I often think about when I need motivation. A translation would be:</span></p>
<p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">&ldquo;Whoever fears the ascent of the mountains, shall dwell forever in the abyss.&rdquo;</span></p>

Raghad al-Abboodi | She Codes Too

<p>In Penny's world, tech meets transformation, blending fearless ambition with authenticity and guided by kindness. As a tech enthusiast and transformation expert, she pioneers online platforms for iconic events like Race For Life and spearheads large-scale transformations at Cancer Research UK. Penny's secret to climbing the career ladder is to boldly ask, stay positive, and embrace continuous learning.</p>
<p>A beacon for aspiring female leaders, she urges authenticity and celebrating uniqueness. Skipping the traditional academic path, she advises the next generation to explore diverse routes, embrace failures, and own their journey.</p>
<p>To Penny, diversity is a blend of varied perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences shaping better outcomes. In her daily life, she champions kindness and is also a yoga teacher. Namaste to that!</p>
<h2><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Tell us about how you initially got into the transformation / tech space?</span></h2>
<p>In my earlier career I was always interested in seeing how we could use technology to increase efficiency and speed things up, I always wanted things to be done quickly and with less manual effort. &nbsp;I remember working with the development team building the first ever website and back office system for Race For Life, we were moving everything from manual postal entries to online (I&rsquo;m showing my age there!) It felt revolutionary at the time and what back then we would have called RAD Rapid Application Development, but for me I was just working with the programmers to reduce the effort from my team to do manual data entry of hundreds of thousands of ladies who wanted to take part in an event and raise money for cancer.</p>
<p>My first real transformation programme was at Cancer Research UK, for me this was still &lsquo;just change&rsquo; but on a bigger scale with more stakeholders to consider, with much bigger benefits but also more risk. I loved the challenge and the scale and learnt so much from other experts who done large scale transformations before but also just by throwing myself in and learning as I went.</p>
<h2><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">You enjoyed a number of promotions over your career, how do you think you stood out vs the crowd and achieved these time and time again?&nbsp;</span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Don&rsquo;t be afraid to ask, I think for at least 70% of my promotions (certainly in my earlier career) I saw an opportunity, stated my case and asked for it. I was quite fearless, what&rsquo;s the worst that can happen they say no, I am no worse off. I think that helped show people my appetite for the promotion and also a positive attitude whilst also being clear on what I still needed to learn and develop.</p>
<h2><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">What advice would you give to aspiring female leaders today?</span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Be authentic and be yourself. Don&rsquo;t compare yourself to others and try to emulate their intelligence, knowledge, expertise, or style, be proud of what you have to bring to a particular company, project or role. People will value the authentic you.</p>
<h2><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">You didn&rsquo;t go to university, do you think this had any impact on your journey and what&rsquo;s your advice to the next generation?</span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">In my early career it didn&rsquo;t bother me at all, I worked hard, pushed myself and got so much experience, by the time some of my friends had left uni I had a really great job had done further education whilst working and didn&rsquo;t have any student debt which was a bonus. Once I started to move around and consider more senior roles I did have a period where I would be embarrassed about the fact that I didn&rsquo;t go to uni and I might never know if I wasn&rsquo;t considered for some roles because of it. But I re-claimed it and used it as a positive message. I have a 15 year old daughter and my advice to her and any other young people is that there are many ways to be successful and many routes to find your path especially when you are young try out a few different things to see what works for you and don&rsquo;t compare yourself to anyone else&rsquo;s paths, that&rsquo;s theirs to own, you own you.</p>
<h2><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">What would you say to your younger self if you could meet her today?</span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">You go girl, stay confident, don&rsquo;t let others hold you back and don&rsquo;t be afraid to change things that are not working out. Life is there to be lived and experienced, breath it all in.</p>
<h2><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">What does diversity mean to you?</span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Diversity for me means lots of different people from lots of different backgrounds with many different experiences all having a perspective to bring and something to offer and that together diversity will bring a better outcome. Sometimes I can get frustrated and overwhelmed with the injustice, unfairness and quite often discrimination in the world. How I choose to address that is to make a difference in the space in which I operate and what I can influence in my every day to day.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">What is your favourite quote?&nbsp;</span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">&ldquo;Be more kind to yourself, be more kind to others and be more kind to the planet&rdquo; Its not a famous quote, it&rsquo;s my own mantra and I say it every day and at the end of every yoga practice (I&rsquo;m a yoga teacher as my side gig).</p>

Penny Rae-Byford | Farsight Consulting

<p>Meet this weeks' Women Rocker, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-swift-233632137/">Amber Swift</a> <span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji';">👋</span>.&nbsp;</p>
<p>A data wizard at Northumbrian Water, who started her journey with curiosity in ICT during her GCSE and A-levels. Thanks to her tech-savvy grandma's wisdom, she skipped the business degree bandwagon and leapt into a Degree Apprenticeship at Northumbrian Water. Between sips of coffee and lines of code, dipping her toes in various teams, she discovered a love of data and coding.</p>
<p>Amber's story covers everything from the challenges that came from being a young trailblazer, her work as a mentor guiding university placements &amp; apprenticeships, being an advocate for neurodivergence and diversity within tech to her work beyond the keyboard where she breaks stereotypes with CrossFit and Olympic weightlifting. Amber is on a mission to encourage more women to pump iron and break the glass ceiling (and a sweat)</p>
<p>Amber has achieved great things in her career so far, as well as being nominated for the Rising Star Award for her work and accomplishing a 1st Class Hons Degree. Some might say, she is equally as inspirational as her parting quote:</p>
<p><em>&ldquo;find your allies, take every opportunity you are given even if it scares you. Because stepping out your comfort zone and challenging yourself is what opens your horizons and opportunities&rdquo;. </em><span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji';">🚀✨</span></p>
<h2>THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SPEAK TO US. FIRSTLY, PLEASE CAN YOU START BY TALKING ME THROUGH YOUR POSITION AT NORTHUMBRIAN WATER?</h2>
<p>I currently work as a Performance Insights Analyst; I like to think of this as a fancy title for a Data Analyst that often dabbles into Data Science. I work in the Intelligence and Analytics Team here at NWG and my day usually looks like: finding new insight and efficiencies within corporate data, producing automated reports and dashboards, creating intelligent data science solutions predicting future trends in which if we act now, we can improve performance against our key measures! I&rsquo;m super passionate about it so sometimes when I start, I can&rsquo;t stop! But to give some examples, I helped predict areas in which water poverty may be an issue (customers struggling to pay their bill) so we can put them on affordability tariffs to combat this. I&rsquo;ve also been involved in creating an industry first Customer Experience Digital Twin &ndash; a model that predicts customer satisfaction levels and highlights where we can improve our processes. Seeing my impact is what motivates me, so hopefully that gives a little taster into my role!</p>
<h2>TELL ME ABOUT YOUR STORY SO FAR. HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE WORLD OF TECH?</h2>
<p>I studied ICT (or Computer Science) at GCSE and A-Level just out of interest, it was always something I enjoyed due to the creative aspect. I guess I realised I was pretty good at problem solving and developing solutions, a key skill in what I do now. When it came to university decisions it was my amazing Gran who convinced me not to do a traditional business degree. I felt it was more &lsquo;normal&rsquo; at the time and she told me that she saw me working in IT and thriving, she saw my potential and my passion. I left traditional university after a month, worked for a year to gain employable skills and confidence, and then looked out for an apprenticeship. Northumbrian Water were recruiting for a Degree Apprenticeship in Digital and Technology Solutions at the perfect time for me. It was a very vigorous process given they were financing your degree, but I am so thankful I was given the opportunity. Between September 2016 &ndash; July 2019, I worked for NWG Monday &ndash; Thursday and attended Sunderland University every Friday to gain my degree. NWG placed me around many different teams from Business Analysis, Development, Data, testing etc that meant I was able to apply my learnings and find the right role for me upon graduation. About 2 years in I discovered my love of data and coding, I was fortunate enough to land a graduate role in my current team and 2 years ago was promoted into the role I am in now. I still love what I do and seeing the difference I can make to my company&rsquo;s performance through data daily.</p>
<h2>DO YOU FEEL THAT EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT IN CHANGING THE GENDER GAP IN TECH OR ARE THEIR OTHER WAYS FOR WOMEN TO START THEIR CAREERS WITH A MORE HANDS ON APPOACH?</h2>
<p>Education certainly plays a crucial role in narrowing the gender gap in the tech industry, but it is not the only factor at play&hellip;</p>
<p>Creating a supportive and inclusive environment within educational institutions and workplaces is crucial. This includes addressing issues like gender bias, harassment, and stereotypes that can deter women from pursuing tech careers or lead to attrition.</p>
<p>Mentorship and Role Models: Having mentors and role models who are women in tech can inspire and guide aspiring professionals. Mentorship programs can provide valuable insights and support for women looking to advance their careers.</p>
<p>Hands-On Experience: A more hands-on approach, such as internships, apprenticeships, and coding bootcamps, can complement traditional education by providing practical skills and real-world experience. These opportunities can be especially beneficial for women looking to transition into tech careers later in life or those without formal STEM education. I can vouch for this one as this is how I began my journey! I knew I wanted to go down an apprenticeship root and I think it really fine tunes those employable skills and gets you applying the knowledge you gain from studying to a point where you can become years ahead in terms of experience.</p>
<p>Networking: Building a professional network is essential for career growth. Attending tech events, conferences, and joining industry-specific organisations can help women connect with peers and potential employers. I was very fortunate that during my apprenticeship my manager and mentors gave me so many opportunities. Even though I was nervous, I took every opportunity and made connections for life.</p>
<h2>WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR?</h2>
<p>With many roles I&rsquo;m sure, I struggled with being thrown into a workplace at quite a young age and not being taken seriously due to my age and possibly my gender. Having to report my findings to internal stakeholders when given tasks I felt dismissed and that my older more experienced colleagues were listened to rather than myself. This is something that did diminish over time and workplaces have grown a lot since, but early on in someone&rsquo;s career it is vital that we support and encourage people, so they grow. I see this as one of the factors that is perhaps why &frac34; of women in technical roles leave before the age of 30.</p>
<p>Gaining my role in the first place, as when I graduated, I came up against a very talented pool of people when interviewing for what became my graduate role. I compared myself too much at this point in my life and felt I didn&rsquo;t stand a chance against those with years more experience than me. I put hours into planning and revising for my interview. Something I feel fellow women in tech could agree with. I feel we naturally put more effort into tasks feeling we need to overcompensate and compete with the men in our industries.</p>
<h2>TELL US A BIT ABOUT ANY COACHING/MENTORING YOU DO IN OR OUTSIDE OF WORK TO HELP WOMEN AND UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS FIND OPPORTUNITY?</h2>
<p>University Placements &ndash; Since joining my team in 2018, I have been involved in supporting university students during summer internships. From our initial uptake I have then led on the interviewing and mentorships / shadowing of the students. I have endeavoured to find fellow women with the right passions and skills. We have supported 6 students in internships over the past few years which led to me and a colleague hosting a guest lecture at a local University to help with future intake and show universities that a water company does more than what meets the eye.</p>
<p>Apprentices &ndash; I am a representative to new and existing apprentices that we recruit. providing advice and shadowing where needed. This year I am supporting a new female apprentice analyst on a neighbouring team which I find so empowering! Speaking to someone with similar passions to myself, I endeavour to do all I can to help her with her studies and work experience.</p>
<p>Mentorship &ndash; I am part of a wider group of mentors within Northumbrian Water to offer mentorship to student placements, work experience, apprentices, and graduates. We meet quarterly to share learning experiences / advice which we then take back to any mentees.</p>
<p>For me, this is just small ways in which I can make a difference and I am so passionate about promoting tech roles, which is why I was asked by NWG&rsquo;s IS Director to represent women in STEM. Alongside my role I am beginning to work with local schools, companies, and universities to promote the roles and the skills to the next generation. Our aim is to close the gap and find more exceptional women for the analytics and technical space.!</p>
<h2>WHO HAVE BEEN / ARE THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE / MENTORS IN YOUR CAREER?</h2>
<p>Two people very dear to me and who were fantastic mentors were men, which we love to see! Men should be allies and supporters of women and help to inspire the next gen. My previous manager in my current role, Mike Hull, presented me with so many opportunities. I came into his team as a graduate with poor confidence in public speaking and in my own abilities, comparing myself to the rest of the team and people who had years of experience. Through his support I became a confident speaker, giving presentations at Director level, to External Companies and so on. My learning and development soared with his guidance, and I began to contribute ideas for the team and began to lead on projects, I am eternally grateful to him.</p>
<p>My manager during my time as an apprentice, Malcolm Duffield. Mal inspired me as he is someone who started from developer/engineer and ended up as a senior manager. He had all the technical knowledge alongside managerial traits, but if you needed him, he&rsquo;d drop everything and be there for you in whatever capacity. He ridded impediments in the workplace and gave me the study time and support needed. He surprised me by turning up at my graduation which made me emotional because he was there at the beginning of my career and at the end of my apprenticeship to watch me walk into new roles and opportunities.</p>
<p>Melissa Tallack, someone who was interim manager in my current team and inspired me from the get-go. A female manager of many data teams, oozing with strategic direction whilst understanding the technical side of the roles, because she&rsquo;d been in them! Melissa really ramped up my passion for representing women in technical roles and helping my department and company identify bottlenecks to help increase our female headcount.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU ARE AN ADVOCATE FOR NEURODIVERGENCE IN TECH. WHY DO YOU THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO ENCOURAGE MORE FOLK FROM THE NEURODIVERGENT COMMUNITY TO JOIN THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF TECH? AND WHAT DO YOU THINK COULD BE DONE TO IMPLEMENT THIS?</h2>
<p>For me, I struggled to see a lot of my traits all my life as strengths, I was always very self-critical, and it heavily impacted my mental health never really understanding myself. I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and through therapy I am now able to see that it is because of who I am, I have thrived in my career. People with ADHD or fellow neurodivergent are often very creative individuals, good at problem solving, passionate about topics they are interested in and really care about what they do. From my diagnosis I have been very open about my journey and want to help others see their traits as strengths earlier than I did, hopefully to lessen impact on mental health but also to help others see their potential.</p>
<p>So, because the Neurodivergent Community possess a lot of the traits and skills needed to work in tech, I think through early engagement and highlighting said traits as desirable, we can encourage more people to join our community. I have been working with other teams in my company to engage with schools and universities showing skills matrices of tech roles, telling my story, offering work placements, and shadowing so that the world of tech and all its amazing career opportunities can be show cased to the next gen at a young age.</p>
<p>Obviously much more can be done. My manager Kacper and I have become advocates for the Neurodivergent community and plan to start LinkedIn blogs about our experiences to reach other companies and individuals. We plan to hold more awareness sessions in the company to help teams accommodate their neurodivergent colleagues. We are working with a neurodivergent recruitment specialist to offer future roles in our team, knowing such individuals should thrive in our heavily data oriented and problem-solving roles. I truly believe if company&rsquo;s get rid of the job descriptions with the &lsquo;must have&rsquo; experience and instead highlight the desirable skills, then more neurodivergent people will feel they can apply for roles in tech as they can relate more to the JD.</p>
<h2>TELL ME ABOUT YOUR HOBBIES OUTSIDE OF WORK. I UNDERSTAND YOU DO CROSSFIT AND OLYMPIC WEIGHTLIFTING. HOW CAN WE ENCOURAGE WOMEN TO TAKE UP SPACE IN AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN TRADITIONALLY SEEN AS MALE?</h2>
<p>I started CrossFit and lifting weights in lockdown, and it felt empowering, it became my unwind after a heavy workday or even after those difficult weeks we all experience. I still saw drilled in values in my family with grandparents telling me not to lift weights because I&rsquo;d look &lsquo;bulky&rsquo; or &lsquo;like a man&rsquo;, but rather than be offended it was more educating them on what I now know. I think we have seen a shift in what was traditionally male, and women are now being encouraged to go for the roles or participate in the sports. By becoming positive role models and sharing our experiences, what is good for our mental health and wellbeing, what has worked for us and makes us happy, it will encourage other women and the next generation to take these spaces too. Gone are the days where I feel I must conform to the beauty standards that were expected of women, especially what has been depicted on socials and through the media for decades and that&rsquo;s from being in the environment and surrounded by other strong, healthy women. So, I always like to preach, lift the weights, and eat ALL the food.</p>
<h2>WHAT ARE YOUR PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENTS (PERSONAL OR PROFESSIONAL)?</h2>
<p>I was part of the team that created an Industry First, Customer Experience Digital Twin. Using many sources of corporate data, we produced a machine learning model that predicted which of our customers struggled to pay for their water bill and who may benefit from extra support. Within its first month of deployment and the actions we took from the insight, we had a 25% increase in customers signing up for our affordability tariffs and help schemes, thus seeing a significant difference in overall Water Poverty in the UK.</p>
<p>Last year I was nominated for Award of Rising Star at the everywoman in Tech awards for my work in the Data Science space. I was thrilled that I became a finalist and even being nominated was a career goal for me.</p>
<p>I graduated with a 1st Class Hons Degree. As someone with ADHD I struggled through school and sixth form, always feeling like I had to overcompensate and try so hard to get my target grades. Don&rsquo;t get me wrong, I was thrilled with my results, but I know I had to put a lot of work in to get there due to the way I learn and take in information. I think it helped that I am so passionate about computer science so completing a degree in it, the coding, and the practical assignments, I made it my goal to graduate with a 1st and did just that.</p>
<p>I bought my first house at 18 because I chose a Degree Apprenticeship over University. It was a goal of mine to save and own my own home rather than rent. This is not possible for all, but it was a goal of mine and I was so thankful to Northumbrian Water for the apprenticeship scheme and working full time as I was able to make that possible.</p>
<h2>ANY LAST WORDS OF INSPIRATION?</h2>
<p>It sounds cheesy but if like me you begin your career quite shy and lacking in confidence, find your allies, take every opportunity you are given even if it scares you. Because stepping out your comfort zone and challenging yourself is what opens your horizons and opportunities. If you have ideas to increase the number of women in tech, preach them, surround yourself with people in your company who will get involved and support your initiatives. To me your job doesn&rsquo;t just stop at your job description, you can make it so much more, add the extracurricular activities to that as you go along and find what inspires you. You could really make a difference in your workplace and to someone&rsquo;s life!</p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Thanks <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-swift-233632137/"><span style="font-style: normal;">Amber</span></a>, you rock </span><span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji';">🤘</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Interview by </span><span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bella-snell-29a734190/"><span style="font-style: normal;">Bella</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal;"> Snell</span></a></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

Amber Swift | Northumbrian Water

<p>"Fall seven times, get up eight.&rdquo;</p>
<p>This Japanese proverb really sets the scene for this week's Women Rocker <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariamhusse1n/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mariam Hussein</a>, whose phone screen holds the mantra "it all works out" to remind her, that perseverance and resilience pay off in the end.</p>
<p>Mariam works as a full-stack engineer at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/slalom-build/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Slalom</a>, is a UN Women Delegate and a <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/code-first-girls/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Code First Girls</a> Ambassador and her journey into tech has taught her that even the best-laid plans, sometimes don't work out. Originally looking to study and learn about how to improve workplace wellbeing in the UK and Japan, the global pandemic put an end to that dream with a tough marketplace and little opportunity. But, undeterred, Mariam discovered her skill in coding when she came across the incredible Code First Girls, an initiative to transform the tech industry by providing the skills, space, and inspiration for women to become amazing developers.&nbsp;</p>
<p>From having candid and passionate conversations with H.I.H Princess Tomohito of Mikasa in Tokyo about how young people need to start upskilling to keep up with the ever-evolving tech world, to working with Code First Girls to give those from underrepresented groups a pathway into tech, Mariam continues to persevere to help diversify the ever-changing tech landscape.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPEAKING WITH ME TODAY, TO START US OFF, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR STORY SO FAR.</h2>
<p>So, I was born and raised in Manchester and my career in tech and my journey into tech is an unconventional one. My initial passion was to study and learn about how to improve workplace wellbeing in the UK and Japan. Unfortunately, I graduated during the COVID-19 pandemic and not only was the job market tough but there were little to no opportunities to pursue this academic passion of mine. It was during this time that I worked at my university's incubator, and I came across the growing demand for people in technical and non-technical roles to support a lot of tech-based initiatives. I then gave myself a couple of months to learn how to code and to see if I even liked coding. It was during this time, that I came across the Code First Girls organisation which provided accessible ways for women and non-binary coders to get into tech. Currently, I work as a full-stack engineer at Slalom, which delivers digital transformations using modern tech stacks for our clients.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Currently, my focus has been on digital skilling advocacy and promoting accessible support for new techies in Manchester. My efforts include being a content creator to provide accessible information and insights on how to enter tech, but also what to do once you&rsquo;ve entered your first tech job.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>I NOTICED ON YOUR LINKEDIN THAT YOUR CURRENT FOCUS IS ON INCREASING DIVERSITY IN THE WORLD OF TECH, SPECIFICALLY THROUGH CODE FIRST GIRLS. COULD YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS?</h2>
<p>Through Code First Girls, we have been focusing on transforming tech by providing the skills, space, and inspiration for women to become amazing developers, data whizzes and future leaders in tech. We have the largest community of coders, instructors, and mentors who provide free access to coding education and help more women break into the industry. What makes Code First Girls particularly amazing is that we partner with local and global businesses to connect them with talent to provide their first step into tech. Currently, we&rsquo;ve taught around 145,000+ people how to code over the past few years, with over 55% being from underrepresented communities.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Aside from my work with Code First Girls, I&rsquo;ve been focusing on creating content. It&rsquo;s primarily aimed at those looking to enter the tech industry, or what next steps they should take once they get that first role. I found that opportunities such as Code First Girls, the Skills for Life Bootcamp, the Institute of Coding, and more are only known if people are aware of these opportunities and where they can take you. With this, my content&rsquo;s focus has been on educating people on roadmaps into tech, and how to navigate your first year as an engineer. It&rsquo;s important for me to showcase these opportunities for women and marginalised communities. Throughout my past year as an Engineer, I&rsquo;ve engaged with local communities, organisations and events to talk about how to get into tech, but more importantly how organisations can support them. My most recent focus has been an internal panel at the BBC to help provide insights to senior leadership and hiring managers on how to best support their diverse talent, but also attract a variety of talent.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Although I do work with Code First Girls and by myself, there has been an immense amount of effort brought on by a variety of organisations to promote intersectionality in tech. For those looking to tackle their first role in tech or to just upskill themselves &ndash; check out what&rsquo;s happening in the North! We have so many opportunities from apprenticeships, boot camps, academies, and community efforts. 😀&nbsp;</p>
<h2>COULD YOU TELL ME A BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR RECENT ENGAGEMENTS IN JAPAN?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>My work as the UK Delegate for MIRAI relates back to my previous master's in workplace relations in Japan. Being part of the MIRAI Programme was an opportunity to learn about Japan&rsquo;s economy, business and sustainability initiatives, but it also really gave me a lot of appreciation for Japanese culture. The highlight for me was presenting our learnings back to Japan's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and being able to really see the social and economic trends in Japan.&nbsp;<br>Since then, I went on the Top Outstanding Young Persons Award Programme with JCI Osaka. This was an opportunity for me to bring what I do in my current role as a Software Engineer to talk about all things technology, digital skilling, and the mindset needed to transition to a Web3 landscape. On top of connecting with some amazing people making amazing changes in Web3 and Tech, I had the opportunity to present to students how Web3 can be used to improve labour and human rights issues globally. My focus was to tie in my current tech knowledge with my previous research during my Masters. Throughout this trip, the message I left with Kansai&rsquo;s population is in order to make the change to Web3, existing companies need to be more open to general digital transformations and utilising Web2.0 technologies to create a &lsquo;Web2.5&rsquo; for them to easily utilise and benefit from Web3.0.&nbsp;<br>Alongside this, my other focus was to encourage students to consider digital skilling and the impact it can have on their careers and professional toolkits. The world is ever increasingly becoming more digital &ndash; in work, life, and even leisure. Being able to understand those changes and work with them is essential for our future. It was this particular topic I was able to talk about with H.I.H Princess Tomohito of Mikasa in Tokyo and was a particularly engaging conversation as she was excited and passionate about Japan&rsquo;s youth developing the mindset for technological changes. &nbsp;</p>
<h2>HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT DIVERSITY IN THE WORLD OF TECH AND WHAT ELSE DO YOU THINK COULD BE DONE TO SUPPORT PEOPLE FROM A DIVERSE BACKGROUND?</h2>
<p>There is a lot happening in Manchester. From increased diversity in a lot of companies to opportunities to enter tech, and even the thriving community and ecosystem we have to uplift new and existing talent. However, I personally found there can be a lack of representation at the top levels of companies within Manchester.&nbsp;</p>
<p>There are a lot of amazing and talented people who come into organisations, and a lot of effort needs to be put in to ensure companies can retain and celebrate their diverse talent. It&rsquo;s important because when we&rsquo;re making software, solutions, or digital products for people to use, we need to consider all types of people who will use them. If the primary designers, coders, and individuals making the key decisions for organisations don&rsquo;t have the insights and understanding of all their audiences, it can cause our digital solutions to not meet all the needs of our users.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The other aspect to this is if organisational decisions or changes need to be made, having diverse leadership with an awareness of what their employees&rsquo; needs are can help cultivate and nurture an environment that enables their talent to flourish. Over 50% of women leave their tech roles before age 35, but 81% would have stayed if they were given chances to upskill in their roles. Ensuring you have knowledgeable, talented, and diverse leadership starts with attracting, retaining and uplifting existing talent!</p>
<h2>DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR YOUNG WOMEN OR PEOPLE FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS IN THE INDUSTRY?</h2>
<p>See what you like! There&rsquo;s a lot out there and you don&rsquo;t need to go into technical roles. Although I advocate for techies and those learning to code, over 82% of jobs now need digital skills. Learn a new language, software, tool, or skill set. Put yourself out there to learn something new. If it doesn&rsquo;t work out, the fact you went and learned something new is still amazing. I thought I&rsquo;d never have to rely on my niche knowledge of Japanese Workplace Practices, but I was able to leverage that knowledge in my recent engagements in Japan.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The other aspect is to find a community and build with them. There are so many passionate people in Manchester advocating for women in tech but also for diverse talent and experiences in tech. If you&rsquo;re unsure of where to start, there are many groups you can join that have meetups, workshops, and activities for you to build your network and skills. I found when I started to engage with the local ecosystem and started to understand what was happening in Manchester &ndash; I got a lot more opportunities to contribute and engage with others. At the end of the month, there will be The Manchester Tech Festival, which is a week-long mix of tech events, socials, and opportunities to meet others. Signing up for events like these is an opportunity to meet diverse talent, but also tap into potential resources and networks!</p>
<h2>A QUOTE OR A MANTRA THAT YOU LIVE BY?</h2>
<p>Discipline over motivation&nbsp;<br>The idea to always work towards something slowly, regardless of the passion or goal. I found myself that focusing on small habits every day &ndash; like coding a little bit or prioritising my physical/mental health helped me achieve my goals!</p>
<p>It all works out.<br>I have this on my phone screen to remind me to keep having and adopting an optimistic perspective on things. This has helped me during a lot of difficult times and has prompted me to build my resilience and perseverance when needed. I will say it&rsquo;s important to know when to tap into your community for help and not take everything on at once. But a mix of community help and resilience has supported me so much!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Thanks <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariamhusse1n/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mariam</a>, you rock 🤘</em></p>
<p><em>Interview by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/robmarsh-sr2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rob Marsh</a></em></p>

Mariam  Hussein | Slalom

Carla Ruiz Martinez | Bippit

<p>Meet <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-tsao-68b27134/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Becky</a>, an Engineering Manager at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/itv/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ITV </a>who is shaping the future of technology and the workplace. Becky is an influencer - not the type you'll find endorsing protein, standing in tree-pose on the top of a mountain...oh no! Instead, she is a leader who wields influence to build thoughtful, high-performing, and inclusive teams and workplaces, knocking down the barriers that she has come across far too often as a woman and ethnic minority.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Becky's thoughts and views on ED&amp;I in tech are so insightful and Just. Make. Sense. From why women can be more susceptible to motion sickness- while using VR, to how CVs are reviewed which could lead to someone getting or not getting a job interview - she reminds us all that "diversity in tech is important because there's diversity in humanity"</p>
<p>Get your mind blown this morning and read Becky's story...</p>
<h2>PLEASE COULD YOU START BY TELLING US ABOUT YOUR TECH JOURNEY?</h2>
<p>I started my career as a graduate technical consultant after graduating in Computer &amp; Information Engineering for BAE Systems in its financial services department. &nbsp;I spent a few years working to deliver social network analytics solutions in spaces such as insurance and trade finance for various clients. Eventually, I was a technical lead, leading implementation teams. I wanted a new and meaningful challenge, so then moved into the law enforcement side of the business, where I worked on projects including a proof of concept for early detection of child abuse which was featured in the New Scientist and building bespoke data engineering solutions. During my time as a consultant technical lead for various projects, I found that I needed to wear different hats, ranging from coaching people to technical design. I loved all of these things, but wanted to see what engineering was like in the commercial sector as well as explore my passion for people development - I'm at a point in my career where I want to learn more about people and organisations; the variety and depth that different people bring can be so unique. I'm now working as an Engineering Manager at ITV (working on the ITVX streaming app!) managing two teams.</p>
<h2>YOU&rsquo;VE MOVED FROM CONSULTANCY INTO A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT INDUSTRY. CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT IMPACT (ED&amp;I OR IN THE INDUSTRY IN GENERAL) YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE?</h2>
<p>One of the reasons I really enjoy being an Engineering Manager is the opportunity to influence the shape of teams and workplaces. I want this shape to be a thoughtful, high-performing, and inclusive one, as I don't believe that these qualities are mutually exclusive. I also want it to be one where women and other minorities in tech aren't unusual.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>WHY IS DIVERSITY IN TECH SO IMPORTANT?</h2>
<p>As a society, we are becoming more and more reliant on technology to augment or create shortcuts in our lives. You can have a small team working on something that could impact thousands of lives. You are ultimately designing products for humans to use (directly or indirectly), and if you have a limited worldview within that team, you are likely to build something that doesn't handle all the cases it needs to. Something like name field validation can look very small on a project plan or as a ticket but can lead to people being told that their name isn't valid because it's not long enough, doesn't have a vowel, or has "unexpected" punctuation. Women can be more susceptible to motion sickness after using a Virtual Reality headset - not because of biology, but because headsets are often designed for male heads by default. Humans can be biased, so we need to be careful about training that unnecessary bias into our machine learning algorithms, especially if they're being used to, such as sifting CVs which could lead to someone getting or not getting a job interview, or whether social services should visit that child or not.<br>Ultimately, diversity in tech is important because there's diversity in humanity. If we're not aware of that in what we build, then it's just not going to be truly fit for purpose.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>CAN YOU SHARE WHAT BARRIERS YOU HAVE FACED DURING YOUR CAREER TO DATE AND WHAT HAS HELPED YOU OVERCOME SOME OF THESE BARRIERS?</h2>
<p>Throughout my career, I have often been either the only woman or ethnic minority in the room - or both! There is that saying about "having to work twice as hard to get half as far" and without getting into too many specifics I have definitely had that experience. I've had the stereotype of suggesting something where it wasn't taken on board until a white man re-suggested it, and I've also had experiences where I felt like I was being held to a different standard to my colleagues. Studies have shown that women and ethnic minorities are more likely to be penalised more heavily for making the same mistake compared to their peers, and I feel like I can relate to that. That pressure of being the sole representation of a certain group can get a bit heavy. I have found that a combination of being clear on expectations as well as seeking out more inclusive teams to be really beneficial for my professional and mental wellbeing. I also love my role as an Engineering Manager at ITV because I can help to change processes to dismantle some of these barriers for other people.</p>
<h2>HOW HAS MENTORSHIP OR SUPPORT FROM OTHERS IMPACTED YOUR JOURNEY OR SUCCESS?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>So much! I owe a lot to my previous manager at BAE Systems, Clare Cornforth, who is an extremely accomplished architect. I could be so confident that she cared about my development and wellbeing, and that she trusted me, but she also didn't hesitate to call me out on mistakes. I also had a fantastic mentor at BAE Systems a few years ago in Jo Massey who is just such an inspiring and insightful leader. Being exposed to great role models really shows you the art of the possible sometimes. I'm also very fortunate to be surrounded by a strong cohort of Engineering Managers where I'm not the only woman or ethnic minority, and we're all very good at supporting each other with various issues that come up at work.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHERS STARTING IN THE INDUSTRY?</h2>
<p>Be ready to learn, find the learning opportunity in everything you do, and don't specialise too early. Role models are amazing but remember that you're your own person with your own brain, and that you don't have to be exactly like the senior people in your company. Also, get used to the idea of networking - even if it's just the ability to small-talk with a stranger - and ask questions; the sooner you build these skills the easier they are to maintain.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT INSPIRES YOU OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO TALK ABOUT?</h2>
<p>I think inspiration can be found in all sorts of situations and people; you just need to be open to seeing it. I really love seeing a 'spark' in people when they're engaging in problem-solving and coming up with ideas, so a big motivation for me at work is enabling people to showcase their skills.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>SOMETHING FUN TO ROUND THE INTERVIEW OFF - WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE OR MANTRA YOU LIVE BY?</h2>
<p>I'm not really a quote or mantra person but I do like these two words: "Be Brave!". Sometimes they're just what you need to hear before you go and do something a bit scary. :)&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Thanks Becky, you rock 🤘</em></p>
<p><em>Interview by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracie-sparks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gracie Sparks</a></em></p>

Becky Tsao | ITV

<p>As kids, we weren't entirely sure what our dads did every day as they left the house, briefcase in hand and tie swinging while we shovelled soggy cornflakes into our mouths. He'd then return from saving the world (?) with stories of "firewalls" "bugs" and "crashes" as we wondered where he kept his laser gun...<br><br>So when <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/neela-rai/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Neela Rai</a> decided a career in tech was her destiny, she turned to the one person who had ALL the answers when it came to this complex and fascinating world - her dad. With his 30-year career in IT as a database developer, Neela's dad not only offered knowledge and advice but invaluable support and perspective as she joined as a grad at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/glue-reply/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Glue Reply</a>.&nbsp;</p>
<p>So this one's for all the dads who spoke in code before we could, but more importantly, became our allies when navigating this male-dominated industry.</p>
<h2>TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHAT YOU DO</h2>
<p>Hi, my name is Neela and I'm a Business Change Consultant at Glue Reply. I joined as a grad and I've been at Glue for two years now. I have a BSc in Economics and Management and an MSc in Computer Science.<br>&nbsp;<br>I&rsquo;ve loved the range of work I&rsquo;ve been exposed to during my time at Glue. I've worked on digital transformation projects for both public and private sector clients as a business analyst and a user researcher. I&rsquo;m really interested in how data analysis can be used to make more informed decisions in both user research and business analysis and love working in such a fast-growing field! I love learning new skills and haven&rsquo;t stopped studying alongside working. I'm currently studying to get my BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>YOUR BACKGROUND IS INTERESTING, TALK US THROUGH YOUR MOVE FROM AN ECONOMICS DEGREE INTO A COMPUTER SCIENCE MASTERS</h2>
<p>I've always had a really keen interest in technology and people, so I thought naturally, a career in consulting would merge two of my interests together. However, when I graduated with an Economics degree I wasn&rsquo;t the best candidate for a job in tech, and I struggled to find a job in the market no matter how much I was reassured by recruiters. I was told that technology companies like "people with business degrees because of our ability to articulate ourselves and communicate with others," but it felt like that wasn't always the case when you compared my application to someone who had three years of studying a technology-related degree.<br>&nbsp;<br>As a result, when I graduated, I panicked and took the first job that was offered to me &nbsp;- &nbsp;an audit role, even though I knew I had no interest in audit! Safe to say after 6 months I handed in my notice because I wasn't enjoying it. I took some much-needed time off, and then the pandemic happened. I was toying with the idea of doing a postgraduate course but wasn't sure what direction I wanted to go in, I&rsquo;d considered going into strategy, behavioural economics or something tech-related, like computer science. What drove me to choose tech was spending time with my dad. &nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>During the pandemic, my Dad inspired me to look into SQL and databases as they rely on logic and the answers are black and white and, as he knows, I thrive in logic-based work. After this discussion, I finished a couple of database courses and loved them. I continued to learn and took some courses in software engineering and found that I enjoyed both coding and database design. At this point, I knew that a career in tech was what I wanted and what I found exciting. I applied for jobs in tech but they still wanted people with relevant work experience. It was at this point that I decided I wanted to do a Master's so I could get qualified and widen my job opportunities. I remembered a conversation I had with a friend after graduating where she mentioned her interest in a Computer Science conversion course. &nbsp;I did some research on universities, courses, and modules offered, and I ended up applying to and getting accepted at the University of Birmingham for their MSc Computer Science course. The course is specifically designed for people who haven&rsquo;t studied computer science at undergrad. The course was great as it was paced perfectly. I could learn a lot quickly, but also had the time to practice what I was learning. This gave me the time to find out what I liked about Computer Science. I finished my masters with a project that developed a &nbsp;web app that would suggest Spotify playlists to Twitter users based on the emotion and sentiment detected in their Tweets.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>DID YOU HAVE ANY ROLE MODELS THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER THAT ENABLED THIS?</h2>
<p>Yes! My family has always encouraged me to explore all the opportunities presented to me but it was really my Dad who's been my biggest role model. He's a database developer and he was the first person to suggest I try programming. He's been in the IT industry for over 30 years and it amazes me how much he knows and how he&rsquo;s watched the industry change. He's a very knowledgeable person and has always helped me when I needed career advice or help in my core programming modules. My family have always made me feel like I could do anything I wanted no matter what.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>WHAT DO YOU THINK THE TECH INDUSTRY COULD BE DOING DIFFERENTLY, TO ADDRESS UNDER-REPRESENTATION?</h2>
<p>Personally, I think the tech industry could do a lot but I understand change is incremental. As a female working in tech, I know that we're severely under-represented at all levels across the industry. I read a statistic the other day from Wise that said the number of women IT professionals has actually fallen from 21.0% to 19.9%, and 21.0% was very low to begin with.<br>&nbsp;<br>There's a multitude of things the tech industry could be doing differently to address under-representation, my three key suggestions are education, awareness and visibility.<br>&nbsp;<br>We need to start encouraging women early on to join the IT industry and inform young women on the opportunities available. If we start promoting the IT industry, and the roles available in the early years of education, then women will be exposed to career opportunities in the IT industry at the start rather than considering it as an afterthought or "second choice". If we educate people early on, we can also debunk the myths surrounding opportunities and roles available in the tech industry. When we think of the tech industry, people predominantly think of software engineers, a lot of coding and people stuck at their desks. Firstly, the majority of those people are men and secondly, there&rsquo;s the perception that the technology industry is only cool if you're a programmer. There are so many "non-technical" roles in technology. To name a few there is project management, product management, business analysis and user research. These roles are often referred to as "fluffy" or not that complex but there's so much to what we do. If you think of it, programmers solve problems by writing code and developing IT solutions but the roles I've mentioned above do the exact same thing through talking, prototyping and writing requirements - we're all contributing to solving the same problem just from different perspectives. In my eyes, I would still consider these as &nbsp;"technical roles" because of the depth of understanding required to understand client problems in order to formulate ideas and solutions to help them. When advertising job opportunities, businesses could do more to raise awareness and bring context to these other roles.<br>&nbsp;<br>Finally, we need more visibility. It&rsquo;s hard to join an industry where you don&rsquo;t see yourself represented. We need more female role models and mentors at all levels, not just leadership positions. This stems from the idea that with more female mentors, we can encourage more women to join the industry, giving them a visual representation of what their career path could look like. I&rsquo;m lucky that I work in a company with such an array of visibility across all levels. Since my first day at Glue, I was able to see what my career path could look like because I could see myself represented.</p>
<h2>YOU&rsquo;RE PART OF THE TEAM AT GLUE REPLY AND YOU HAVE AMAZING CULTURE FROM WHAT I&rsquo;VE EXPERIENCED. WHAT&rsquo;S THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THAT TO MAKE IT SO GREAT?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>The driving force is the people. Since my first day at Glue, I've always been encouraged to come into the office and meet the team and the senior consultants and managers around me have always made me feel welcome and included. I like the fact that Glue has created an environment where people can grow and develop their potential as consultants. We're all given positions of responsibility as soon as we join, and that enables us to take ownership of the things we do both internally, for business development, and externally to our clients. As well as this, I know my voice and opinion have always been valued and that applies to everyone. We're encouraged to speak up and make suggestions no matter how junior or senior you are at the company.</p>
<h2>WHAT PROFESSIONAL ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE READERS WANTING TO GET INTO IT?</h2>
<p>Do your research! You have so much knowledge available to you through LinkedIn and other social media platforms - people are always sharing their journeys and providing advice. I took the non-traditional route to work in IT and I don't think it's talked about enough. There's this perception that you have to be able to code to work in IT and that really isn't the case. If you are looking to get into IT without an IT background, show your enthusiasm in the industry by taking courses, building a portfolio and networking. Employers are looking for enthusiastic and proactive people, so make sure that comes across in your CV and when you're interviewing. Make sure to keep your LinkedIn and Github (if relevant) up to date to showcase your skills and interests.</p>
<p><em>Thanks, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/neela-rai/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Neela</a>, you rock 🤘</em></p>
<p><em>Interview by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesjhoskins/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charles Hoskins</a></em></p>

Neela Rai | Glue Reply

<p>Career and family: the balancing act for women continues and despite significant strides towards gender equality in recent years, women still encounter barriers on their journey to achieving both career excellence and fulfilling family lives.&nbsp;</p>
<p>However, there is hope, and that hope comes from stories like this one: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-shirley-cavin-26a353/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr Shirley Cavin</a> has just been announced as the winner of the Women in Tech Employer Awards 2023 as an Outstanding Woman in Tech. Dr Cavin is Head of Data and AI Accelerator for <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/leidos/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Leidos</a> UK and Europe, she is a mentor and a mum. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Computer Sciences &amp; Engineering, an MSc and PhD in Advanced Manufacturing and Operations Management from The University of Nottingham. She has a Harvard Leadership Business Certification and other technical and business qualifications, and as a STEM ambassador participates and collaborates in various community activities encouraging young people into the disciplines of data, sciences and engineering. As a strong advocate for self-growth and education she still regularly speaks with her own mentor about areas she is interested in exploring further.</p>
<p>BUT HOW? We hear you cry??! Read on to find out more...</p>
<h2>HI SHIRLEY, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SPEAK TO US. FIRSTLY, CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING ANNOUNCED WINNER OF THE WOMEN IN TECH EMPLOYER AWARDS 2023 AS AN OUTSTANDING WOMAN IN TECH. PLEASE CAN YOU START BY EXPLAINING WHY YOU WANTED TO GET INTO THE WORLD OF TECH AND HOW YOUR JOURNEY BEGAN?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Hi Bella, thanks for this opportunity. Winning the Women in Tech Employer Awards 2023 as Outstanding Woman in Tech is a wonderful feeling. All the finalists are remarkable females in the tech world, with great achievements on their own, hence I feel very moved that I was selected for this award, still processing professionally and personally the impact of it, but overall, very grateful and honoured for this recognition.&nbsp;</p>
<p>How did I start my journey? I will say at a very young age. I was always very inquisitive, and curious about my surroundings, especially on the ability of humans to use our intelligence, skills and ingenuity to overcome challenges for the greater good, with the use of engineering, sciences and technology. Hence, my interest in understanding, and directing my efforts in making things better for us. I believe this was reflected also in my academic performance, taking subjects in sciences and engineering was the natural flow at school, followed by a first university degree in Computer Science and Engineering, which I truly enjoyed. It was wonderful to see how theory and experimentation can be joined together to bring innovation and resolve critical challenges. &nbsp;This led me to build a professional career in those areas, and to continue my academic path, into a deeper understanding, hence continuing academically with an MSc and a PhD in advanced manufacturing and researching in industrial automation (robotics), and work-related opportunities in high-tech organisations.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT POSITION AT LEIDOS AND THE EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES YOU ARE WORKING WITH?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>My current position at Leidos is as Head of Data and AI Accelerator for Leidos UK and Europe. I am responsible in supporting customers, programmes and divisions in their adequate adoption of emerging capabilities and technologies in the areas of Data and AI. This includes the recent advances in AI/ML such as GenAI, LLMs and the application of these technologies for our business and deliverables. Also, the promotion and education of staff in these capabilities, and most importantly in supporting our customers in the opportunities that arise due to their adoption of these technologies. It is an exciting area to work on, which I am very pleased to lead, as technology, innovation and the applications of the most advanced technologies for various challenging problems and processes is where I believe my team and I can provide the most advantage and support with the knowledge, skills and experience we have acquired throughout time.</p>
<h2>AS AN ACADEMIC YOURSELF, HOW HAS EDUCATION IMPACTED YOUR CAREER IN TECH AND WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A WOMAN IN YOUR CHOSEN FIELD OF STUDY?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Education has a great impact on my career and professional development. Since childhood, I understood the value of it. Firstly, by enabling me to understand various aspects of our daily lives, and to foresee opportunities from applied learning. I value education quite greatly, as it has been a key driving force that allowed me to get into exciting areas in science, engineering and technology. I was able to progress in my career through education and provided me with new opportunities.&nbsp;<br>I continue educating myself in various areas, as it is more than an activity, it is a practice and a way of life. I found that great education not only depends on formal learning but also by applying this learning, transferring and sharing it with others, getting feedback and increasing awareness, in diverse and multidisciplinary teams and bringing minds and ideas together for the greater good. Hence, widening access to education for everyone is the pathway to great opportunities to improve our communities and make a real and positive impact on people&rsquo;s lives.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>DO YOU FEEL THAT EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT IN CHANGING THE GENDER GAP IN TECH OR ARE THERE OTHER WAYS FOR WOMEN TO START THEIR CAREER?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>I think education is important in solving some of the most difficult gender gap challenges. It should be accessible to everyone regardless of their background, gender, or status. Education should be seen as a means to accelerate the intake of a more diverse and inclusive population in tech areas, and within that, a means for women to succeed in their careers, and improve themselves and those around them. Education should be complemented by other important avenues such as apprenticeships, mentorships, work experiences supported by experts, community and group initiatives. Also, pairing and shadowing, learning by experimenting, and seeing other people on the job, is a good way forward to start a career in tech.&nbsp;<br>I have seen organisations increasing resources and initiatives to incentivise women to take a role in science, technology and engineering areas, as there is a growing understanding that a larger female presence in the tech sector will bring great benefit and value to their organisations, so I believe we are moving in the right direction, and I am hopeful for the future.</p>
<h2>I AM AWARE THAT HAVING A WORK-LIFE BALANCE WHERE YOU CAN HAVE BOTH AN INCREDIBLE CAREER AND A FAMILY AT HOME IS IMPORTANT TO YOU. HOW CAN COMPANIES SUPPORT WOMEN TO ENABLE THIS AND AS A RESULT HELP CHANGE THE STATISTICS OF THE GENDER GAP IN TECH?</h2>
<p>I think it is important for companies to realise that in order to close the gender gap in tech industries, it is critical to support women in their multiple roles &ndash; e.g., professional, social, and family-related ones. For me, my family is very important to my career and professional development, therefore, having the opportunity to fulfil both makes me a better and a whole person, who will enjoy the challenges and joys of a good work and life balance. I have two daughters one at school age and another at pre-school age, so working in a company that is flexible, supportive and that enables me to achieve my professional goals with a healthy family life, is a key requirement I have, when choosing where I can or cannot work. I am fortunate that the company I work has put in place processes and policies in those areas, such as flexible working, maternal care, parental leave, and others. Companies need to realise that there is a great opportunity and an important workforce in women, hence, changing and expanding their working and business practices alongside an inclusive culture, is critical for women when choosing an organisation to work for, and for organisations to reap the benefits that could bring from a diverse and inclusive work environment. Also, women need to feel that their voice is listened to and respected and that companies care about our professional aspirations, by providing career opportunities, access to promotion routes and higher levels roles, upskilling, training, spaces and groups for women to put forward their views and ideas.&nbsp;</p>
<h2><br>YOU MENTIONED THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTORS AS A STEM AMBASSADOR YOURSELF TRYING TO CLOSE THE GENDER GAP. DID YOU HAVE GOOD MENTORS THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER AND HOW HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE INFLUENCED HOW YOU MENTOR INDIVIDUALS NOW AND LEAD YOUR TEAM AT LEIDOS?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Yes, I think mentorship provides a very good structure for learning, guidance and professional growth. Throughout my academic and professional life, I have been fortunate to have great mentors and very experienced and knowledgeable people who provided me with the guidance and support I required. Sometimes you only know and appreciate what you know in your level or area, and what others are willing to share, so having a mentor that provides you that further insight and awareness, enables you to open to new ideas and opportunities. Also, having access to their experience and connections, it is a great way to upskill and network. For a successful mentorship experience, you need to have the confidence and trust that your mentor will support you in your career development with honest feedback and counsel. At all levels of your career path, mentoring is a great way to grow professionally and personally. At the moment, I have a great mentor, someone who is very experienced and knowledgeable in the areas I am interested in exploring further. We have very insightful and great conversations. It is important that you feel comfortable with your mentor, and that you appreciate the value of sharing. Having mentors and appreciating their style has helped me to understand the best style attuned to me, when receiving and delivering mentorship to others and when working with teams.&nbsp;<br><br>Within my teams, I encourage good dialogue, openness (candour), and other positive attitudes, such as sharing, trust, communication, respect, transparency and inclusivity. I take great responsibility when leading teams, and make sure that every team member feels included, listened and aware that their contributions are critical to the success of any outcomes. One of my passions is to share the knowledge and experience I have acquired throughout the years with others who are receptive to receiving it, and more importantly to see the positive impact of it, hence I see myself returning to academia at some point. I love talking to people that are interested in similar areas, and are willing to grow their understanding, and for my side to learn from others too. This is how I see the way to grow awareness and new skills - by sharing and providing environments that give opportunities to others -and how innovation and technology could grow and evolve.</p>
<h2>FINAL QUESTION! DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE QUOTE THAT RESONATES WITH YOU?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Sure, I have various quotes that resonate with me depending on the moment I am in, so I might share more than one if it is ok.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Embrace the power of diversity and inclusion, you will be amazed at the benefits they will bring to our communities and workplaces.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;It is important to look at the end goals, but the journey is what enables us to learn and to grow&rdquo;.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Technology is a means to make our lives better and to solve our pressing challenges, never forget its end goal&rdquo;.</p>
<p><em>Thanks, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-shirley-cavin-26a353/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr Cavin</a>, you rock 🤘</em></p>
<p><em>Interview by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bella-snell-29a734190/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bella Snell</a></em></p>

Dr Shirley Cavin | Leidos UK

<p>Fear of failure can often be a reason that people don&rsquo;t go through with certain ideas, regardless of gender. However, for women embarking on a career in a male-dominated field like the tech industry, this fear can often feel magnified, But here's the truth: failure is not a gender-specific challenge, and it certainly should not be a deterrent for women pursuing their dreams in technology.&nbsp;</p>
<p>And if the world of tech makes you nervous - what about standing up in front of a room full of people, waiting for you to make them laugh? TERRIFYING! And that is exactly why this week's Women Rocker, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/susie-piggott-558040137/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Susie Piggott</a> is the perfect person to talk to us about courage. Not only has Susie been working in the vibrant world of tech, but she also does a spot of stand-up comedy in NY and she is full of advice on facing your fears.</p>
<h2>THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPEAKING WITH ME TODAY, TO START US OFF, WOULD YOU MIND TELLING US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR STORY SO FAR?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>I worked for OVO for 8 years, most recently as Ops Manager, took redundancy and travelled solo to Thailand and America. After many adventures, I returned to Bristol and volunteered at St Paul&rsquo;s Carnival, connecting to my community and celebrating the wonderfully diverse cultures.<br><br>Passionate about mental health, I live with depression myself, and I'm in the process of developing a new project collaborating with my accountabilibuddy from across the pond, focussed on female perspective getting back into work, and the importance of laughter in the most difficult moments!&nbsp;<br><br>I enjoy flexing my creative side by performing stand-up comedy and I'm now looking for a new role that promotes my values of sustainability, technology and DEI.</p>
<h2>WHEN DID YOU REALISE YOU WERE PASSIONATE ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY AND USING YOUR SKILLS AS A FORCE FOR GOOD?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>I remember when I was 16 making a promise to myself, whatever I do, I want to make a positive difference. It can be so easy to get caught up in your own path that you forget that the most rewarding path to walk is the one we build together. I&rsquo;m passionate about building teams that make positive changes to the world we live in - accountable to one another, small things make a big difference.</p>
<h2>SO FAR, WHAT ARE YOUR PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENTS? (BOTH PROFESSIONALLY &amp; PERSONALLY)&nbsp;</h2>
<p>It sounds cheesy but seeing individuals I&rsquo;ve worked with develop and progress in their lives (not just their careers). Personally &ndash; I&rsquo;m proud of some of the courageous decisions I&rsquo;ve made in my life, taking redundancy was not an easy decision, but 2023 has been full of new experiences, and growth, and opened my eyes to the possibilities that are out there.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>DO YOU FEEL MORE COULD BE DONE TO SUPPORT WOMEN IN THE TECH INDUSTRY?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Yes definitely - for me, one of the things I reflect on is the lack of insight into tech I had throughout my education, yes it was the 90s and computers were massive, but it was very gender stereotyped in school, and this can have a huge impact - we had no women teaching IT or science, girls can have the message reinforced to them &lsquo;you won&rsquo;t understand this, this isn&rsquo;t for you&rsquo; - I&rsquo;m hopeful this isn&rsquo;t the case now, but I still believe that women can be put off working in tech fields due to incorrect stereotypes that are set in stone from an early age. We must continue to challenge these!&nbsp;</p>
<h2>WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUNG WOMEN WANTING TO GET INTO THE INDUSTRY?&nbsp;</h2>
<ul>
<li>Stay true to yourself.</li>
<li>Utilize your strengths.</li>
<li>Seek out a mentor/work experience</li>
<li>Be courageous, what&rsquo;s the worst that can happen? Fear of Failure can often be a reason that people don&rsquo;t go through with certain ideas.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<h2>WHY DO YOU THINK IT&rsquo;S IMPORTANT TO HAVE A STRONG MINDSET AND HOW DO YOU OVERCOME THE FEAR OF FAILURE?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>It can be so debilitating, but you have to cut through all the anxieties in your mind and ask yourself simply, what's the worst that can happen? And who deems things a failure? It's learning, part of the journey. SMEs are often the most worried about getting something wrong, like to have all the knowledge before jumping in, but there&rsquo;s not always time, we have to try, experiment, and get stuck in, after all, if you don&rsquo;t try, you&rsquo;ll never know! A collaborative team and the best leaders will still be there to support you whatever the outcome.&nbsp;<br>Last year I started stand-up comedy, did a spot in NY in the summer, and asked myself, what's the worst that can happen? No one will laugh, but that in itself would still make me laugh!&nbsp;</p>
<h2>DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR YOUNGER WOMEN IN THE INDUSTRY TO CREATE A STRONG AND RESILIENT MINDSET?</h2>
<p>One of the best pieces of advice I was given was &lsquo;It's your race Susie, no one else&rsquo;s&rsquo; &ndash; again it&rsquo;s so easy to compare journeys with peers but everyone&rsquo;s experience is unique and individual with different highs and lows - focus on what you want.&nbsp;<br>Importance of work-life balance - you don't want high stress = low resilience, if you&rsquo;ve got a good balance, you'll have the energy and resilience to handle those tough situations!&nbsp;</p>
<h2>PLEASE GIVE US A QUOTE OR A MANTRA THAT YOU LIVE BY OR JUST LIKE.</h2>
<p>&lsquo;We can do hard things&rsquo; - taken from Glennon Doyle &lsquo;Untamed&rsquo;. It&rsquo;s an amazing book that I go back to and have quotes from it all around my apartment! This quote affirms that although life can be full of hard things, we can get through it, the &lsquo;we&rsquo; makes it collective and inclusive, a positive affirmation that we are doing hard things all the time and we&rsquo;re not alone in our journeys.</p>
<p><em>Thanks <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/susie-piggott-558040137/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Susie</a>, you rock!&nbsp;</em></p>
<p><em>Interview by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-ramsay-8a4b01223/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jake Ramsay</a></em></p>

Susie Piggott | Operations Manager

<p>"It's not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves" This famous line penned by William Shakespeare for his famous tragedy, Julius Caesar, sets the scene for this week's incredible Women Rocker - <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/melody-sylvestre/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Melody Sylvestre</a> whose tech journey was sparked through her career as an astrophysicist.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Recently graduating from the <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/school/io-academy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">iO Academy</a>, Melody is now journeying into the world of tech as a software developer and we just know her career is about to skyrocket...</p>
<h2>CAN YOU TELL US HOW YOU FIRST GOT INTO TECH AND WHERE THE PASSION FOR IT COMES FROM?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>I got into tech through my previous career as an astrophysicist! I was studying climates of other planets with space mission and astronomical observatory data, so 80% of my time was spent coding either to analyse the data or develop atmospheric models. I always loved finding solutions to scientific problems through coding. I realised that coding was not just a tool but an activity I really enjoyed! I have always been fascinated by the fact that it is like solving a puzzle but with a creative side. When I decided to change career, I knew coding had to be part of my next role!&nbsp;</p>
<h2>HOW DID YOU FIND THE BOOT CAMP AND WHAT ADVICE HAVE YOU GOT FOR PEOPLE THINKING OF A CAREER SWITCH? WAS THERE ANYTHING YOU WERE NERVOUS ABOUT, OR STRUGGLED WITH AND WHAT DID YOU ENJOY THE MOST?</h2>
<p>A career switch is quite an adventure, and I had so many questions. Where do I start? What do I need to know? What am I doing with my life?!&nbsp;</p>
<p>I think boot camps are a great way to navigate this. I really enjoyed my time at the iO Academy boot camp. It was very intense and there was a lot to learn! But the best part was that I was not alone! The trainers are amazing and teach you exactly what you need to know, at the right time! It is also great to be part of a cohort. &nbsp;It was great to be surrounded by like-minded people who were also on a career change journey as we supported and learned from each other. &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>
<p>I would definitely recommend joining a boot camp or another type of coding learning group if that&rsquo;s a suitable option for you. You will learn faster, and it is so much more motivating. If you are in a boot camp, make the most of it! Ask all the questions! Finally, and most importantly, career changing is a journey which can be exciting but also long and daunting. So, be mindful of that, and be patient with yourself and with the process.</p>
<h2>YOU&rsquo;VE BEEN IN BRISTOL FOR A WHILE NOW. HOW HAVE YOU FOUND THE LAST 8 YEARS AND HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO PARIS AND GUADELOUPE? HAVE YOU STRUGGLED WITH ANY PARTS OF MOVING TO THE UK? WHETHER THAT IS A LANGUAGE BARRIER, FOOD, WEATHER (ALL THE RAIN 🌧😅), CULTURE ETC. AND HAVE YOU GOT ANY ADVICE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE MOVING HERE?</h2>
<p>I have had the most wonderful time in Bristol! It is a very vibrant and welcoming city and a great place to move in from overseas. And the food scene here is fantastic!&nbsp;</p>
<p>I think the difficulties have encountered are not especially related to Bristol or the UK but to moving abroad in general. Life admin was a bit tricky (getting a National Insurance Number, banking, housing, healthcare etc.) simply because each country has their own way to proceed! The best solution is to do your research: get official advice from government websites, your country&rsquo;s embassy or consulate, or any local contact you have here. Building that &ldquo;feeling at home&rdquo; was also quite difficult, especially as I moved on my own. I recommend meeting people outside work through activities, exploring your new town and building local habits (e.g., buying coffee in your local coffee shop, running in this nice park in your neighbourhood on Sundays etc.). &nbsp;</p>
<h2>BEING A WOMAN IN THE TECH/RESEARCH/ACADEMIC INDUSTRY, HAVE YOU FACED ANY UNIQUE CHALLENGES OR BARRIERS? IF SO, WHAT HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME AND HAVE YOU SEEN ANY POSITIVE CHANGES TO THE INDUSTRY SINCE YOU&rsquo;VE BEEN IN IT?</h2>
<p>I think the main challenge I have encountered as a woman in STEM was perception bias: I have been told several times by colleagues that I don&rsquo;t look like a scientist! What does that even mean?! The issue runs deeper than random remarks. My female colleagues in academia and I have too many stories of times when we or our work was overlooked. Besides, this leads to women and under-represented ethnic groups having to work harder just to get the same opportunities as everyone else, which is frustrating and makes them more likely to leave the field. &nbsp;<br>However, I think STEM industries are slowly getting better. People have more and more awareness of these issues and are trying to take measures to improve the situation. There are also more and more initiatives geared toward women and ethnic minorities in order to promote STEM careers, and the workforce is slowly getting more diverse.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>YOU HAVE ACHIEVED SO MANY MILESTONES IN YOUR CAREER ALREADY AND HAVE SOME AMAZING EXPERIENCE BEHIND YOU - WITH YOUR PHD AND YOUR 5+ YEARS AS A RESEARCHER &ndash; WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO PEOPLE FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS TO HELP THEM ACHIEVE SOMETHING SIMILAR?</h2>
<p>My 1st piece of advice would be: &ldquo;Go for it!&rdquo;. &nbsp;I have learned incredible things, and I have been to amazing places such as the Atacama Desert in Chile! And it all started with me deciding to become an astrophysicist and working toward it. You totally have your place there.&nbsp;<br>However, academic careers can be quite difficult to navigate as the expectations and career milestones differ a lot from more &ldquo;traditional&rdquo; careers. So, I would also advise you to find mentors or at least people you can ask questions about the different stages of your journey (e.g. a lecturer in your favourite course, your Ph.D. supervisors, colleagues in your department, formal mentoring offered by your university etc.). &nbsp;</p>
<h2>WITH THE MARKET BEING AS COMPETITIVE AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, WHAT HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE BEEN WITH TRYING TO FIND YOUR FIRST ROLE IN TECH? IS THERE ANYTHING YOU&rsquo;VE STRUGGLED WITH, OR FOUND CHALLENGING AND WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>It has been difficult to find entry-level positions, which is obviously quite frustrating. I realised that it was going to be a marathon rather than a sprint, so I had to find sustainable ways to search for jobs and stay motivated. There were two main game-changers for me. The first one is engaging with people, either through LinkedIn or events (meetups, hackathons etc.). Looking for jobs is a fairly lonely activity, and it is so much more interesting to actually talk to people. My second piece of advice is to have consistent goals for each day. For instance, each day I try to do a job-search-related activity (e.g. applying for a job, learning something new), a productive activity (e.g. laundry), and something just for fun (e.g. having coffee with a friend, going out for a walk etc.). It helps me stay consistent in my job search, keep a sense of purpose and achievement which is a big motivator for me, and maintain a good work-life balance.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>WHAT IS THE MOST FASCINATING/INTERESTING THING YOU WORKED ON IN YOUR PREVIOUS ROLES? AND WHAT AREAS WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN WORKING IN NEXT?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>I studied Titan&rsquo;s atmospheric particles with the Very Large Telescope in Chile. Titan is the largest moon of Saturn. Its atmosphere features a very dense haze made of small dust-like particles. Scientists think that they are made of big molecules that are quite similar to building blocks of life (e.g., proteins) and that they could help understand how life appeared on Earth. So, the more scientist can learn about their composition and formation, the better!</p>
<p>I designed an observation project to observe Titan&rsquo;s haze with the Very Large Telescope (VLT). It was a particularly challenging project: I did not know much about this observation technique and it had never been attempted on a Solar System planet or moon before! I had to learn a lot to plan these observations and analyse them. I really enjoyed working outside my comfort zone, exploring new things, and learning from my colleagues! It was also an incredible experience: I travelled to the VLT (Chile) to lead the observation. It is a fantastic place with state-of-the-art technology and passionate people, and it was inspiring to work in such an incredible facility. The night sky there is also incredibly beautiful because the observatory is in the Atacama Desert, 2,635m (8,645 ft) above sea level. I have never seen so many stars in my life!&nbsp;</p>
<h2>WOMEN ROCK IS A PLATFORM TO HELP INCREASE DIVERSITY IN THE TECH WORKPLACE &ndash; WHAT IS THE ADVANTAGE OF HAVING A MORE DIVERSE WORKFORCE AND WHAT COULD COMPANIES DO TO HELP PROMOTE THIS?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>More diversity in the workplace means bringing more diverse perspectives and ideas to the table. If we want a more socially responsible tech industry, we have to keep up with the fact that we live in a diverse society and how having a diverse workforce is a great way to achieve this.&nbsp;</p>
<p>As a jobseeker and a black woman, I tend to apply more to companies that demonstrate that they are interested in improving their diversity, either by obtaining accreditations or awards (e.g. Clear, UK&rsquo;s Best Workplace&trade; for Women, Stonewall etc.) or by supporting events and scholarships from organisations like Coding Black Females or Women in Tech. I think taking active steps to show that diversity is valued helps the tech industry to spread the word that diversity is welcome.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Besides, I think companies should also promote a &ldquo;diversity-aware&rdquo; culture where there is clear communication around problematic behaviours and what they look like, and clear processes to raise concerns or report issues.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>IT'S TRADITION TO FINISH THESE INTERVIEWS WITH A FAVOURITE QUOTE, MOTTO, OR PIECE OF ADVICE. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE?</h2>
<p>I recommend reading Dare to Lead by Bren&eacute; Brown. There were some insightful ideas about how to foster a workplace culture where people can communicate openly and bring their best ideas to the table. I think everyone could learn from it, whether you are in a leadership position or not!&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Thanks, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/melody-sylvestre/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Melody</a>, you rock 🤘</em></p>
<p><em>Interview by<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-johnson-/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Matt Johnson</a>&nbsp;</em></p>

 Melody Sylvestre | iO Academy 

<p>The journey into tech when you are in the midst of a career change can be a little like an assault course and a maze and an imposing mountain...all rolled into one. It is littered with obstacles, there can be some dead ends and can leave you feeling exhausted. So you need determination, endurance and it's vital that you prepare. <br><br>So when <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ailish-mclaughlin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Ailish McLaughlin </a>went from completing a PhD in exercise physiology, competing internationally at three different sports and coaching in strength training, to Product Manager at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/flexa-careers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flexa</a>...you could say she already had the athlete mindset to compete in the journey - she just needed someone to see it.</p>
<p>This story is truly inspirational and is a must-read for anyone who is at the beginning of a similar journey or even in the middle of it and they are losing sight of the finish line...</p>
<p>Ready, set, go...</p>
<h2>I WAS SO INTRIGUED BY YOUR BACKGROUND, PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY AND HOW YOU GOT INTO TECH?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Yeah, it&rsquo;s certainly been quite an eclectic path! I did a PhD in exercise physiology because I&rsquo;ve always been into sports and exercise, having competed internationally in three different sports myself. This gave me an opportunity to get paid to study the physiological demands of elite sport. About halfway through my PhD though, I realised that the typical career paths post PhD, academia and working in elite sport, were not something I wanted to pursue.&nbsp;<br>During this time, to bolster my income and out of general interest, I was also doing some personal training as well as coaching the strength training for some of the athletes I worked with. I noticed a gap in the market for helping people with pain that was not quite an injury but needed something more specific than yoga. As I was wrapping up my PhD, I started to explore this as a business idea by delivering in-person classes to help people move better.&nbsp;<br>And then lockdown happened. As an effort to bring some solace to people stuck at home, I decided to offer some of these online classes for free. Very quickly, I realised the power of technology for scaling a business; whereas previously I was able to deliver these classes to people in east London at set times, I was now able to deliver them to anyone anywhere in the world at any time of day. Instead of helping 50 people a week, I was now helping 500 plus. And so my love for tech began&hellip;.<br><br>I spent the next 18 months trying to scale my business taking it from it&rsquo;s infancy as ButtahBody to it&rsquo;s current form The Body School, including building a platform to host the live and on-demand classes, joining forces with my former business partner Lenny, setting up a bespoke filming studio and generally learning how to run a tech business. It was a WILD ride and I learned so much but eventually, I got to the point where I felt like I was no longer learning and that the business wasn&rsquo;t going to get to where I wanted it to go. Ultimately, I decided that it was time to step away and pursue something new and there was zero doubt in my mind that tech was the place for me.<br><br>After a long hard look at my skill set and the things I enjoyed during my career so far, I decided product management was the perfect direction for me. And so began my lengthy struggle to break into product.&nbsp;<br><br>Over the course of 9 months, I applied to hundreds of jobs and interviewed at dozens of companies and was largely met with one of the same two rhetorics: either I wasn&rsquo;t experienced enough for a more senior product role or I was too experienced for the less serious roles. It was an extremely frustrating time but truthfully, each pushback made my stubborn self more determined.&nbsp;<br>About 5 months into the struggle I decided to try an alternative tactic; I had had regular feedback that I didn&rsquo;t have experience working with developers. So I decided, if no one would give me a chance to gain some experience working with them, I&rsquo;d take matters into my own hands and become one myself! I took the General Assembly 3 month software engineering bootcamp while continuing to apply and interview for roles. An invaluable course, I learned so much about how technology works.&nbsp;<br>Ironically, a week after finishing the course, I had lunch with my brother who mentioned that an old school friend of his was a founder at a tech company in London and they were on the lookout for a product manager. He suggested I reach out and see if they were up for a chat. I had actually just gone through a horrifically painful break up and his words &ldquo;you&rsquo;ve got nothing to lose, just go and convince them how great you could be&rdquo; rang in my head as I met Molly and Maurice in the east London container that constitutes Flexa&rsquo;s offices on a super hot August day.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br>We had a really great informal chat where I was brutally honest about my struggles to find a role but also about what I felt I could add to a product team. They mentioned that there were at least 3 months of organisational, and project management work to do before any real product work could start so I jumped at the opportunity and asked them to give me a chance to at least do that. Luckily, they agreed and offered me a short-term contract but just a few weeks in, they offered me a full-time role. And I haven&rsquo;t looked back since!</p>
<h2>I AM WELL AWARE OF THE BARRIERS IN TECHNOLOGY FOR FOLK WHO ARE CAREER-CHANGING AND NOT GOING THROUGH THE TRADITIONAL STEM ROUTE. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE LOOKING TO GET THEIR FIRST ROLE IN THE TECH INDUSTRY?</h2>
<p>&nbsp;<br>Hmmmm, yeah it&rsquo;s so tough. I&rsquo;ve actually had lots of conversations recently with people in a similar boat and they are tearing their hair out trying to get their breakthrough. Frustratingly, I think my advice would be, first and foremost, to have patience. It&rsquo;s a bit like dating; you&rsquo;re going to have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find a company who can see through what you might not have on paper to the value you can bring as a person and your potential for growth.&nbsp;</p>
<p>After that, I would say to ask for feedback at every opportunity; if you hear the same thing more than twice, it&rsquo;s probably something you need to do something about. Maybe that&rsquo;s changing how you answer an interview question or upskilling yourself in a certain area; often just showing how willing you are to learn and grow by yourself can be enough for an interviewer to give you a chance.<br><br>And finally, network, network, network. An intro will always give you a foot up the ladder. Go to meetups, tech events, networking drinks etc. If you&rsquo;re an introvert like me, it will be a struggle but I used to set myself a goal of just speaking to one single person and exchanging LinkedIn details and then I could go home. Almost all of my applications that went to the 1st interview stage and beyond came from referrals of some kind; it may not be fair but it works. Sometimes you just have to play the game!</p>
<h2>WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO DATE?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>The biggest challenge for me was finding the job; it took so much resilience and perseverance. But in my current role, I would say the biggest challenge has been building a product strategy from the ground up. Having not been in a traditional product environment before, I&rsquo;ve had to teach myself what a product strategy actually is in the first place and then how to create one from scratch. Luckily, I work with amazing colleagues and have some incredible external mentors who have helped and guided me through this process. I&rsquo;m feeling really good about it now and seeing it pay dividends to our roadmap and product delivery process makes all the times of extreme frustration totally worth it!</p>
<h2>WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BIGGEST THING TECH COMPANIES COULD DO TO ATTRACT MORE DIVERSE TALENT? AND I GUESS IF IT WAS YOU LOOKING &ndash; WHAT WOULD ATTRACT YOU TO A COMPANY?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>I mean, I work for Flexa so it&rsquo;s clear to me that flexible working is a key contributor to attracting diverse talent as inclusivity and flexibility go hand in hand. Interestingly, a lot of bigger tech companies actually offer good flexibility options but they often don&rsquo;t shout about them as they mistakenly believe if they are not fully remote then they are not flexible at all. So I think shouting about how they work is a good place to start (and Flexa is a great place to, ahem, do that!). But additional to that, I think there is an important piece around being open to different backgrounds and experiences. There is always a ramping up phase for anyone at a new company, it&rsquo;s possible that they can also learn elements of a new role and/or industry at this time with the right support (which should be even more accessible in larger companies). I actually spoke to a friend of a friend recently who was previously a graphic designer before having kids and now wants to return to work in the product design space. She&rsquo;s done a tonne of additional training in UX but is having a nightmare finding a role; she just needs a couple months in a good team and she would be a total rockstar but hiring managers are not seeing that in interviews; super frustrating.<br><br>And for me personally, I would want to see evidence that there is autonomy in the role, room to grow in a range of directions and that there is some flexibility in how I get my work done.</p>
<h2>WHY IS DIVERSITY IN TECH AND MORE SO PRODUCT MANAGEMENT SO IMPORTANT?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Product managers are the voice of the user. Users of tech products are women as much as they are men. They are from ethnic minorities as much as they are from ethnic majorities. They are LGBTQ+ as much as they are heterosexual. They have disabilities as much as they don&rsquo;t. To accurately represent the voice of a user, to build something that will delight and engage a diverse user base and ultimately achieve business outcomes, you have to have representation of that diversity in the team.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>YOUR LINKEDIN BIO SAYS. &lsquo; I GET OUT OF BED EVERY DAY TO GET A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN THE DAY BEFORE.&rsquo; WHAT DO YOU DO TO CONTINUE TO LEARN AND I&rsquo;M SURE YOU HAVE SOME AWESOME BOOK OR PODCAST RECOMMENDATIONS FOR US. CAN YOU GIVE US SOME GREAT RECCO&rsquo;S TO GET STUCK INTO?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>That&rsquo;s hilarious, I must have written that quite a while ago. But it&rsquo;s very much still true today! To me, getting better each day is about reflecting on the day before and finding ways in which I can do a little better the next day. I&rsquo;m very self-analytical (read: over thinker) so I try to utilise that in a constructive way to make sure I&rsquo;m learning from things that didn&rsquo;t go well.&nbsp;<br>This is usually the catalyst for my learning; when I am frustrated with or stuck on something, I&rsquo;ll chuck myself down rabbit holes to try and figure it out. From a product perspective, I have found the Hustle Badger articles by Ed Biden super useful recently and enjoy Lenny&rsquo;s podcast by Lenny Rachitsky .&nbsp;</p>
<p><br>But I also have quite an eclectic range of interests so read and listen to a relatively random variety of things! I am currently enjoying the Femtech Insider and ByteByteGo newsletters and reading a book about the opiate epidemic in the US (Dreamland by Sam Quinones). I am also a podcast queen, some of my current favourite shows include: Modern Wisdom, Where should we begin (by Esther Perel), Freakonomics Radio, Possible (an GPT inspired show). And for comedy I lovvvve Berning in Hell and My Therapist Ghosted Me.</p>
<h2>WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE OR MANTRA YOU LIVE BY?</h2>
<p>&ldquo;This is it&rdquo;&nbsp;<br>I often find myself getting caught up in all the things I want to do and achieve and have. And all the ways in which I have not yet got there; beating myself up for my past mistakes and feeling like I can only enjoy myself when I have achieved a moving goalpost list of things.. Subsequently, &nbsp;I forget that this moment right here is all we really have. So these three words remind me to try and stay present. They remind me that the highs and lows, the frustrations, the disappointments, the failures, the wins, the sadness, the stress; that these things are actually the living. That striving for goals is fine but it is in the striving that life happens.</p>
<h2>ARE YOU UP TO ANYTHING COOL IN THE SUMMER?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Nothing major, actually. Typically, I love London in the summer (although the weather has failed me miserably this year) so I like to stick around for most of it. I am thinking of planning an extended trip to Costa Rica in the winter though, so I'm looking forward to that!</p>
<p><em>Thanks Ailish, you rock 🤘</em></p>
<p><em>Interview by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-teagle-93b04692/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alicia Teagle</a></em></p>

Dr Ailish McLaughlin | Flexa

<p>To say <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathrinhirling/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cathrin Hirling</a> knows a thing or two about ED&amp;I would be an understatement as People and Culture Manager at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/ostrom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ostrom </a>- a B Corp certified, digital energy management platform based in Berlin, Cathrin makes it her mission to create an enjoyable, inclusive and psychologically safe environment for everyone that works there. Now you will know if you work within the tech industry in particular -&nbsp; this is often a complex journey and goes beyond ticking boxes and Cathrin has worked hard to build structures and practices within Ostrom to make them the diverse and incredibly supportive organisation they are today.&nbsp;</p>
<p>To avoid any confusion - if you are searching for advice on diversifying your workforce - YOU MUST READ THIS.</p>
<h2>CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO AT OSTROM?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>I work as a People and Culture Manager; in summary, I am responsible for co-creating an enjoyable and productive work environment by building structures and practices that support this.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>WHAT DO YOU THINK CAN BE DONE TO HELP ATTRACT A MORE DIVERSE MIX OF PEOPLE INTO TECH?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>As an organisation, you need to actively demonstrate diversity is valued and it is actively supported. To start you need to create an environment that is welcoming and attractive for diversity to be part of. This includes not only transparent internal practices and/or programs such as clear development and career paths but also having diversity within leadership.<br>Secondly, as individuals have varying needs, there needs to be an element of flexibility. Practices such as offering a hybrid work model and/or flexible hours can create an opportunity to invite more diversity and be attractive to a larger pool of people.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE OR A QUOTE YOU LIVE/WORK BY?</h2>
<p>Clique but: diversity is a fact, inclusion is a choice.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>WHAT SPECIFIC PRACTICES HAS YOUR BCORP RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPANY IMPLEMENTED TO ENCOURAGE DIVERSITY AT ALL LEVELS, FROM ENTRY-LEVEL POSITIONS TO LEADERSHIP ROLES?</h2>
<p>We offer relocation and visa support, which allows us to actively recruit across the globe. This provides us with the opportunity to access a wider pool of candidates and bring on board new ideas and expertise. &nbsp;Across Ostrom but especially within leadership, we have been very conscious from the beginning regarding gender. We want to strive towards having a gender balance within leadership. Currently, we are 50/50 male, female representation.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Learning and development is important at Ostrom, our view is that we are continually learning together and no matter what seniority you are, your ideas are valuable and important. We offer individual learning budgets and continually encourage people to seek learning opportunities whether that be a workshop, conference, or mentoring. We try our best to provide learning and stretch opportunities to all our employees, whether you are just starting as an intern or you are further on in your career. With frequent development conversations, it allows us to understand what each individual&rsquo;s needs are to grow, be successful, but also have fun. &nbsp;</p>
<h2>IN WHAT WAYS HAS YOUR COMPANY PROACTIVELY ADDRESSED UNCONSCIOUS BIAS IN THE RECRUITMENT AND HIRING PROCESS TO ATTRACT CANDIDATES FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS?</h2>
<p>To start, we are very clear on the why behind the need to hire for the given role. What skills do we want to bring on board, what does the team require, and what will be the milestones for this role in the first 6-12 months? Further, to minimise bias, we do not read each other&rsquo;s interview notes until after we have spoken to the given candidate and completed the evaluation. When we make the final decision, we do not mention gender, ethnicity and/or nationality. We actively ensure we are assessing each individual on their given skill set in comparison to the role requirements. We do not mention gender, ethnicity and/or nationality rather again we focus on skill set.</p>
<h2>HOW DOES YOUR COMPANY FOSTER AN INCLUSIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT THAT VALUES AND RESPECTS THE UNIQUE PERSPECTIVES OF INDIVIDUALS FROM VARIOUS ETHNIC AND GENDER BACKGROUNDS?</h2>
<p>With Ostrom having over 15 different nationalities, this makes diversity a working reality but we understand this requires inclusion. We actively try to cultivate an environment where people feel understood and valued for who they are. Psychological safety is cultivated through continually seeking perspectives and ideas from across the organisation, no matter your seniority, and openly acknowledging the feedback. The general culture is that feedback is always welcome and sought. All leaders have received training on cross-cultural communication and the importance of learning individuals&rsquo; communication styles. Individuals who are softer-spoken, leaders actively seek their perspective to ensure their opinion is heard.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Further, we continually communicate we are an open learning culture and it is okay to make mistakes, it is not only human but also beneficial as it allows us to learn and progress quicker. Through sharing what we have learnt in our monthly company-wide knowledge-sharing sessions it further fosters openly sharing various perspectives. We understand that not everyone feels comfortable voicing their ideas publicly, therefore we have two anonymous feedback initiatives: &ldquo;Ask Me Anything&rdquo; questions for the co-founders and our company-wide engagement surveys. We view the workplace as being co-created by everyone who is part of it and therefore value feedback.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>WHAT INITIATIVES HAS YOUR COMPANY UNDERTAKEN TO PROVIDE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING FOR ALL EMPLOYEES?</h2>
<p>We have clear development pathways with four touch-points per year with your manager to speak solely about your development. Further, we have clear career paths regarding individual contributors and people leaders with it clear both are equally valued. To support this each team has a clear capabilities matrix which provides clarity on role expectations at each level. As already mentioned, we offer individual learning budgets which allow it to be personalised to what the given person wants to learn and what they see fit. Hand-in-hand we ensure a fair remuneration review process with using an external marking tool and having an internal sense check.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>IN WHAT WAYS HAS YOUR COMPANY COLLABORATED WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS TO ENCOURAGE YOUNG WOMEN AND INDIVIDUALS FROM ETHIC MINORITIES TO PURSUE CAREERS IN TECH AND RENEWABLE ENERGY?</h2>
<p>We have been present at various university career days/fairs and had a female leader provide a workshop.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>HOW DO YOU MEASURE AND TRACK THE PROGRESS OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION EFFORTS WITHIN YOUR COMPANY, AND WHAT LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED ALONG THE WAY?</h2>
<p>As we are small it is relatively easy to keep track of but as Germany has strict regulations around collecting data on diversity there are limitations to what we can do. As already mentioned, we try to keep a balanced gender split across the organisation but also in leadership.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Main lessons would be to ensure it is clear to everyone, no matter your level, that you have a role to play to create a positive work environment. Through ensuring clear guidelines such as having an inclusive language policy to ensure a shared language and relevant for us, and clearly stating your company language as being English. Further, as early as possible setting up processes around the onboarding, development, and promotions to provide an environment that empowers the people within it.</p>
<p><em>Thanks, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathrinhirling/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cathrin</a>, you rock! 🤘</em></p>
<p><em>Interview by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/louis-hampton-jones/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Louis Hampton-Jones</a></em></p>

Cathrin Hirling | Ostrom

<p>Crash test dummies that were built only in male form, sunscreen and skincare products tested predominantly on white skin and also a detection software used in hand dryers that wouldn&rsquo;t work with darker skin because the product was only tested on developers who had fair skin. These are just a few examples and one of the many, many reasons ED&amp;I is extremely important in the tech industry. As far as we have come in this industry - this is just a reminder of how far we have got to go...</p>
<p>This week's Women Rocker is <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chaphilippe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charlotte Philippe</a>, Head of Engineering at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/meta/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meta </a>who feels so passionately about women in tech - the small amount of time she gets to herself at work she dedicates to mentoring women across Meta internationally. Charlotte's worked on some incredible projects in her career and is of the mindset that "if it doesn&rsquo;t work, it doesn&rsquo;t work. Keep going, keep trying, if you don&rsquo;t&nbsp;try, you&rsquo;ll never know the answer."&nbsp;</p>
<p>So give her story a read and go and do that thing that scares you today...</p>
<h2>HEY CHARLOTTE! THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR STORY WITH US. LET&rsquo;S&nbsp;START AT THE BEGINNING &ndash; HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INTO THE<br>TECH INDUSTRY?</h2>
<p>When I studied electrical engineering, I particularly liked the software courses as they&nbsp;enabled you to create an end-to-end product that would actually work. I enjoyed the fact&nbsp;that I could build it, ship it, and get it directly in front of people, bringing them value. When I&nbsp;went to university, I particularly enjoyed applied sciences, and courses like physics that&nbsp;explained how things actually worked. I did a 2nd master's in Artificial Intelligence in the UK<br>(Imperial College London) and decided to stay and work in London, which ultimately led me&nbsp;to the consulting space. With consulting, what I loved was the ability to learn about&nbsp;different industries and new tech stacks with each project &ndash; and building end-to-end&nbsp;software. This fast-tracked the experience you can get as a Software Engineer. We were&nbsp;agile from the start. Very early on, I had the opportunity to take on roles as the team and&nbsp;tech lead. Those tech skills, leadership skills and client-facing skills led to my current role at&nbsp;Meta. (Agile, wide tech stack, customer-centric, leadership skills).</p>
<h2>WHAT IS YOUR PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENT?</h2>
<p>I worked on many different projects across the public and private sectors that I am proud of, notably the UK HMRC tax platform, which is built to simplify people&rsquo;s lives. One particular project comes to mind, as, to create and deliver it, I brought together business acumen and technical skills. In Meta, anticipating the shift coming to the Metaverse before it was announced, and observing the demand from advertisers that my team works with to leverage technologies like AR to connect them with their customers, I set on to create and launch ads for Instagram AR (Augmented Reality) effects with the goal of bringing brands closer to their customers by letting them &lsquo;explore&rsquo; the brand&rsquo;s products in AR (for example letting you try glasses or try on lipstick colours before buying them). During a hackathon, I put together a team to deliver an MVP (minimum viable product) that we released a couple of months later as a product, generating demand with advertisers and millions for Meta. And we formed an entirely new product team to support this area of work.<br>This was a huge success that I am particularly proud of, bringing to life something that&nbsp;benefits customers, brands, &amp; Meta equally.</p>
<h2>WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHERS WHO WANT TO GO&nbsp;INTO THE SAME CAREER?</h2>
<p>Choose your first experience quite carefully. Dare to defy &ndash; everyone has imposter&nbsp;syndrome. Be bold &ndash; if it doesn&rsquo;t work, it doesn&rsquo;t work. Keep going, keep trying, if you don&rsquo;t&nbsp;try, you&rsquo;ll never know the answer.</p>
<h2>WHAT AREA OF D&amp;I ARE YOU MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT AND WHY?</h2>
<p>Women in tech, but also complete ethnic diversity. Meta opened my mind to hiring diversity and I&rsquo;m very grateful for that. I remember an example to illustrate this: a detection software used in a hand dryer at another company wouldn&rsquo;t work with darker skin because the product was only tested on developers who had fair skin. This illustrates the value of a diverse team, able to bring in different perspectives and make sure what we build is relevant to our diverse society. It&rsquo;s easy to hire people like you because it&rsquo;s easy to get along with them. It&rsquo;s an additional effort to think outside the box. Using my experience, I hope I can really help promote women in tech.</p>
<p>I actually mentor women across meta internationally. Building on my own expertise, I help&nbsp;them grow in both tech and business skills. This is something unique that&rsquo;s important.&nbsp;Women will be very competent on the technical side, but sometimes question their growth,&nbsp;their presentation skills, their leadership skills, etc. I&rsquo;m grateful my mentorship helps&nbsp;women in tech address the areas that help them grow in their careers.</p>
<h2>FAVOURITE MANTRA/QUOTE YOU LIVE BY?</h2>
<p>In French: Pour obtenir ce qu'on a jamais eu, il faut tenter ce qu'on a jamais fais. Which translates&nbsp;roughly to: To get what you never had, you must try what you never did.</p>
<p><em>Thanks <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chaphilippe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charlotte</a>, you rock 🤘</em></p>
<p><em>Interview by Andrew Delsol</em></p>

Charlotte Philippe | Meta

<p>When it comes to diversifying the tech industry, we could learn a thing or two from India. Various organisations, NGOs, and government initiatives in India have been working to empower women and promote gender equality. These efforts often include scholarships, mentorship programs, and awareness campaigns to encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM fields. The visibility of successful female engineers and tech professionals in India serves as inspiration for young women considering careers in tech.&nbsp;</p>
<p>This week's Women Rock guest is <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/priya-baheti-10a32a26/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Priya Baheti</a> who began her journey into tech in Pune, India where she was selected through a graduate selection process as a Trainee engineer. Priya now works as Solution Architecture Manager at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/eytechnologysolutions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EY Technology Solutions</a>, after wearing many hats throughout her 15+ career in tech.</p>
<h2>CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO AT E&amp;Y?</h2>
<p>I have recently joined &nbsp;EY Technology Consulting as a Manager &ndash; Solution architecture. Prior to that, I spent more than a decade in Cognizant technology solutions where I played multiple roles right from Database subject matter, Database technical lead, Infrastructure delivery manager and Infrastructure solution lead. &nbsp;I worked for various Telecom, Media and retail clients.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>I GUESS WE SHOULD START AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR TECH STORY, HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE INDUSTRY? &nbsp;</h2>
<p>I started my career in Infosys Technology Solutions as a Trainee engineer in Pune, India. I was selected through the graduate selection process. &nbsp;Infosys is an Indian multinational company. Their training programme for fresh college graduates is exceptional in terms of getting in-depth technology knowledge and industry-ready for fresh graduates.&nbsp;<br>I had to take on financial responsibilities for my family right after my bachelor&rsquo;s degree in computer technology and it was a great start for me.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>WHAT DO YOU THINK CAN BE DONE TO HELP ATTRACT A MORE DIVERSE MIX OF PEOPLE INTO TECH? &nbsp;</h2>
<p>To attract a more diverse mix of people into tech, initiatives focusing on outreach, education, and creating inclusive environments can be implemented.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>AS A WOMAN IN TECHNOLOGY, HAVE YOU FACED ANY CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS IN YOUR CAREER? &nbsp;</h2>
<p>As a woman in the technology field, I encountered challenges such as biases regarding women's roles in technology, limited opportunities for leadership responsibilities, and societal perceptions about career choices for women in a male-dominated country like India.&nbsp;<br>I am blessed with an incredibly motivating, unwaveringly encouraging, and wholeheartedly supportive spouse and leaders who have been instrumental in empowering my journey.</p>
<h2>WHAT IS YOUR PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENT IN TECH AND ALSO PERSONALLY? &nbsp;</h2>
<p>My proudest achievement in tech is successfully navigating a 15+year career while balancing the roles of a mother and wife, and quickly re-joining the workforce after maternity leave, all while contributing significantly to the field of technology.</p>
<h2>IN ONE SENTENCE, HOW WOULD YOU SUM UP YOUR CAREER SO FAR? &nbsp;</h2>
<p>The journey is the reward.</p>
<h2>WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPIEST IN YOUR FREE TIME?</h2>
<p>Spending time with my family, enjoying my hobby of painting makes me happiest in my free time.</p>
<h2>WHAT ERA WOULD YOU LIVE IN, PAST OR FUTURE, AND WHY? &nbsp;</h2>
<p>I would always love to live in the present. However, when there is an option between the past and the future, I will choose a future for which I can dream about.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE OR A QUOTE YOU LIVE/WORK BY?</h2>
<p>Miles to go before I sleep.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Thanks <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/priya-baheti-10a32a26/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Priya</a>, you rock 🤘</em></p>
<p><em>Interview by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-crowhurst/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Max Crowhurst</a></em></p>

Priya Baheti | EY Technology Solutions

<p>On July 20th this year we saw the Flexible Working Bill become law and pass Royal Assent - meaning workers can make use of job-sharing and flexitime and enjoy an improved work-life balance. We've been following this journey closely with<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-whitehouse-586623a4/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Anna Whitehouse</a> aka Motherpukka who has been campaigning like a warrior to get this bill passed and highlighting the impact it will have for parents and particularly women across the UK.</p>
<p>Women Rock Ambassador <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/douggear-javascript/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Doug </a>spoke to Engineering Manager at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/nearst-/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Near St</a>,<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hcross87/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Hannah Cross</a> about returning to work after having her daughter Luna and the work she did to create the maternity-return-to-work policy for Near St.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Hannah moved into tech from the arts sector after enrolling in a 3-month coding boot camp so knows first-hand the ups and downs of a career transition and what it means to "take the leap" and follow her passion.&nbsp;</p>
<p>So whether you are a mum returning to work, thinking about a complete career change or toying with the idea of enrolling in a boot camp - you have got to read this!&nbsp;</p>
<h2>HEY HANNAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TALKING TO US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY IN TECH SO FAR! CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT WHAT YOUR ROLE IS AT THE MOMENT AND WHY YOU LOVE WORKING IN TECH?</h2>
<p>I am currently an Engineering Manager at a start-up called NearSt. I&rsquo;ve been there for 4 years now and started as a mid-level Software Engineer and after a couple of years had the opportunity to take on more people management responsibilities. I love how these days working in tech is working in any sector that interests you- almost all industries use tech of some kind so there is a job for us all! Also, the creative problem-solving that is required satisfies me and I feel like I&rsquo;m building and creating daily.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>YOU MOVED INTO TECH FROM A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT INDUSTRY. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT HOW THAT CHANGE CAME ABOUT AND WHAT GAVE YOU THE CONFIDENCE TO TAKE THE PLUNGE?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>I previously worked in the arts sector for non-profit art galleries and museums. I was a private giving fundraiser and spent a lot of time networking and organising events. Whilst I enjoyed some aspects of this, I realised I wanted to have a more tangible impact on a day-to-day basis. I felt the fundraising I did was too far removed from the creative activity that I was trying to facilitate. A friend told me about coding bootcamps and after a bit of back and forth I decided to take the leap and did a 3 month course at General Assembly in London. I was 30 and thought, if not now, when? A new adventure for a new decade! I was also really ready to move on from my job and so it gave me the nudge I needed to break away.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>WITH BOOT CAMPS BECOMING MORE &amp; MORE POPULAR WE&rsquo;RE SEEING A HUGE AMOUNT OF COMPETITION FOR GRADUATES. WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE LIKE GETTING A ROLE AFTER YOUR BOOT CAMP? AND WHAT TIPS DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER PEOPLE THAT MIGHT GO THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS IN THE NEAR FUTURE?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>It was quite tough after completing my boot camp. It took me 3 months of job searching and sending applications and enquiries out daily. I also did several really awful interviews before finding my first job post tech. In terms of tips, staying strong and persevering is really important. It&rsquo;s easy to feel disheartened in any job search but with the added pressure of having been out of the job market for 3 months already to do the course it can feel particularly stressful. I&rsquo;d also say that most jobs aren&rsquo;t advertised so if you like a company, be bold and send an enquiry email to their Hiring team or Engineering Lead (if you can find that from their website or LinkedIn). Finally, celebrate any previous career or work experience you&rsquo;ve had - those skills are definitely transferable. Tech skills alone aren&rsquo;t enough for most businesses, they want to know you can function well in a team and settle in quickly with a company&rsquo;s systems and processes.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>ONE THING THAT BOOTCAMPS ARE DOING FOR THE TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY, IS BRINGING PEOPLE FROM DIVERSE CAREER BACKGROUNDS INTO THE WORLD OF TECH. DO YOU THINK YOUR PREVIOUS CAREER HAS HAD ANY POSITIVE IMPACTS ON YOUR CAREER IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT? AND IF SO, WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS THE CASE?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Building on my previous point, I think the reason I was able to move to a manager role within quite a short space of time is that I had experience managing people in my previous career. I had an understanding and interest in how teams operate and how to hire good people which I was able to apply to my tech role. I also have seen some bad systems and processes in my time and knowing what bad looks like (as much as what good looks like) in a general setting has helped me offer constructive advice and suggestions to a growing startup. It might not always be right, but I do believe that being able to offer another perspective can help discussions move forward to what is ultimately best for your team or business,&nbsp;</p>
<h2>AS A WOMAN IN TECH, CAN YOU SHARE WHAT BARRIERS YOU&rsquo;VE FACED DURING YOUR CAREER TO DATE, AND WHAT HAS HELPED YOU OVERCOME SOME OF THESE BARRIERS?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>I think the two main barriers for me were: career pathway and learning to interview and navigate a world where my gender was rarely visible.&nbsp;<br>When I was at school I was really interested in computers but not so interested in Maths and Physics. So when it came to choosing a degree at university I was not inclined to apply for a Computer Science degree. This is why, when the opportunity for a boot camp came up, without the need for those credentials I jumped at the chance to build websites and problem-solve with technology.&nbsp;<br>Since starting my boot camp, most engineers I meet and teams I encounter are primarily made up of men and I&rsquo;ve had a few people say to me &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t look like a programmer/coder/engineer&rdquo; which I am never sure how to respond to. However, I feel very lucky that my coursemates were pretty much 50/50 split men and women so I knew there was a group of women entering the workforce together. I also looked up and started following several women engineers on social media (there are actually quite a lot of them!!) which helped me feel like I had a network of support and information to help me with those days when it might feel a bit overwhelming to be the only woman in the room.&nbsp;<br>I do believe there is a truth in &ldquo;you can only be what you can see&rdquo; so I&rsquo;ve said yes to opportunities to be visible to other women looking to work in tech. I volunteered as an instructor for Code First Girls, I say yes to anyone who contacts me to ask about &ldquo;doing a career change&rdquo; and in my hiring processes I have spent a lot of time with my team trying to make our interview setup as unbiased as possible.&nbsp;<br>However, on the whole, since working at NearSt I&rsquo;ve had a very positive experience and I am pleased to work with two other brilliant women in my team</p>
<h2>YOU&rsquo;RE NOW ON MATERNITY LEAVE, LOOKING AFTER THE LOVELY LUNA &ndash; CAN YOU SHARE WHAT IT IS LIKE BEING ON MATERNITY LEAVE AS A SOFTWARE DEVELOPER?</h2>
<p>Being on maternity leave as a software developer&hellip; I am sure in some ways it&rsquo;s very similar to anyone else on parental leave! The focus is very much on my daughter and once she was born any ideas I had that I might do some work or coding on the side disappeared quickly as she has kept me busy from day one! I am pleased that my job allows me to work from home, so the thought of going back to work is not as nerve-wracking as I know I will be a short walk away from her nursery! In terms of motherhood though, I think about technology and my daughter&rsquo;s future a lot and I am keen to instil problem-solving skills in her early on. My friend even bought me a coding for babies book!</p>
<h2>I KNOW YOU HELPED CREATE THE MATERNITY-RETURN-TO-WORK POLICY FOR YOUR CURRENT EMPLOYER, FOLLOWING THAT EXPERIENCE, DO YOU THINK THE MAJORITY OF BUSINESSES ARE PREPARED FOR SUPPORTING PARENTS BACK INTO WORK FOLLOWING MATERNITY OR PATERNITY LEAVE? WHAT ASPECTS DO YOU THINK COMPANIES NEED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION TO ENSURE THESE POLICIES ARE EFFECTIVE?</h2>
<p>This is a big question&hellip; I am still figuring some of this out. I know that it is not as simple as companies just &ldquo;offering more&rdquo;. Some businesses genuinely don&rsquo;t have the resources to offer various financial support, such as a year of full-pay parental leave. And so it definitely needs to be a combination of support and incentives from the Government, society and the business. Paid parental leave does need to be better and longer for both parents though. The physical and mental toll that having a child has on an individual is enormous and if you want employees who return to work with energy and renewed commitment to the business, they need to feel taken care of as they essentially produce the next generation of workers of the world! Flexibility is another big one and I was thrilled to hear that the Flexible Working Bill now means employees are entitled to ask for flexible working hours - something that can make a huge difference for parents. There&rsquo;s definitely a lot more but haven&rsquo;t quite got my thoughts together on this yet..!&nbsp;</p>
<h2>YOU&rsquo;VE MOVED UP TO ENGINEERING MANAGER LEVEL REALLY QUICKLY IN YOUR CAREER TO DATE &ndash; WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU HAVE FOR OTHER PEOPLE FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS TO HELP THEM ACHIEVE SOMETHING SIMILAR?</h2>
<p>I would say progression is a funny one in that if financial compensation is what you seek, then make sure the progression route you are pursuing is the right one for you. In tech, I am seeing more and more the opportunity to choose between Individual Contributor and People Management. This allows those who are technically skilled to increase their seniority and pay package without having to move into a whole different role of managing others.&nbsp;<br>In terms of advice&hellip; work hard at what you&rsquo;re passionate about. Take opportunities when they come your way and ask for them if you feel like they aren&rsquo;t coming to light. Take advantage of skills you have cultivated in previous roles or careers, but most of all be patient. Sometimes taking things a bit slower means you will be better equipped for a bigger jump. Whilst progressing too quickly can actually mean more stress if you&rsquo;re not quite ready yet!</p>
<h2>IT&rsquo;S TRADITION TO FINISH THESE INTERVIEWS WITH A FAVOURITE QUOTE, MOTTO, OR PIECE OF ADVICE. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Oh dear I&rsquo;m terrible at these&hellip; the default one I like to go for&nbsp;<br>&ldquo;To live will be an awfully big adventure&rdquo; - JM Barrie&nbsp;<br>An alternative to carpe diem&hellip; reminding me to not get bogged down with the small things and focus on enjoying as much as possible.&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Thanks, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hcross87/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hannah</a>, you rock 🤘</em></p>
<p><em>Interview by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/douggear-javascript/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Doug Gear</a></em></p>

Hannah Cross | Near St

<p>Remember your first day at school when you were standing in the playground, school bag in hand, desperately looking around the playground to find a familiar face, someone that you could relate to - either physically or mentally? As human beings, our innate desire to belong and be part of something greater than ourselves is a fundamental aspect of our social nature. We yearn for connections, seeking out groups, communities, or organisations that resonate with our values, interests, and aspirations.&nbsp;</p>
<p>This feeling isn't left at the school gates, as&nbsp; <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/raana-saheb-nassagh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Raana Saheb Nassagh</a>, Senior Data Scientist, describes how she sometimes turns up to a meeting and is the only female participant.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Raana's passion for well-written code, intricate software architectures and elegant design patterns is palpable as she talks about her journey into data science and specifically her work with AI models. She wears many hats at work from machine learning engineer to project manager, highlighting how one's skillset doesn't just apply to one role in tech. But, like us, she wants to see more women in these roles and has some really cool ideas on how we can all make this happen...</p>
<h2>CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOU AND YOUR JOURNEY INTO THE FIELD OF DATA SCIENCE AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO PURSUE A CAREER IN THIS AREA?</h2>
<p>I was 16 when I had to choose my specialisation at school. I had to answer the question: &ldquo;Should my main subject be art or math?&rdquo;. &nbsp;I remember how I wanted to put the mathematics books away, to go after photography. But somehow, I just couldn&rsquo;t do it. I just loved math so much &hellip; This was the start of my data journey: A passion for solving complex problems and thinking logically. So, I graduated with a math diploma and continued on with studying software engineering. During my bachelor studies, I got fascinated by AI topics like genetic algorithms and neural networks. That was my motivation to continue with a master program focusing on AI.&nbsp;<br>Since then, I have worked for 2.5 years as a data scientist, whose everyday work is dealing with data and struggling with pipelines and deployments. And still, I enjoy the moments when we try to solve a problem with mathematical equations and forget the time while brainstorming about different solutions &hellip; this is what I like about my job.</p>
<h2>WHAT IS YOUR ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES AT PLAN D?</h2>
<p>Although I have the title &bdquo;data scientist &ldquo;, &nbsp;I fulfil a wide range of roles and responsibilities at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/plan-d-consulting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PLAN D</a>. Sometimes I am a data scientist, who is working for hours with data, patterns, visualizations, and AI models. Other times I am a machine learning engineer, who deploys the whole pipeline of the AI models and tests the endpoints. There are times when I am a data analyst, who analyses a topic and presents the results to our customers. On some occasions, I also play the role of a project manager and make sure everything is finished on time before the deadline. That is why I prefer the term &bdquo;full data&ldquo;- we here at PLAN D do just everything with data :)&nbsp;</p>
<h2>WHAT SPECIFIC AREAS OF DATA SCIENCE AND MACHINE LEARNING ARE YOU MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT, AND HOW HAVE YOU DEVELOPED YOUR EXPERTISE IN THOSE AREAS?</h2>
<p>I like many different topics in the data field. However, I come from a software engineering background, so I just love well-written code, intricate software architectures and elegant design patterns. That is why I like to think a lot about the whole architecture of the AI models before I implement them. I have been passionate about this since my last bachelor semesters where I had courses like object-oriented programming and software system architecture. I followed these topics also in my master's study, where I used AI to find anti-patterns in code.</p>
<h2>AS A FEMALE DATA SCIENTIST, HAVE YOU FACED ANY UNIQUE CHALLENGES OR OBSTACLES IN YOUR CAREER? HOW HAVE YOU NAVIGATED AND OVERCOME THEM?</h2>
<p>The biggest challenge for me is a meeting or video call where I am the only female participant. Then, I sometimes see myself as a lonely wolf and miss seeing other female data scientists, engineers, front-end, and back-end developers. Having women in tech roles brings new perspectives and changes the dynamics of the whole group. Since I have no female role model in the team to look up to for guidance, I try to be the best version of myself. Maybe then I can be a role model for others and motivate other women to pursue a career in the data domain.</p>
<h2>IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ARE SOME KEY STEPS ORGANISATIONS CAN TAKE TO PROMOTE AND INCREASE DIVERSITY IN THE TECH INDUSTRY, SPECIFICALLY WITHIN DATA SCIENCE AND MACHINE LEARNING ROLES?</h2>
<p>I think women should be encouraged for tech roles as early as possible, for example at school. Tech companies can encourage young girls for tech roles, by offering free courses, workshops, and talks or internships.&nbsp;<br>Somehow the tech branch needs to demonstrate that women are welcome here. Especially in the field of data science, there are a lot of fun programs and software that can be taught at an early age and motivate girls for AI topics.</p>
<h2>SR2'S WOMEN ROCK PLATFORM AIMS TO PROMOTE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVITY IN TECH. CAN YOU SHARE ANY EXPERIENCES OR INITIATIVES YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THAT ALIGN WITH THIS MISSION?</h2>
<p>As a member of <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/pyladies-berlin-32879a18a/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PyLadys</a>, I like to share knowledge with other women, who work with Python. That is why my team and I also host PyLadys events on the 11th of July on our premises. &nbsp;On this occasion, I also contributed a talk about how to become a better code reviewer. What I especially like about PyLadys is that they are not only open for women but welcome people from all walks of life independent of their background, and thus create a very diverse community focused on Python programming. &nbsp;</p>
<h2>DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE LOOKING TO GET INTO THE TECH INDUSTRY?</h2>
<p>I think women in general, and I especially, tend to overthink a lot of things. So here is my suggestion: Just do it and don&rsquo;t overthink it! Send applications even if you might not fulfil all requirements, take courses, even if they seem daunting at first, and do what you like to do. One reason why women are not in tech roles is that they don&rsquo;t have so many role models to look forward to. So: Be the first one! There is no "wrong" and "bad", there is just "new" and "better&ldquo;.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Thanks, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/raana-saheb-nassagh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Raana</a>, you rock 🤘</em></p>
<p><em>Interview by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/finlaybright/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Finlay Bright</a></em></p>

Raana Saheb Nassagh | Plan D

<p>What is the Value &amp; Impact of Creativity, Innovation and Design (CID) in Business &amp; Society? Look around you, how much of your own environment has not been created, innovated and or designed? Think of all of your engagements beyond yourself, how much of that has been created, innovated and or designed? Your communications, entertainment and work, all have been shaped by CID. The value &amp; impact of CID is present in all of our lives, and yet, a great deal of those who make the functional world are often underrepresented, exploited or disabled to do better.</p>
<p>Enter <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicestorm/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Candice Storm</a>. Candice started building <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/design-in-focus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DesignInFocus.org</a>, a multimedia &amp; professional platform serving CID in April / May 2022.&nbsp;Having worked in Government, Retail, Entertainment and Technology, she connected the dots to develop DesignInFocus.Org in such a way as to enable humans to step up and also do more with less. While DesignInFocus.Org was started as a side project sponsored by StormCIS 360 Corporate Identity Solutions (her design agency), it now is a full-time activity - from the design, production, organisation and development, to creating multimedia with professionals and companies. And if that isn't enough, Candice also designs gamified workshops to convey challenging topics in synthesizable interactions.</p>
<p>Women Rock ambassador Cameron chatted with this incredible trailblazer about her multi-faceted journey into tech...</p>
<h2>TELL ME A BIT ABOUT YOUR JOB AND WHAT A DAY IN THE LIFE LOOKS LIKE FOR YOU?</h2>
<p>I do several things. When I'm working for clients my job includes analysing and improving existing digital products and services through creative problem solving, from Design Strategy to Digital Design to DesignOps. I work on branded experiences also, creating corporate identities, marketing and promotional content as well as web and social media.<br>I also spend a great deal of time building DesignInFocus.Org. A lot of time goes into designing and building the actual platform and its content. Next to that I also engage with stakeholders in various capacities such as participants to talk with in the Design in Focus media, or to speak at our events, collaborating with professionals and organisations to create interesting professional activities and working with volunteers. I'm having to develop and learn in areas that I'm not familiar with, such as learning Velo to implement code on the platform, making podcasts, and growing a sense of business administration and organisation.<br>Lastly, I manage the Design in Focus flagship network Randstad UX, which was launched to demonstrate how the platform could be leveraged for others who would like to start their own networks and communities relating to creativity, innovation and design. I organise monthly events and share relevant information with the network. Most of the events tend to be informative and so I organise talks and presentations, but for example this month I'm organising a networking event with cocktails at a skylounge in Amsterdam, and to celebrate the one year anniversary of the network, I'm working on throwing a gala in October!</p>
<h2>WHAT MADE YOU GET INTO THE INDUSTRY?</h2>
<p>I have quite an unusual background and a lot has happened on top of all the winding roads, personality-wise, I also deviate from the norm. When I started school, I passed the first year and went straight to the 3rd year. I liked school but after a traumatic experience at boarding school, I lost interest in and stopped paying attention, after that my marks were average. To deal with the situation, I started drawing. I was kind of good at it and received positive treatment or rewards such as my teacher printing my drawings for everyone to colour in, or people giving me attention (I also grew up in a culture where "children must be seen but never heard", so it was more impactful). Well, skip forward to my final year, I had to decide what profession to get into. I was deciding between Psychology or Archaeology when I became expectant with my daughter, and so thought I should better take Psychology, but when I went to enrol at Uni, there was no space and that's when my guardian suggested law. &nbsp;&nbsp;<br>After completing the year, I faced two challenges, one was that I did not have the finances to study the next year, and two my feelings towards law were pretty negative&nbsp; - I perceived it as an inadequate attempt to establish justifications within a flawed system. So, I ended up doing a short study in Public Relations, and there is where I discovered that I really liked media and creating media kits. After that, I went for an aptitude evaluation at my local university. Their advice was to study design, which I resisted at first because I did not want to become "a starving artist", but because I had no real vision for the future, I took the advice. My focus was on Corporate Identity which marries with PR in many ways, but I mainly worked on digital projects after my studies. &nbsp;After working in digital for 3 years I realised that I had more talents and additional interests and so started growing towards product/project management and UX. And the rest I guess is history.</p>
<h2>WHAT WAS THE REASON YOU WANTED TO START BUILDING THE "DESIGN IN FOCUS" WEBSITE /PLATFORM?</h2>
<p>There were many influences in starting Design in Focus. It would make more sense to understand that what the platform is today is not what I started with, but more of something that evolved. Last February I registered my company StormCIS and built a website for it. As an Identity Experience creative, I was planning a podcast with someone to help him elevate his professional digital presence in order to get hired. Next to that I also made a connection with someone who organised a conference who wanted to cocreate on podcasts. Things didn't quite work out as planned and so I started reworking the concept. I used my own experiences to conceptualise a product that would be able to solve some of it, and I also listened to what my stakeholders had to say.<br>As a designer, I've had to create portfolios throughout my career and as a digital / web designer, I needed to showcase my capabilities. So I guess if we strip it down all the way to the core, then building websites is just something that is an average activity for designers. However, I found it very challenging to create a portfolio because that tends to serve only the owner, and because of some of my background, I found it difficult to care for or nurture myself only, which meant that I was never satisfied with anything I made. But knowing that I exist and that my situation existed, I thought "What if someone else has this challenge", and so started working on a concept that could be beneficial to any creative, innovator and or designer. The platform is growing continuously and I keep conceptualising solutions to common problems.<br>You can read more about this in an article I wrote <a href="https://www.designinfocus.org/editorial/the-foundation-of-design-in-focus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here.</a></p>
<h2>YOUR QUOTE IS "EMOTION IS THE PALETTE OF THE SOUL", WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU PROFESSIONALLY?</h2>
<p>That is a very layered quote that impacts a few key areas. Firstly of course from an experience design perspective, how the person engaging with the design perceives the value of doing so is an integral aspect of my profession. From a brand perspective, the leveraging of human behaviour, which is mainly governed by emotion, tends to be the foundation of a company's communication and products / services they develop. So professionally emotion is an integral part of my work.<br>Then there is the personal layer. Having survived a thing or two and experiencing life in different roles, I am all too familiar with how emotion shapes the existential experience. As much torment as I have endured as a victim and a mother, I also would not change it because I value the good emotions that my child has brought into my life. As much anger and resentment as I've felt due to unfair situations, I also feel a certain level of accomplishment for coming through. NOT ASKING FOR MORE by the way! The extremes between emotions which are so fantastic that one seeks to maintain for as long as possible and the emotions which make you wish that life itself would come to an end, has given me an understanding of humanity and myself which I see as a living painting of exchanges that reveals a rich and vibrant notion of creativity and the creative nature of life.&nbsp;<br>There are also a few different angles which weigh it in different perspectives. Even as professionals and entrepreneurs, we are every bit as exposed to the effects of emotional manipulation as everyone else. So somewhere between the professional and personal, there is an interconnectivity that cannot be avoided. There really is a lot more to be said and a few cases that I could mention that tell the stories associated with this, but that is too much for an article. I presented my talk on the Human Connection last week and there has been a request to share it on LinkedIn, which you can watch <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/events/7070382886612299776/about/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here.</a></p>
<h2>HOW DO YOU THINK WE CAN HELP TO CHANGE THE "OLD WAY OF THINKING AROUND EMOTION IN THE WORK PLACE"?</h2>
<p>There is no easy answer because of the extent to which emotion drives business, politics, education and every other aspect of our behaviour. Recently I discovered a whole collective of professionals spanning in the thousands who are doing what they can to make changes through ethics, human-centered design, accessibility and a lot more. If you read my article about <a href="https://www.designinfocus.org/editorial/ethics-and-ai_design-for-good" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AI &amp; Ethics</a>&nbsp; then you will notice just how complex a topic such as ethics can be. To try to find some tangible and effective solutions, I've just launched the #ImpactCollective last month, which is a listing page of professionals who are engaging in conversations and building awareness of some of the biggest challenges we face.</p>
<p>Our first Northstar is Dr Robert Kozma, author of Make The World a Better Place, Design With Passion, purpose and Values, released earlier this year, pretty much at the same time as Don Norman has released his book Design For A Better World. You can find a conversation between the two in the #ImpactCollective portal <a href="https://www.designinfocus.org/impact-design-faction/home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>, and there will be more to come. On the Experience portals you may find <a href="https://www.designinfocus.org/trinefalbe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trine Falbe</a> , founder of the Ethical Design Network, and we've also created events such as <a href="https://www.designinfocus.org/randstad-ux-collabs/january-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Design For Good</a> , &nbsp;<a href="https://www.designinfocus.org/randstad-ux-march-event-x-cognizant-design-for-accessibility-with-marli-ritter-and-william-terra" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Design for Accessibility </a>and coming up this summer, <a href="https://www.designinfocus.org/awareness-week-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Design for Tomorrow</a> There are a lot more happening under the bonnet, but as I am also doing so many other things and with limited resources, it may still take a while to surface. (Volunteers are highly valued, hint hint, wink wink)</p>
<p>What I can say is that from my first talk with Trine early last year to where I am today, I have somewhat more trust in humanity. When I first spoke to Trine, I had tremendous respect for her work and balls to take on this delicate matter but told myself to not focus on this kind of topic too much because of the penalties we pay as professionals, especially when we are in vulnerable positions as I had been, just is not worth the effort. But earlier this year when I was organising the Design for Good event, I saw a different perspective. Although I've seen the emergence of CID professionals taking charge, I am all too aware of the interconnectivity of things.<br>The systematic structure that rendered law hypocritical bs to me, is evident not only in law and design, but in a lot of other areas too. I think if we were to ever hope to create change, then first we must call a spade a spade and honestly reflect on the totality of cause and effect. Based on the themes of the above-mentioned professionals and activities, for me, it is pretty evident that there is enough of a force to incentivise professionals to address these challenges, but with that also comes buzzwords and terms. So, it is very very complex!</p>
<p><br>For me the lens to look through that might yield the most impact is through the value we place on human emotion. Personally, I highly value business which is rooted in exchange of value. I love fine art, jewellery, luxurious homes and furniture, I love my amenities such as clean water, electricity and telecoms. I think business is super important because none of this would be possible without it, but I also believe it to have been perverted due to profit pushing at all cost. I think certain sectors must never be privatised or profit-driven, especially when those industries are involved with aspects that are integral to human survival and thriving.</p>
<h2>WHAT BENEFITS DO YOU THINK COMPANIES CAN GAIN FROM THIS?</h2>
<p>Well, that depends on the companies. some companies would not be able to survive were it not for the human violations. I'm not really sure how to shortly explain fully, but the structures that enable their existence have been put in place through loopholes and conceptual justifications created by those who profit from it. Next to that, there are not always many options for alternatives. Just recently I was in a group conversation where someone said that those wanting to make valuable changes in the world should volunteer and work for good causes. It sounded ridiculous to me. In my eyes, those who are solving real issues and delivering solutions should be the most rewarded, not work for free or for scraps.&nbsp;<br>I think if we start building businesses based on the foundation of exchanging value, then it would change the landscape completely. Many companies use the buzz term design thinking, and designers have long been involved in the reward aspect of creating value. And yet, at the same time, some companies really miss the mark in understanding that design is meant to creatively solve problems, more than to create problems to force compliance.<br>That said, there are companies that exchange value and do profit from being human-centric. Trust and loyalty is one massive metric that yields bountiful harvests. Ok, we all know this, that is why it is exploited by harnessing the darker aspects of humans and human emotion, but at the same time sports and academic achievement is as high as ever. What this tells me is that we do have the desire to feel victorious and with that, I think we can rely on a metric of achievement to benefit from how we measure success. I think if we centre our businesses around building legacies instead of bank accounts, then we will really reap the benefits. Because we go through quite a lot of conformist validations throughout our educational backgrounds, we are often more able to just do a thing, than to actually be original and unique.&nbsp;<br>Add luxury mindset and power struggles to the mix, and you end up with the economy we have today, which if we were competent and able, would be less volatile and we would see less recessions and economic disasters. Applying more human-centric techniques and solutions would enable us to build stronger economies and cement our positions as true champions in business. Maybe companies are satisfied with ephemeral accomplishments, but I personally believe that winning business champs are akin to a house with a strong foundation. It can stand its ground for a really long time and survive the worst weather while offering comfort and reassurance.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Thanks, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicestorm/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Candice</a>! You rock 🤘</p>
<p>Interview by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-daniel-2a6195196/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cameron Daniel</a></p>

Candice Storm | Design In Focus

<p>ED&amp;I. Many people can talk the talk, but can they walk the walk? The proof is in the pudding - or hiring in this case.</p>
<p>Meet <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/namratasarmah/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nam</a>. <br>Nam is the Chief Product Officer at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/school/into-university-partnerships/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INTO University Partnerships</a> &ndash; a global higher education company that works with 30+ top universities in the UK, US, and Australia to help recruit international students from 70+ countries for undergrad and postgrad degree programmes. She has also built a diverse product team at INTO made up of folk representing 10+ nationalities and languages and a 50/50 split in terms of gender diversity, she runs a community group of 500+ called "<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13854934/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women in Product UK</a>" AND is also a Founding Member of <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinchief/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chief </a>in the UK - phew.&nbsp;</p>
<p>To say she knows a thing or two about ED&amp;I in the tech industry is the understatement of the year...</p>
<p>As you can imagine, Nam has insane amounts of insight and advice on creating a more diverse workforce, so if you're looking to break into the industry or are a company looking to enjoy the huge amounts of benefits in hiring a diverse team - read on! It may be the start of something amazing...</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>KICKING THINGS OFF, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO AT INTO UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS?</h2>
<p><br>I work as a Chief Product Officer at INTO University Partnerships &ndash; a global higher education company. We work with 30+ top universities in the UK, US, and Australia who we help in recruiting international students from 70+ countries for undergrad and postgrad degree programmes. We help students throughout their academic and career journeys. I&rsquo;m accountable for INTO&rsquo;s digital platforms, digital experiences, and our student employability business.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>STARTING AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR CAREER, HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE INDUSTRY?</h2>
<p>I started my career as a software engineer, the first 1-2 years of my career was focused on tech only. I didn&rsquo;t know about product management at that time; it wasn&rsquo;t a structured discipline. I entered the world of product management after my MBA, it was a chance encounter, a bit of an experiment. Product management was quite new in the UK at that time (circa 2013), so not many companies had a product team. I saw this as an opportunity!&nbsp;</p>
<h2>AS A WOMAN IN TECHNOLOGY, HAVE YOU FACED ANY CHALLENGES OR BARRIERS IN YOUR CAREER?</h2>
<p>Entry wasn&rsquo;t a challenge, but I had no role models. Most of my bosses have been male. During my early career, I was often part of the CTO org, there was no CPO role. I&rsquo;ve been lucky as most of my managers have been quite helpful, but I always yearned for a female role model. There was no structured career path either, I learnt a lot of things by doing. Things were different few a years ago, the product community wasn&rsquo;t as big as it is today, and the support network was small too, especially for women in tech.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>WHAT DOES DIVERSITY MEAN TO YOU AND WHY DO YOU THINK IT&rsquo;S IMPORTANT?</h2>
<p>Diversity should be at the top of any leader&rsquo;s agenda, especially for product leaders as we build products for such a wide audience; our users can be anywhere in the world. Our users are diverse, this means that the teams building products must be diverse too. I am very happy to say that my current team is very diverse, we are about 50/50 in terms of gender diversity, and we represent 10+ nationalities and languages. We have been successful in building a very diverse team, this was my goal when I joined the company.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL AT EMPLOYING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION WITHIN INTO. THIS IS SOMETHING MANY COMPANIES WITHIN THE INDUSTRY ARE TRYING TO IMPROVE ON. WHAT DO YOU THINK CAN BE DONE TO HELP ATTRACT A MORE DIVERSE MIX OF PEOPLE INTO TECH?</h2>
<p>First, having a diverse senior/executive team is very important, even at the board level. It all starts at the top! Role modelling plays a big role when it comes to building diverse teams. My advice to other companies would be to look at your board and exec team and challenge them on diversity. This is important if a company wants to attract diverse talent. This has happened to me personally, and I feel proud and grateful that I tend to attract diverse candidates for jobs in my team. &nbsp;But what matters more is inclusion and belonging. Hiring diverse talent is much easier than keeping them for the long term. People need to feel included and have a sense of belonging and for a company to be a safe and positive place to work.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>IF YOU COULD GIVE ADVICE TO SOMEONE FROM AN UNDERREPRESENTED BACKGROUND WHO&rsquo;S THINKING OF GETTING INTO THE TECH INDUSTRY, WHAT WOULD THAT BE?</h2>
<p>Knowledge is power! My advice would be to upskill yourself and work hard to achieve your goals. There is so much free knowledge and resources around. There are several certification &amp; training programs that can also make the entry into tech industry feasible. Internships are a great way to enter the sector of your choice. As a person of colour, one thing I have learnt is that &ldquo;we must work twice as hard to get half as far&rdquo;. This means there is no time to waste, just keep going&hellip;</p>
<h2>WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPIEST IN YOUR FREE TIME?</h2>
<p>Oh, that&rsquo;s very easy to answer. Playing with my two kids makes me very happy. I&rsquo;ve got 2 cheeky boys aged 5 years and 7 months. Every little spare time that I get is devoted to them.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE OR A QUOTE YOU LIVE/WORK BY?</h2>
<p>I&rsquo;ve had one favourite quote throughout my life since my school days, I don&rsquo;t know where I heard it from originally. It goes&nbsp; &ldquo;Give the world the best you have, and the best will come back to you&rdquo;. I live my life based on this mantra. I like to give, and I give without expecting anything in return. I know that the universe will pay me back in some shape or form if I truly deserve it.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>TO ROUND THINGS OFF, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO COVER?</h2>
<p>I would like to mention my community group &ldquo;Women in Product UK&rdquo; which is very close to my heart. This group has been going strong since 2020, and we have 500+ members now. It&rsquo;s completely free to join! So, if you are reading this interview and you are a product manager or an aspiring product manager, please do join this group. It&rsquo;s available on LinkedIn, Facebook, and WhatsApp and you can find the LinkedIn group <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13854934/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Thanks, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/namratasarmah/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nam</a>, you rock 🤘</em></p>
<p><em>Interview by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabel-everitt-3944961a1/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Annie Everitt</a></em></p>

Namrata Sarmah | INTO University Partnerships

<p>Last Friday it was &lsquo;International Women in Engineering Day&rsquo; and we celebrated all the amazing female engineers within the Women Rock community. So, this week&rsquo;s guest on the blog: Software Engineering Manager <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanmayakulkarni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tanmaya </a>is extremely fitting, and we are thrilled to have her join our growing network.&nbsp;<br>Tanmaya always knew she wanted to be in computer engineering and strongly believes the support and encouragement from her family and colleagues has played dividends in her successes within the industry &ndash; did we mention she was listed as a finalist for the "Women in IT" award for her outstanding contributions to leading a team and delivering tangible business returns in 2023?&nbsp;</p>
<p>Now being a parent herself to twins &ndash; one boy and one girl, Tanmaya uses her own experiences to make sure she fosters an environment that promotes equality &ndash; there are no &lsquo;pink and blue jobs&rsquo; in the Kulkarni household!&nbsp;</p>
<h2>FROM BEING PLACED INTO INFOSYS DURING YOUR STUDIES IN THE EARLY 2000S, TO BECOMING A TOP 50 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING LEADER 2023 &amp; WORKING WITH RENOWNED COMPANY XERO, HOW HAS YOUR JOURNEY BEEN INTO TECH &amp; BEYOND?</h2>
<p>I grew up in Pune, a famous city in India, and from a young age, I was interested in technology and fascinated by how computers worked. As I grew older, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in computer engineering.</p>
<p>I am proud to be the first girl in my family to pursue engineering, and I received exceptional support from my parents, who encouraged me to pursue my dreams and provided me with the resources I needed to succeed. I also credit my husband, who is a Software programme manager, for being a constant source of support and inspiration throughout my journey.</p>
<p>During my studies in computer engineering, I spent long hours in the computer lab, writing code and debugging programs. I also took part in extracurricular activities such as coding competitions and hackathons to hone my skills and gain experience.</p>
<p>After graduation, I worked with multinational tech companies in India such as Infosys and Persistent for a few years. During this time, I learned a lot, working on various projects and collaborating with a team of developers.</p>
<p>In 2008, I moved to the UK to join my husband, who was posted there on a deputation. Soon after, I landed a job at EADS Astrium, now known as Airbus Defence and Space. I was excited about the opportunity to work in the space industry in a new country and learn from world-class colleagues. I quickly proved myself to be a talented developer, writing clean, efficient code and delivering projects on time.</p>
<p>Over the years, I changed companies and continued to advance my career in the UK, taking on engineering leadership roles managing teams of developers and ensuring that projects were completed to a high standard. I found this role challenging but rewarding, as I enjoyed mentoring and coaching my team members and helping them grow their skills.</p>
<p>I became known for my technical expertise, leadership skills, and ability to deliver high-quality projects. In 2021, I joined Xero, a leading SaaS provider for accounting and bookkeeping software, where I lead a cross-functional team of engineers, designers, and product managers. In 2023, I was listed as a finalist for the "Women in IT" award for my outstanding contributions to leading a team and delivering tangible business returns. In the same year, I was also listed as one of the "top 50 software engineering leaders to watch."</p>
<p>Looking back on my journey, I am proud of what I have accomplished. I credit my success to my hard work, determination, and passion for technology. I also recognize the importance of having a supportive family and colleagues who have helped me along the way. I am excited about the future of women in technology and look forward to continuing to make an impact in the field of software engineering.</p>
<h2>WITH 11-YEAR-OLD TWINS (A BOY AND A GIRL) AT HOME, YOU HAVE WITNESSED FIRST-HAND HOW CHILDREN ARE EXPOSED TO GENDER STEREOTYPES FROM DAY 1. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE WAYS IN WHICH YOU PROMOTE EQUALITY AT HOME?</h2>
<p>My husband and I are both work in software engineering and we both share the household chores equally. Growing up in such a family setup reflects in children&rsquo;s behaviour naturally. We do not have the pink vs blue in our household - since a very young age, both have been encouraged to equally play with dolls and construction toys. We are selective when it comes to which books to read and shows to watch. In the holidays, the twins are given small chores to do at home to foster the environment that promotes equality.</p>
<h2>WHAT HAVE YOUR KIDS TAUGHT YOU ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF EMBRACING DIFFERENCE (WHEN IT COMES TO DIFFERENT APPROACHES ETC.)?</h2>
<p>The dynamic between my twins never ceases to amaze me, as their unique ways of thinking complement each other beautifully. To illustrate this, both of them are currently learning the programming language Python. My son takes a systematic and methodical approach to his assignments, ensuring that the program is robust and comprehensive. Meanwhile, my daughter adds a touch of usability to her projects, incorporating a user-friendly interface along with solving the core problem at hand. Witnessing their distinct approaches to the same task is a constant source of wonder, and I often imagine the incredible projects they'll create together in the future. Moreover, I'm grateful for the alternative perspective my daughter brings to programming, and I can't imagine what I would have missed if I had discouraged her from pursuing this field.</p>
<h2>IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU DO, AS A HIRING MANAGER/INTERVIEW PANELLIST, TO PROMOTE DIVERSITY WITHIN YOUR TEAMS?</h2>
<p>Making the hiring process inclusive and fair to all applicants regardless of their background is the key to hiring diverse talent. As a hiring manager, I ensure that wordings in job postings are inclusive and welcoming to diverse candidates. Additionally, I take steps to train the interview panel to recognize and eliminate unconscious biases during interviews. Wherever possible, I like to include at least one of the underrepresented groups, such as women, people of colour, and people with disabilities on the interview panel.</p>
<p>During interviews, I emphasise the values and culture of our team. This approach has proven to be effective in attracting a diverse pool of candidates.</p>
<h2>HAVING MOVED TO THE UK FROM INDIA, YOU TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO CULTURES, AND HOW INDIA REMAINS MORE PROGRESSIVE THAN THE UK WITH REGARD TO DIVERSITY RATIOS. IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN LEARN FROM THE INDIAN CULTURE, TO FOLLOW IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS?</h2>
<p>To better comprehend why India has a greater proportion of women in STEM than the UK, it is essential to analyse the contrasting approaches to recruiting women in IT and the cultural perspectives surrounding the technology industry in both countries.&nbsp;</p>
<p>In India, fresh graduates from a range of STEM disciplines, including technology, are recruited by companies directly from universities. The recruitment process, including exams and interviews, takes place on campus, and successful candidates receive on-the-job training before working on live projects. Conversely, in the UK, I see students are more likely to attend job fairs and often need to gain additional training or experience before joining firms that are difficult to access.</p>
<p>Apart from recruitment strategies, the cultural environment in India is more welcoming to women in the technology industry than in the UK. In the UK, stereotypes about the types of individuals who typically fill technology roles can discourage girls from considering technology careers at a young age. In India, women are regarded as an indispensable part of the technology industry, and many pursue technology careers due to their passion for the field. Women in India are exposed to media such as adverts, brochures, and public billboards featuring other women in the technology industry, which serve as role models.</p>
<p>In the UK, the lack of role models in the technology industry is a significant problem that even young women have voiced concern about. Furthermore, there needs to be a mindset shift among parents and teachers to eliminate gender stereotyping of STEM subjects.</p>
<h2>WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO GET UP TO OUTSIDE OF WORK?</h2>
<p>When I'm not working, I spend a lot of time driving my twins to their various activities. In my free time, I enjoy exploring my creative side through arts and crafts such as quilling and acrylic painting. Additionally, I have a passion for cooking and love trying out new recipes to satisfy my inner foodie.</p>
<h2>IS THERE A MANTRA THAT YOU LIVE BY?</h2>
<p>I would like to mention two quotes that really resonate.</p>
<p>"The only way to do great work is to love what you do." - Steve Jobs<br>The quote highlights the importance of finding work that you're passionate about, as this can be a key driver for achieving greatness in your field</p>
<p>"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." - African proverb<br>It reminds me that working together can lead to more significant achievements that can have a greater impact - while working alone might be faster but may not necessarily lead to long-term success.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Thanks, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanmayakulkarni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tanmaya </a>you rock 🤘</em></p>
<p><em>Interview by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/izzy-morgan-davies-dotnet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Izzy Morgan-Davis</a></em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

Tanmaya Kulkarni | Henry Schein One

<p class="MsoNormal">Uncomfortable thoughts and questions are often the unwelcome visitors in our minds that we try to silence or avoid. There is of course no harm in this avoidance, however in order to learn more about ourselves, sometimes we have to let them in and address them. When it comes to job interviews, we'll probably find these thoughts creeping in and then if we are unsuccessful in the application it seems like these feelings have been validated. But it's how we learn and grow from this, that matters.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/violet-snell-a863a916/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Violet Snell</a>, Head of Platform AI at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/iproov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">iProov</a> urges us to always ask for feedback when an application is unsuccessful - to get perspective and shape how we can adapt to move forward - especially in the tech industry. A self-proclaimed engineer, Violet thrives on the prospect of building useful things to help others. As a woman in the computer vision space, she hopes for a bigger female candidate pool and thinks this can only be achieved if companies take a more holistic approach to hiring, by involving changes in company culture and recruitment practices.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">HI VIOLET! PLEASE COULD YOU START BY TELLING US ABOUT YOUR STORY SO FAR?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">I have worked in tech since my teens, first as a programmer, then gradually specialising in image processing algorithms such as compression and eventually moving into computer vision. I have done both academia and industry but continue to self-identify as an engineer whatever my job title. To me, engineers are people who build useful things that ultimately help others.&nbsp;I really enjoy passing on my accumulated knowledge and supporting the next generation in learning how to make their contribution to the world.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE WOMEN STARTING OUT IN TECH?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Do not be afraid. You are perfectly capable of doing this. Just keep practising and the mastery, and its recognition, will come.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS ON HOW COMPANIES CAN REMOVE BIAS FROM AN INTERVIEW PROCESS TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE HAS A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ensure that interview panels always include at least one woman and listen to their view. This also provides a great step-up opportunity for less experienced staff.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED HIRING WOMEN IN COMPUTER VISION?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">The very basic challenge of a tiny number of candidates.&nbsp;Their standard may be high, but they often have heavily academic backgrounds which are difficult to transition into industry.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">WHY DO YOU BELIEVE THESE CHALLENGES AFFECT COMPUTER VISION MORE SO THAN OTHER AREAS OF DS/ML?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">As a guess, it could be the association with more 'nerdy' areas such as optics and robotics, in other words being more closely related to hardware and greasy overalls than the more abstract and mathematical vibe of general ML and DS. This image (ha-ha) is not true: pixels are features like any others, just a bit more strongly correlated. And the visuals are so much better ;-)</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO WOMEN CONSIDERING APPLYING FOR ROLES BUT WHO MIGHT HAVE RESERVATIONS?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">If your reservations are about the merits of your prospective employer or their line of business - listen to them most attentively, and make sure to resolve them if you do go ahead.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If, on the other hand, your doubts are about your own merits - there is never harm in trying. By seeking feedback on any unsuccessful application, you can learn highly valuable information about yourself, how your skill set is viewed from different application standpoints, what does or doesn't fit, and what you could do to change things. This information is critical to finding the right direction for you but can only be obtained by evaluating a rich range of options. And this does require making contact with the <s>enemy</s> potential new friend.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">IS THERE A MANTRA OR QUOTE THAT YOU LIVE BY OR JUST LIKE?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">I strive for balance, maintaining which is a never-ending task. And the best quote about that is: &ldquo;Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.&rdquo; Albert Einstein</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em>Thanks, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/violet-snell-a863a916/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Violet</a>! You rock 🤘</em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em>Interview by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/data-consultant/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jamie Forgan</a></em></p>

Violet Snell | iProov

<p>One of the best ways to improve ED&amp;I within the tech industry is to talk about it at grassroots level and make sure the next generation of tech professionals are aware of the huge breadth of roles available to them and inspire young individuals from diverse backgrounds to pursue careers in tech, to create a pipeline of talent that reflects the world we live in.</p>
<p>As a recruitment agency that feels so strongly about this, partnering up with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/diversifying-agencies/?trk=affiliated-pages" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Diversifying Agencies</a> was a complete no-brainer for us. Diversifying Agencies was born to help recruiters like us, help fix the ED&amp;I issue within the tech industry. So this week we are chatting with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobi-olowu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tobi Olowu</a>, Account Executive at Diversifying Agencies and an incredible young individual passionate about equity, diversity, and inclusion.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Tobi is an artist, has her own business customising clothes and quotes Burna Boy, aka she's fabulous and we LOVED chatting with her...</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">HI TOBI! COULD YOU START BY TELLING US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF, WHERE DID YOUR PASSION FOR ED&amp;I BEGIN? HOW YOU BECAME A PART OF DIVERSIFYING AGENCIES?<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;"></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hi! My name is Tobi, and I&rsquo;m a 26-year-old Black woman living in the UK. I currently work as an Account Executive for Diversifying Agencies.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Where my passion for ED&amp;I began is very simple &ndash; I have lived my whole life as a Black woman. Being a woman and Black brings not just one but two challenges. It also gives me the drive and passion to want to make a change in the world we live in, to be accepted without having to put up a fight all the time - not just for myself but for everyone.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I came across Diversifying Agencies by scrolling through LinkedIn one night while I was looking for a new job! I saw the job advert and it was exactly what I was looking for in a role, so I started looking into the company and read up on their mission and values. And I thought to myself, why wouldn&rsquo;t I want to be a part of such a great movement and be able to achieve something like this at a time in my career? I went through the interview process, which was a great experience, and was successful in getting the role!</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT HOW AND WHY DIVERSIFYING AGENCIES WAS CREATED?<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;"></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Diversifying Agencies was co-founded by the amazing Cynthia Davis and Luke Davis, who both have extensive experience in the recruitment industry. They&rsquo;d previously created two other job boards for employers to advertise roles directly but realised there was nothing out there specifically for recruitment agencies. As more and more employers are asking for proof of inclusive recruitment practices and diverse shortlists, it is SO important for recruitment agencies to show how they are proactively supporting diversity and inclusion. So that&rsquo;s where Diversifying Agencies was born.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We believe recruiters have a massive role to play in moving ED&amp;I forward, so we&rsquo;ve worked hard to create a safe space and a real community for recruitment professionals to exchange opinions and ideas as they grow. We provide them with the tools they need to make recruitment more representative and inclusive. This means that we only work with agencies and consultants who truly care about making a difference and who are willing to commit to adopting inclusive recruitment practices and advocating for ED&amp;I with their clients.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE DIVERSIFYING AGENCIES MOST SUCCESSFUL METHODS WHEN SUPPORTING ORGANISATIONS ON THEIR JOURNEY TO INCLUSIVE WORKING?<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;"></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">One of our guiding principles is that ED&amp;I is about &ldquo;widening the gate, not lowering the bar&rdquo;. To us, diverse recruitment is about broadening the talent pool from which candidates are sourced so that we can find the best person for the job, regardless of their background &ndash; and it&rsquo;s something we teach every single one of our partners.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We believe it&rsquo;s all about education, so we offer tailored guidance and support to each of our partners, as well as exclusive ED&amp;I resources and learning materials to support agencies (and their clients) on their journey to building a fairer and more inclusive world of work. Another really successful avenue, in my opinion, is how we connect with our partners on a personal, human level, with a dedicated Account Executive attending to their journey at every step. I love working directly with inclusive recruiters and creating that sense of community!</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">CLEARLY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IS SOMETHING YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT, WHAT DO YOU THINK CAN BE DONE TO HELP ATTRACT A MORE DIVERSE MIX OF PEOPLE INTO THE TECH INDUSTRY - OR ANY INDUSTRY FOR THAT MATTER?!</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Every organisation first needs to commit to their ED&amp;I journey &ndash; it doesn&rsquo;t matter if you&rsquo;ve just started or if you&rsquo;re not &ldquo;doing ED&amp;I&rdquo; perfectly yet, what matters is that you&rsquo;re showing an interest in making a difference for people of all backgrounds and committing to support a diverse talent pool. Once candidates see that you&rsquo;re making the effort, they&rsquo;ll be more likely to trust you and want to join your organisation &ndash; or your industry as a whole.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you don&rsquo;t know where to start, reach out to ED&amp;I organisations (like Diversifying Group and Diversifying Agencies!) &ndash; there are tons of experts out there whose mission is to support companies and give them the tools to better themselves. It can be hard to find that diverse talent pool if you don&rsquo;t know where to look, so don&rsquo;t hesitate to reach out to people who can help.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">AS A WOMAN OF COLOUR, HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED ANY CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS IN YOUR CAREER?<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;"></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">As a woman of colour, I would say yes, I have experienced challenges and barriers in my career but not to the great extent I would say many others have experienced. I think I have been quite lucky in not being exposed to too many negative impacts from being a woman of colour, but what I can say is I have felt like at times I have been picked for a tick box exercise more than for my actual experiences and skills I have gained. Other times I have felt I have been treated fairly by my other counterparts. I have had to take other measures to be treated fairly, for example changing my name on my CV, so It&rsquo;s not discarded to the side because it&rsquo;s &lsquo;too hard to pronounce&rsquo;.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">WHAT IS YOUR PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENT IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR AND ALSO PERSONALLY?<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;"></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">My proudest achievement in my career, to be honest, is this job that I am currently in now as an Account Executive at Diversifying Agencies! I feel like I have come such a long way in such a short time in this role, more than I ever have in any other job in my life. This job challenges me in many ways, but it&rsquo;s also helping me grow, and I&rsquo;m very grateful for that. In my personal life, my proudest achievement is my side hustle as an artist. I&rsquo;ve loved to draw from a very young age and even though I stopped during university, I picked it up again during the pandemic. I started my own small business customising clothing during the pandemic too, and I have been able to sell my own work. It took a lot for me to come out of my shell and do such a big thing but I&rsquo;m so happy I took the leap of faith and did it. Check my work out <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tjart.co/?igshid=ZWQyN2ExYTkwZQ==" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>!</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">WHO WOULD YOU SAY INSPIRES YOU? THIS COULD BE A COLLEAGUE, FAMILY MEMBER, FRIEND OR CELEBRITY.</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">I always find this to be a tricky question! I feel like everyone else can say what inspires them off the top of their head, but I always have to sit there and think before I can answer. I&rsquo;d say what inspires me changes frequently to whatever is motivating me at the time to do better. For example, If I can see my peers doing great things in their field, it just makes me want to do better. But if I had to choose one, it would definitely be my parents. I admire them very much and they inspire me every day - how strong they are, their resilience, their work ethic&hellip; I could go on. I am the person I am today because of them.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPIEST IN YOUR FREE TIME?<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;"></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">What makes me happy in my spare time is drawing and painting. I would consider myself to be a street artist. I love street art, graffiti, and old-school art. I recently went to the &lsquo;Beyond the Streets&rsquo; art exhibition in London which featured some really dope artists and I felt like I was in heaven. Drawing feels peaceful to me, and I love being able to just get carried away with my creativity.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE OR A QUOTE YOU LIVE/WORK BY?<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;"></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">My favourite quotes always change throughout my life, to be honest. It really depends on what stage I am in my life or what&rsquo;s going on in my personal or work life. But right now, my favourite quote is by Burna Boy: &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t come and kill myself!&rdquo; (a common Nigerian saying). This means that no matter what is going on in my life, especially situations I have no control over, I can&rsquo;t stress myself over it and make myself potentially ill and allow it to affect my mental health. I&rsquo;d rather take things one day at a time and do what I can but not stretch myself. I&rsquo;m only one person!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em>Thanks, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobi-olowu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tobi</a>! You rock 🤘</em><br><em>Interview by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-eadon-57984a14/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sophie Eadon</a></em></p>

Tobi Olowu | Diversifying Agencies

<p>What does a job title actually tell you about a person? And in this day and age, are all job titles completely reflective of what we do day-to-day?&nbsp;</p>
<p>When <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fleur-thompson-14847812/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fleur Thompson</a> decided a change was due after being with the same company for 9 years she struggled to identify with a specific role and what would suit her experience. After studying Computer Science at Uni and spending the first few years of her career as a software developer the tech skills were obvious, however, she had also picked up a load of soft skills along the way, opening up many more options in her new job search. Now Principle Solutions Architect at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/tumelo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tumelo</a>, Fleur gets to use all her skills in an amazing culture, surrounded by amazing people - the dream!&nbsp;</p>
<p>Are you ready for a move? Or feeling a bit lost or overwhelmed with what is out there? Then give this a read and take the leap...</p>
<h2>KICKING THINGS OFF COULD YOU PLEASE TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF, YOUR JOB AND WHAT YOUR DAY-TO-DAY LOOKS LIKE?</h2>
<p>I'm currently working as a Principal Solutions Architect at Tumelo. I've been here nearly 11&nbsp;months now, and so far my job has mainly involved helping our customers to integrate&nbsp;Tumelo's technology and then feeding customer requirements back into our engineering and product teams internally. As the first person in this role, I've had lots of opportunities to&nbsp;improve our processes and my previous experience in dealing with contracts has been very&nbsp;handy! In the last couple of months, my focus has shifted more towards our internal engineering practices, and looking to improve how we work so that we have a stable&nbsp;foundation to support Tumelo's future growth. I've had a fairly traditional path to get to where&nbsp;I am today - I studied Computer Science at university and then after spending the first few years of my career as a software developer, I gradually moved into customer-facing roles. I<br>really enjoy being able to blend my technical background with the soft skills that I have.</p>
<h2>WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO COMPANIES TO ATTRACT MORE DIVERSE FOLK INTO THEIR TECHNICAL&nbsp;ROLES?</h2>
<p>You can normally tell fairly easily whether a company is just saying that they care about&nbsp;diversity, without actually meaning it. If you look at a company's leadership page and it's all&nbsp;white men then that's a pretty big indicator! I think something that's really important is&nbsp;recognising that women will typically not apply to jobs unless they feel they meet all of the&nbsp;criteria for the role, so take the time to craft your job listing carefully, and call out that you aren't necessarily looking for applicants to tick every box. Celebrate the diversity that you&nbsp;have within your organisation on your careers page and social media profiles, and highlight&nbsp;any company policies that you have in place which may be particularly attractive to&nbsp;underrepresented groups.</p>
<h2>DEGREES, I HAVE HUGE RESPECT FOR FOLK WHO SPENT YEARS (AND MONEY) ON A DEGREE BUT EQUALLY, I THINK TOO MANY COMPANIES REQUEST THEM AS STANDARD AND CAN BE A BLOCKER FOR MANY (AND&nbsp;MOSTLY UNDERREPRESENTED FOLK) INTO THE INDUSTRY. DO YOU THINK A DEGREE IS ESSENTIAL TO GET&nbsp;INTO TECH?</h2>
<p>My former boss not only required applicants to have a degree, but if it wasn't a Computer&nbsp;Science degree from one of a handful of universities then you didn't really stand a chance of&nbsp;getting an interview. This then resulted in an environment where there was very little diversity&nbsp;of background and perspective as everyone had had extremely similar experiences. Technical&nbsp;ability is objectively measurable, so there's absolutely no reason to make a degree a&nbsp;prerequisite for a role when it's so easy to determine whether someone has the right skills in&nbsp;other ways, for example asking them to complete a technical assessment as part of the&nbsp;interview process (although ChatGPT presents an interesting challenge there for companies&nbsp;given candidates could be using it to complete the assessment for them!). I also think some&nbsp;companies focus too much on requiring very specific experience in certain technologies rather&nbsp;than evaluating candidates as a whole - it's much easier to teach someone how to use a&nbsp;particular technology than it is to mould someone's behaviour.</p>
<h2>WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO DATE?</h2>
<p>After 9 years with the same company, I decided to look for a new role. It was only then that I&nbsp;realised that having a job title that doesn't accurately reflect what you do or how senior you are is a significant barrier when it comes to applying for jobs. I struggled with knowing what kind of position would suit my experience, and I found it challenging to find suitable jobs to apply to and work&nbsp;out how to highlight the value I could bring. I&nbsp;definitely learnt a lot from this though, and my advice to anyone in a similar position would be&nbsp;to focus on what you enjoy doing and your strengths and highlight those areas when applying to appropriate roles.</p>
<h2>WHO INSPIRES YOU MOST IN A PROFESSIONAL/PERSONAL SENSE?</h2>
<p>As someone who follows a lot of sports, I am naturally inspired by sportspeople,&nbsp; particularly elite-level netball players in the UK. As the sport isn't professional here, the athletes have to balance their sporting commitments with their full-time jobs (doctors, lawyers, teachers...), and some of them are mums too. Netball is such an underrated sport, I&nbsp;really encourage anyone to go and watch a Superleague game if you have the chance, it's so&nbsp;much faster and more physical than the game you'll remember from school! In a professional&nbsp;sense, I have to mention Tumelo's CEO, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgia-stewart-861697107/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Georgia</a>. Not only does she have an unwavering drive to succeed in Tumelo's mission, she is passionate about creating a great culture within the&nbsp;company and really strives to ensure that we have a diverse team. I love that at Tumelo, I'm&nbsp;never the only woman in a meeting, even if it's just with engineers, and I have male colleagues&nbsp;who will call out the use of non-inclusive language (not that that's a common occurrence!).</p>
<h2>I&rsquo;D LOVE TO KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ON CULTURE. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE A GREAT CULTURE?</h2>
<p>Culture isn't just words on a page, it's a living, breathing thing. It's great if a company has a&nbsp;defined set of values that underline its culture, but if the leadership team doesn't embody&nbsp;those values, or if employees aren't actively encouraged to live by them, then it's effectively&nbsp;meaningless. Psychological safety is something that I think is really key when it comes to&nbsp;creating a great culture, particularly because people need to feel able to call out when they've&nbsp;seen something that goes against the company's values.</p>
<h2>WHAT ONE PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHERS?</h2>
<p>Don't be afraid to speak up and share your views. It's unfortunately often the loudest/most vocal people in the room that get themselves heard - if that doesn't suit your personality then&nbsp;try and find another way to make sure that you have a voice.</p>
<h2>YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE OR MANTRA YOU LIVE BY?</h2>
<p>Do the right thing, even when no one is looking.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Thanks, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fleur-thompson-14847812/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fleur </a>you rock!&nbsp;&nbsp;</em></p>
<p><em>Interview by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-teagle-93b04692/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alicia Teagle</a></em></p>

Fleur Thompson | Tumelo

<p class="MsoNormal">What's your superpower?&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-strickland-54801330/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jenny Strickland's</a> is her dyslexia. Since being diagnosed at the age of 14 Jenny has learnt to embrace her dyslexia and we are HERE FOR IT! The tech industry thrives on diversity and inclusion, valuing different ways of thinking and unique perspectives, so as Development Director at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/vistair-systems-ltd/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vistair Systems</a>, Jenny harnesses her ability to solve problems quickly in her own way and celebrates her uniqueness.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">She's also a mum of two, a huge ED&amp;I advocate and has recently set up Women @ Vistair to make sure the company are as inclusive to their needs as it can be...basically she's a superhero, without the cape - they don't all wear them you know...</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">HI JENNY, THANK YOU FOR BEING INVOLVED WITH WOMEN ROCK! COULD YOU TELL ME A BIT ABOUT HOW YOU FIRST GOT STARTED IN TECH?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">I actually got into tech by pure luck! When doing my A Levels I was really into sport (you wouldn&rsquo;t think that now looking at me) and thought that would be the career path for me, however near the end of my studies I realised that it was just not for me as a career.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fairly quickly I had to look for an alternative path that was interesting to me, one degree really stood out. Business information management systems (BIMS) just ticked so many boxes. Coming from an entrepreneurial family I am really interested in how businesses are run etc.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I was lucky that I worked with great people on the course and the engineering side was extremely interesting. I was then fortunate to get a placement year that cemented that this was the career path for me.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">YOU ARE THE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR AT VISTAIR SYSTEMS IN BRISTOL, WE ABSOLUTELY LOVE TO SEE A WOMAN LEADING FROM THE FRONT WITHIN A TECH COMPANY. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE AND WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT THE JOB?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">I often get asked these questions in interviews and I find it difficult to answer. I like to think that my style is to empower people, get buy-in by ensuring people understand what I am trying to do, and&nbsp;being as transparent as I can be - what you see is what you get. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I am passionate about my job; I love to see what the team can build and share in their successes. My favourite type of meeting is when we are all swarmed around a whiteboard collaborating on ideas and feeding off everyone&rsquo;s energy and excitement.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">AS A WOMAN IN TECHNOLOGY, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BEST AND WORST THING YOU&rsquo;VE ENCOUNTERED WITHIN THE INDUSTRY OVER THE YEARS?<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;"></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Good question! The worst thing I have encountered was quite a few years ago, I was in a meeting where I was the only female representative and was completely ignored. When I made suggestions, these were then repeated by someone else in the room! I felt completely invisible.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Although the above is an extreme example of not feeling noticed, I see this behaviour on a surprisingly frequent basis, especially in interviews, where the interviewee cannot look me in the eye etc (let&rsquo;s just say that they do not get the job!). I think people are still surprised to see a female leader in tech.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As someone that suffers from imposter syndrome, I think it&rsquo;s important to have a community of women that support each other. When you have this, you can really thrive and feel supported in whatever you do. My time working at Vistair has been amazing, I never think of myself as a female leader or woman in technology I am just part of the team, and everyone is supporting you.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">QUITE A LOT OF WOMEN HAVE FELT THEY HAVE HAD TO MAKE SACRIFICES WITH FAMILY TO PURSUE THEIR CAREER CHOICES, AS A MOTHER YOURSELF HAVE YOU EVER COME UP AGAINST ANY BARRIERS LIKE THIS AND IF SO, HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM?<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;"></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">I have two wonderful but slightly demanding children (7 &amp; 9), I am lucky that now that they are at school, I can spend time focusing on myself and my career however this has not always been the case.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The hardest time for me was going on maternity leave and not working for that period. I was really honest with my employer at the time and they added lots of keeping-in-touch days so that I felt like I was still part of the company.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After my first, I decided to work part-time, but unfortunately, this did not work for me so went back full time quickly. This meant that they had to go to nursery at a young age, I was very critical of myself at the time and trying to juggle the best for me and also my children.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My advice to anyone in a similar situation is to be transparent with your partner and your manager about what is and is not working for you. But also don&rsquo;t be hard on yourself and compare yourself to others.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">I KNOW THAT YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT BUILDING A DIVERSE TEAM AT VISTAIR, AND YOU&rsquo;VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH DIVERSE HIRES RECENTLY &ndash; HOW DO YOU ENSURE YOUR INTERVIEW PROCESS IS INCLUSIVE AND WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER HIRING MANAGERS AROUND THIS?&nbsp;<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;"></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">I always try and keep interviews as informal as possible; I believe that you are not going to get the most out of the interviewees if the candidates are not relaxed. A successful interview for me is when the candidate does not actually feel they were in an interview.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I think it is also important to talk about your company values and what type of candidate you are looking for, this makes them already feel like they can add value to your company.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If possible, bring people into the interview that would make the candidate feel at ease or they can relate to, they are much more likely to accept an offer if they feel like they &ldquo;belong&rdquo;.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT VISTAIR IS A GREAT PLACE TO WORK FOR PEOPLE FROM ALL DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND WALKS OF LIFE?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Vistair has a great culture of inclusiveness and hiring great people no matter what their backgrounds are.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The fact that one of our company values is &ldquo;Inclusive: We&rsquo;re friendly, welcoming and see strength in diversity&rdquo; demonstrates our passion.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I am always sceptical about company values and if they are followed etc, but working at Vistair is converting me. There are so many examples of where actions support what we say we do. For example:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Diwali celebrations: favourite time of year for me when we all get together and celebrate Diwali and eat samosas.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mental Health: We have trained mental health first aiders that provide the support that is so important.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Social events organised by the social committee and varied to support different backgrounds e.g. board games night, movie nights, pub, cricket matches, football matches &hellip;&hellip;.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I don&rsquo;t think any company/organisation is perfect, but we are always trying to make ourselves better.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Currently, the director of people and I are doing Women @ Vistair sessions where we are asking all the women at Vistair what we can do to make it more inclusive.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Feedback on what a company can do better is essential to supporting different backgrounds.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;"></p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">LET&rsquo;S TALK ABOUT YOUR SELF-PROCLAIMED SUPERPOWER! WE HAVE TALKED PREVIOUSLY ABOUT YOU GROWING UP STRUGGLING WITH UNDIAGNOSED DYSLEXIA AND HOW LATER IN LIFE IT HAS BENEFITED YOU AND BECOME A BIG STRENGTH OF YOURS. TELL ME MORE ABOUT THAT AND THE IMPACT IT&rsquo;S MADE ON YOUR CAREER?<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;"></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">I&rsquo;ve had Dyslexia all my life, but it wasn&rsquo;t diagnosed until I was about 14, before this time I was just put in the not-very-bright group. Once I was diagnosed everything started to make sense.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I now really embrace my &ldquo;superpower&rdquo; as it makes me different but also relatable. I am not perfect and frequently say the wrong thing in meetings which can often break tensions or makes it more memorable.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If anyone is neurodiverse, they tend to look at situations differently. For example, I think my dyslexia gives me better problem-solving skills. This ability to solve problems quickly and logically has helped me get to where I am now.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">ON THE TOPIC OF NEURODIVERSITY, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU PERSONALLY GIVE TO HIRING MANAGERS/EMPLOYERS WHO ARE TRYING TO ENSURE THEIR INTERVIEW PROCESS IS ALSO ATTRACTING NEURODIVERSE CANDIDATES?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Be careful with any type of technical tests, a lot of the time you are just testing people&rsquo;s ability to complete the test rather than their technical ability. For example, as someone that suffers from dyslexia, I need more time to read the questions and I would rather discuss the answer in person than write anything down.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Don&rsquo;t be too critical if they don&rsquo;t use the exact technical terminology just ensure that you are confident that what they are explaining makes sense and that they understand the concepts.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Be conscious of the environment you are doing the interview in to make sure there are as comfortable. Sometimes an over-stimulating environment can be distracting.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Perhaps send the format of the interview in advance to the candidate and ask them if they are comfortable with the format.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">IF YOU COULD GO BACK TO YOUR 16-YEAR-OLD SELF, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE HER?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Just go for it! Be brave and ambitious and don&rsquo;t fear failing &ndash; it&rsquo;s the best way to learn! I sometimes just wish I had more faith in myself.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BIGGEST THING TECH COMPANIES COULD DO TO ATTRACT MORE FEMALE TALENT? AND I GUESS, IF IT WAS YOU LOOKING &ndash; WHAT WOULD ATTRACT YOU TO A COMPANY?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">I think it&rsquo;s important to be able to see what diversity already exists, so I would look at the ratio of women in the senior management team or Board.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Flexible working and good benefits including maternity and paternity leave.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But the most important thing is the overall culture of a company.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">WHO IS SOMEONE IN YOUR LIFE THAT INSPIRES YOU? (THAT YOU KNOW PERSONALLY OR IS A FAMOUS PERSON)</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lame, I know but I would say my mum. My parents set up their company when I was very young, and I have seen how much she helped grow the company in a very male-dominated environment (building contractors). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>She has so much strength and self-belief.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">FINALLY, COULD YOU LEAVE US WITH YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE? (THIS WILL BE THE HEADING ON YOUR BLOG/INTERVIEW POST WHEN IT GOES UP ON THE WEBSITE)<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;"></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else. -Margaret Mead</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thanks <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-strickland-54801330/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jenny</a>, you rock!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Interview by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/javajackson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steph Jackson</a></p>

Jenny Strickland | Vistair

<p>If we had a magic wand, we would wave it in the general direction of the tech industry, utter something along the lines of "Expelliarmus" and get rid of the ED&amp;I issue for good. But the fact remains there are no magic wands as much as there are no "quick fixes" when it comes to solving this complex and multi-faceted matter.</p>
<p>"The problem doesn&rsquo;t actually start at the business: it starts with the early years where you need to be encouraging people from all backgrounds to go for all sorts of opportunities." explains this week's blog guest, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicitas-coulibaly/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Felicita Coulibaly.&nbsp;</a><br><br></p>
<h2>THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. SO, TO BEGIN WITH, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR ROLE AT MAMBU.</h2>
<p>I&rsquo;ve been at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/mambu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mambu </a>coming up to 2 years now and I&rsquo;ve built the Global Insides Sales function which in layman&rsquo;s terms is looking after pipe gen, booking sales meetings, qualifying opportunities and so forth. I&rsquo;ve had a really good time so far. Mambu has been going through major growth and has scaled up rapidly since last year. As well as looking after the business development functions, I also work really closely with marketing partners to ensure BD excellence within the EMEA region. It has been an interesting time over this last year with everything going on in the tech industry, but we&rsquo;re still growing, customers are still expanding, and there&rsquo;s lots of work to do in the finance sector, especially in modernisation!</p>
<h2>I ALSO SAW ON YOUR WEBSITE THAT MAMBU IS A KEY CHAMPION FOR DE&amp;I, I&rsquo;D LOVE TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW YOU CELEBRATE DIVERSITY?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>What I&rsquo;ve noticed about Mambu is that there is a genuine care about the employees and, on a parallel, the employees equally care about DE&amp;I. So there are a lot of things that we do that are not necessarily even organised by the &ldquo;officials&rdquo; but are prompted by employees who have the drive to organise events.&nbsp;<br>We have Cultural Ambassadors in every office at Mambu as well as remotely. These people look after the culture from all angles so that may be from organising events or sending care packages during COVID to also ensuring that our panels and events include internal and external speakers.&nbsp;<br>When it comes to DE&amp;I, for International Women&rsquo;s Day and Black History Month, we run events that show a combined effort and visibility from both the business and the employees which is really good.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>I LOVE THE IDEA OF CULTURAL AMBASSADORS. MAMBU CLEARLY HAS A GREAT STRUCTURE THAT&rsquo;S BEEN IMPLEMENTED SO WHEN YOU THINK OF THE TECH BUSINESS&rsquo;, WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY COULD BE DOING MORE OF IN REGARD TO DIVERSE HIRING?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>I think it&rsquo;s tricky, it comes down to both talent attraction and making sure you get the best for the role and you&rsquo;re never going to hire just to tick a box. The problem doesn&rsquo;t actually start at the business: it starts with the early years where you need to be encouraging people from all backgrounds to go for all sorts of opportunities.<br>I think businesses are starting to and should continue to partner up with universities and schools. Having employees during volunteering days visit schools and explain the range of tech jobs that are available. I didn&rsquo;t have that when I was growing up - I didn&rsquo;t know that Fintech was a thing as it was never discussed. I always assumed that people who work in IT had IT degrees for example.&nbsp;<br>There are so many assumptions that people make depending on their background but by reaching out to different communities, you&rsquo;re ensuring that everyone is included. That&rsquo;s what I think businesses could be doing more of: being proactive in sharing what the tech world is like. We&rsquo;ve recently implemented charity days and I think it would be awesome if we could do more like this. From a business leadership point of view, I believe this should be really encouraged because even though it may not have an immediate consequence as we have talent pools ready and available, the long-term effect would be so impactful. For every job that we put out, we probably always get 80% male versus 20% female applications. And, if you go deeper with it, it gets even worse.<br>I would urge companies, particularly in tech, to get involved a little bit more in some shape or form through community work, particularly for schools. Because you can see that big consultancies will go to certain universities, like Oxford or Harvard, and pick the top of the crop. But, there are so many schools and universities that have equally brilliant talent and they deserve a chance.<br>I remember I went to a Black People and Banking Event in London a few years back and there was a lady on the panel in her early 20s. She just started her career in finance and asset management and she said the school she went to in South East London had told her that there was &ldquo;no way you&rsquo;ll ever work north of the river&rdquo;. That sort of mindset was being established in schools &ndash; so there&rsquo;s definitely a lot that we can do.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>ABSOLUTELY, IT&rsquo;S SO IMPORTANT TO FOCUS ON THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM. SO, ANOTHER AREA THAT I&rsquo;D LOVE TO DISCUSS WITH YOU IS IN REGARD TO THE CURRENT MARKET. WE&rsquo;RE SEEING IN THIS MARKET THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE REACTING TO THE TECH GIANTS LAYOFFS AND ARE LOOKING TO START THEIR OWN BUSINESSES. AS THE HEAD OF BD, WITH DIVERSITY IN MIND, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE?</h2>
<p>Oh, great question &ndash; it&rsquo;s a big question, for sure! I would say surround yourself with people that are not like you. If you are starting a business, obviously you&rsquo;ll need to surround yourself with people that you trust first and foremost. That is the most important thing. But as you build out your leadership teams and when you start hiring, surround yourself with people who are different from you. We tend to attract people who are similar and focus on the ones that we know, that make us feel comfortable and look like us. &nbsp;<br>I mean it&rsquo;s no joke that if you look at all of the boards of the top Fortune 500 companies, they all look kind of similar don&rsquo;t they? Luckily, we are seeing small changes. But, if you are to give yourself the best chance of growing, so many studies have shown that diverse hiring is important.<br>&nbsp;There was a study done by McKinsey who found in 2020 that businesses with more diverse boards have 36% above average profits. Another report I read last week from 2018 published that boards with gender diversity outperform boards without gender diversity. Also, I think it was BCG who found in 2019 that diverse teams drive higher innovation. And then, Deloitte in 2018 found diverse teams outperform competitors by 80%. So really? It&rsquo;s all out there. If you&rsquo;re starting a business and you want to be successful, this is the way forward. Even from a capitalistic and for-profit perspective, diversity is important.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>THOSE STATISTICS SAY EVERYTHING! FINALLY, IS THERE ANY MESSAGE OR THOUGHTS YOU&rsquo;D LIKE TO END ON?</h2>
<p>I&rsquo;d like to say that whilst I&rsquo;m speaking from the female lens, I&rsquo;m also speaking from the lens of a woman of colour and I&rsquo;m very mindful that diversity comes in all shapes, forms and sizes. You can&rsquo;t get it 100% right all of the time and I think people sometimes look at this and they get really scared because nowadays you get called out more for what you do wrong than what you do right. I think it&rsquo;s also really important for companies and business leaders to celebrate how far they have come in being inclusive because you can&rsquo;t fix it all in one day. It&rsquo;s all about mindset and the willingness to do the work and keep going for long-term impact and results. So yeah, it&rsquo;s important to create visibility, go to events and continue the work you are doing to help improve diverse hiring. It&rsquo;s something we all need to get on board with!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Thank you <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicitas-coulibaly/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Felicitas </a>- you rock!</p>
<p>Interview by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizzie-murray-531a29177/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lizzie Murray</a></p>

Felicitas Coulibaly | Mambu 

<p class="MsoNormal">Who remembers the first Apple Macintosh Computer at school? There was usually just one if your school was lucky enough to have the budget and IT lessons were basic computer literacy and productivity software, such as word processors and spreadsheets. It was hard to imagine how these learnings would ever translate into a career. Thankfully technology education has come on leaps and bounds and as this week's interviewee <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ciaraconway/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ciara Conway</a> says if we "start them young!" we can attract a more diverse workforce in the world of tech.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ciara herself has experienced some challenges being a woman in the tech industry and shares with us how these experiences have given her the strength and voice to speak up for herself and others in similar positions. Now Head of Architecture at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/opencastsoftware/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Opencast</a>, Ciara speaks passionately about the 'Don't Step Over the Milk" culture and is here to tell us all about the 'OpenHouse' Opencast will be hosting this month...</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO AT OPENCAST?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">I am Head of Architecture at Opencast. I lead a team of Enterprise, Solution and Technical Architects. I have come to Opencast to help build and develop our Architecture Practice and ensure we have the right skills to support our diverse range of clients.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">I GUESS WE SHOULD START AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR TECH STORY, HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE INDUSTRY?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">When I was growing up, we always had a computer in the house. I learned to program from quite a young age and always thought of it as a hobby and not as a career. Tech education in the 80s and 90s was lacking, and I couldn&rsquo;t equate what we did in technical subjects to something that would translate into a career.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I tended towards more arts and language-based subjects, and I had an innate desire to travel. This led me to study French and Spanish at University. Although my dissertation did have a Neuro Linguistic Programming slant.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I finished university and moved to France almost immediately, followed by Spain and then Italy. I worked as a TEFL teacher and taught English to diverse groups of students. It was one of these students who offered me a job at an internet start-up.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is where all the things I enjoyed started to converge. I was speaking Italian every day, I was programming, and I could see the relevance of all the skills I had developed through hobbies, passions, and education within a work context. I formalised my experience there by returning to university to read for a Masters in IT.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">From here, my career blossomed. I gained more experience and experienced different technology roles until I found architecture. It&rsquo;s always been the perfect role for me but, as they say, is the journey and not the destination that matters.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And they, whoever they are, are right! I gained so much experience and breadth in my career by trying new things and being open to my career moving in unexpected directions!</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">I QUITE OFTEN GET ASKED BY PEOPLE WHO ARE EMBARKING ON THEIR JOURNEY INTO THE INDUSTRY AND PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING TO BREAK INTO TECH, WHERE DO THEY START AND IF A UNIVERSITY DEGREE ESSENTIAL?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">For those wanting to break into tech, it&rsquo;s important to understand where you want to break into tech. If you want to be a developer, it&rsquo;s a very different career pathway than that of a Technical Project Manager or technical business analyst.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Understanding the breadth of roles available in technology today and which ones spark your light is the most important place to start. Some of those roles may require formal education or accreditation and some may not.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When you have an idea of what kind of roles you want to target, look at the roles that will give you that experience and then look at the effort to get there. Make decisions based on the amount of time and effort you want to expend getting there.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">AS A WOMAN IN TECHNOLOGY, HAVE YOU FACED ANY CHALLENGES OR BARRIERS IN YOUR CAREER?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately, I have faced challenges and barriers in my career because of my gender. I have always been in male-dominated environments. I have frequently been the only woman in the team or in the whole department. There are a few ways this has impacted me. Earlier in my career, it did make me feel very isolated and I found myself trying to emulate my colleagues to &lsquo;fit in&rsquo;.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I have faced different levels of misogyny throughout my career. Comments like &lsquo;Menopause isn&rsquo;t a thing&rsquo;, &lsquo;Are you on your period?&rsquo;, &lsquo;When are you thinking of starting a family?&rsquo; and others were more prevalent in the early 2000s than they are now.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">However, I have also been paid significantly less than my male equivalent on more than one occasion. It happened four times during my career (that I know of) and it ultimately has made me a more skilled negotiator, but it has created an economic disparity with my male equivalents over the span of my career that so many women experience in the industry.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I reflect on these moments in my career often. I wonder if I handled them all with the courage I have today and if I gave my consent to be made to feel inferior. I was frightened to complain in some of these male-dominated environments for fear I would lose my job and had rent to pay. I am more settled in my career now and not living pay cheque to pay cheque and it has strengthened my voice. I use it for myself and for those like me at the start of my career who need someone to rock the boat for them. I am glad I can pay it forward now.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IS SOMETHING MANY COMPANIES WITHIN THE INDUSTRY ARE TRYING TO IMPROVE ON. WHAT DO YOU THINK CAN BE DONE TO HELP ATTRACT A MORE DIVERSE MIX OF PEOPLE INTO TECH?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Start them young! Early STEM programs are so important to introduce girls and young women to the breadth of exciting careers in the Technology sector. It&rsquo;s very challenging ensuring diversity in an architecture team today when those women would need to have existed 10/15 years ago to be applying for a senior position today. In the early 2000s, only 30% of people studying technical subjects at university or college were women. With career drop-off due to the inequalities women face as a result of a number of mostly gender-related factors, this leaves an ever-dwindling pool of women who are applying for these roles.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Investing in pipeline talent, training and career-switching programs helps create that pipeline and helps a lot of women come into or come back to architecture (and other technical disciplines).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Workplace inequality around pay, maternity/paternity leave, maternity leave being delayed until x months into a job, and childcare support all have to be addressed to ensure that women have a level playing field at work. We also need to work as a society to remove biases pertaining to the roles that we assume people should play based on their gender.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE OPEN HOUSE OPENCAST ARE RUNNING IN GLASGOW NEXT WEEK? WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE WHO WANT TO ATTEND EXPECT?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">We are so excited to be officially opening our Glasgow office on 16th May 2023. We would love people to come along to find out more about who we are and what we do.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We are always looking for the best people to come and work in our incredible culture. The line that sums up our culture is &lsquo;Don&rsquo;t Step Over the Milk&rsquo;. We are not a company burdened with hierarchy and no one is too important to step over the milk&hellip;.or unpack the dishwasher!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We genuinely care about diversity, and we create a safe space in which people can be their authentic selves. There are many companies for whom culture is just a word. We really do have an amazing culture at Opencast that I like to call the &lsquo;secret sauce&rsquo;. <a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/glasgow-openhouse-tickets-616609915857" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Do come along to meet us in Glasgow and experience it first-hand!</a></p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPIEST IN YOUR FREE TIME?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">I have always had about 100 hobbies all running at once and that&rsquo;s what makes me happy! I love knitting, crocheting, painting and really anything artsy or craftsy. I sing in a number of choirs, and I absolutely love the camaraderie and excitement when we are preparing for a concert or a show. I love the great outdoors; walking and wild swimming but I draw the line at camping out!</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE OR A QUOTE YOU LIVE/WORK BY?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">&ldquo;No one can make you feel inferior without your consent&rdquo; &ndash; Eleanor Roosevelt, former U.S. First Lady and U.S. Delegate to the United Nations.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em>Join Opencast to celebrate the opening of their Glasgow Hub on Tuesday 16 May, 6-8pm by saving your space here - <a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/glasgow-openhouse-tickets-616609915857" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Opencast OpenHouse</a>.</em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em>Thanks Ciara - you rock 🤘</em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em>Interview by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-eadon-57984a14/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sophie Eadon</a></em></p>

Ciara Conway | Opencast

<p>When contemplating a career that means you can transition from stay-at-home mum to working from home, not all of us would immediately think of looking into the tech industry - especially those of us who don't have previous experience. But when <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-witter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Grace Witter</a>'s youngest was still a baby she taught herself to code and followed her heart - and we're so glad she did!&nbsp;</p>
<p>Grace is now Technical Product Manager at award-winning health-tech company <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/heypatchwork/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patchwork Health</a> AND founder of <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-sisters-for-muslim-women-in-tech/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tech Sisters</a> - a community that exists to celebrate and support Muslim women in tech - which we are totally here for!&nbsp;</p>
<h2>HELLO GRACE! CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOU, AND WHAT YOU DO AT THE MOMENT?</h2>
<p>Hi everyone! I'm thrilled to be part of SR2's Women Rock series. I'm currently working as the Technical Product Manager at Patchwork Health, where I lead the technical team and oversee the development of our workforce management solution for the NHS.<br>Throughout my career, I've always been passionate about Tech for Good and using technology to positively impact people's lives. That's why I feel so lucky to be working in the healthcare industry and making a difference in the lives of patients and healthcare workers.<br>In addition to my work at Patchwork Health, I'm also the founder of Tech Sisters, a community that I started in 2019 with a mission to help Muslim women feel seen and validated in their tech journeys. Through Tech Sisters, we aim to create a supportive community where Muslim women can network, share experiences, and find inspiration and guidance to build fulfilling and long-term careers in tech.<br>I believe that diversity and inclusivity are crucial for the tech industry to thrive, and I'm proud to be part of the movement that's working towards making tech more accessible and welcoming to everyone, regardless of their background or identity.</p>
<h2>WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO GET INTO TECH?</h2>
<p>When my youngest child was still a baby, I was researching ways that I could transition from being a stay-at-home mom to working from home. I was looking for a career that would be flexible, challenging, and rewarding, and I stumbled upon tech as one of the options. I was intrigued by the idea of being able to create something out of nothing and seeing the impact the things that I built had on the people who used them.<br>I began teaching myself how to code HTML, CSS, and Javascript and started doing some freelance work building WordPress sites for small businesses. I loved the feeling of bringing someone's vision to life on the web and seeing their business grow as a result of my work. As I gained more experience, I realized that I wanted to go deeper into tech and explore new areas of development.<br>That's when I decided to pursue a career in frontend development, and I was fortunate to get a position at HappyPorch, a B Corp just like SR2. Working at HappyPorch was a fantastic experience, as I was able to learn from and collaborate with some incredibly talented people, while also contributing to projects that had a positive impact on society.</p>
<h2>MORE SPECIFICALLY, WHY DID YOU MOVE INTO PRODUCT MANAGEMENT? WHAT WAS THAT TRANSITION LIKE?</h2>
<p>While I loved my work as a frontend developer, I found myself getting a little bit burned out with coding and I realised that I was increasingly asking more "what" and "why" questions rather than "how". I was curious about the bigger picture of how the software products we were building were fitting into the overall strategy of our clients, and I wanted to be involved in shaping that strategy.<br>During my time at HappyPorch, I had the opportunity to work with some amazing Product Managers, including Lauren Dudley, who had a fantastic ability to organize work and keep everyone aligned with the product vision. Seeing how she worked and how much impact she was able to make inspired me to explore the world of product management further.<br>I started taking advantage of more product-related opportunities at HappyPorch, took courses, and gained certifications. Gradually, I transitioned into a more product-focused role and when the time was right, I was fortunate to be able to transition to the Product Manager role at Patchwork.<br>The transition was not without its challenges, as I had to learn new skills and adapt to a different way of thinking. However, I found that my experience as a front-end developer gave me a solid foundation in understanding the technical aspects of our products, which has been incredibly useful in my role as a product manager.</p>
<h2>WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS THE HARDEST, AND MOST REWARDING THING ABOUT BEING A PRODUCT MANAGER?</h2>
<p>The most rewarding part of the job for me is the discovery work, where I get to listen to our users' needs and brainstorm ways to solve their problems. It's a fantastic feeling to know that I've helped someone solve a problem or meet a need that they had.<br>Hearing positive feedback from the users is incredibly fulfilling like them saying that I really listened to them. It's a testament to the hard work that we've put in to make their experience better, and it's what makes being a product manager so worthwhile.<br>However, there are also some challenging aspects of being a product manager. For instance, it can be hard adjusting to the more zoomed-out way of thinking, rather than just focusing on each ticket like I did when I was a developer. As a product manager, I am accountable for the product during its entire journey, and that can be overwhelming at times.<br>Keeping everyone inside and outside the business aligned is sometimes like herding cats. It requires strong communication skills, a clear understanding of the product's goals, and the ability to manage multiple stakeholders.</p>
<h2>I KNOW THAT YOU ARE ALSO THE FOUNDER OF TECH SISTERS! CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS?</h2>
<p>I founded Tech Sisters in 2019 after working as a developer for a few years but never meeting any other Muslim women in a similar space. I would go to huge conferences in London, but still be the only person there wearing a hijab. I reached out online and verified that a lot of other Muslim women in tech shared my exact experience.<br>That's when I decided to start the Tech Sisters newsletter. Initially, I just cold-messaged people on LinkedIn who I thought would be a good fit for an interview. The response was overwhelming, and I quickly realized that there was a real need for a community of Muslim women in tech.<br>Since then, Tech Sisters has grown to become a Slack community and a podcast. We provide our members with mentors from the community and facilitate career and skills workshops. Our goal is to help Muslim women in tech find support, advice, and guidance from other women who have been through similar experiences.<br>Our members frequently tell us that they've gone for many years in their careers being the only Muslim woman at work and that they've looked for a space like Tech Sisters for a very long time. We let the women in this community know that we see them and that their experiences are valid. We give them examples and stories of women like them who are successful in their careers without sacrificing their identities. And we connect them with a supportive community who are on similar journies.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE WHO IS JUST STARTING OUT IN THE PRODUCT SPACE?</h2>
<p>If you're just starting out in the Product space, my first piece of advice would be to learn from your users. Take the time to understand your users' needs and preferences. Conduct user research, engage with your customers, and gather feedback. By putting your users' needs first, you can build a product that truly solves their problems.<br>Remember to build relationships across the business, not just with your immediate team. Your colleagues are an amazing source of information, especially those in customer-facing roles like sales and customer care. They know what matters most to your customers and their pain points, so take the time to engage with them and learn from their insights.<br>Also, make sure you're metrics-driven and can effectively communicate your work's impact. Identify metrics that matter to your various stakeholders, so you can easily communicate the success of your product to them. Being data-driven is crucial in making informed decisions that drive the product's success.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Thanks, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-witter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Grace </a>you rock!</em></p>
<p><em>Interview by<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gina-sumner/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Gina Sumner</a></em></p>

Grace Witter | Patchwork Health

<p>Who's up for a heavy dose of inspiration this morning?&nbsp;</p>
<p>"I&rsquo;ve never let myself think that I&rsquo;m disadvantaged for being female" - simple but extremely effective words from this week's blog guest <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorainekiely/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Loraine Kiely</a>, Director of Culture and Strategic Projects at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/rainmaker-solutions-uk-ltd/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rainmaker Solutions</a>. Both creative and technically driven, Loraine created her own path into the world of tech helping to digitise an interior design business - and hasn't looked back since. Loraine's story really shows that a focused and positive attitude and a strong mindset can really get you to where you want to be - especially when faced with strong hierarchical cultures and male-dominated environments.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>HEY LORAINE! THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR STORY WITH US. LET&rsquo;S START AT THE BEGINNING &ndash; HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INTO THE TECH INDUSTRY?</h2>
<p>When I had to choose what I wanted to do at university, I went for where the jobs would be. Business information systems (coding) very quickly became something I didn&rsquo;t want to do, so I went into interior design. I&rsquo;m very creative, but also very technical and process-orientated. I ended up working for an interior design business that needed digitisation. The role required a balance of both creative and process-orientated approaches. It took me a while to figure out the need for creative and technical/logical balance, so in the end, I created my own path. I don&rsquo;t really think about myself being a &ldquo;woman&rdquo; in tech &ndash; I&rsquo;m just a tech professional who tries to do her job well.</p>
<h2>WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED IN THE INDUSTRY?</h2>
<p>I was once part of a very hierarchical culture &ndash; I was managed in a way that wasn&rsquo;t allowing me to get the outcomes that were needed. I had to push against that management style to get the outcomes but in a respectable way that didn&rsquo;t clash with the culture and established structure. I had to be careful about how I did that. I based everything on facts, and having good insights &ndash; keeping the emotions out of it and maintaining calm in all of the conversations. I&rsquo;ve never let myself think that I&rsquo;m disadvantaged for being female. I&rsquo;ve always believed I was good at what I did and deserved to be where I am. I&rsquo;ve had support from a lot of strong female leaders, but I appreciate that isn&rsquo;t always the case, and that it isn&rsquo;t always so straightforward for others. I&rsquo;ve been really lucky in that respect and acknowledge that. I don&rsquo;t allow myself to have the mindset of being targeted or disadvantaged. I was doing the job as well as (if not better) than everyone else. I just kept pushing and refused to take NO for an answer.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER SO FAR?</h2>
<p>I&rsquo;d say the highlight of my career is getting to a point where I&rsquo;ve proven myself enough that people give me the autonomy to go and get the job done. Not having to always actively apply for roles because people I&rsquo;d worked with before would seek me out or recommend me, demonstrating that I&rsquo;ve built a solid reputation that I can be proud of. In previous roles, I was shadow-supporting leaders with data and information, which led to me being trusted and having the autonomy to get the job done in any way I saw fit, allowing me to capitalise on my creative nature. This means a lot to me because it means I&rsquo;ve got it right and found an effective solution. Being appreciated for my effort and being rewarded with trust and autonomy makes all the hard work worth it. This is the foundation for tangible external results &ndash; it all begins with trust.</p>
<h2>WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHERS WHO WANT TO GO INTO THE SAME CAREER?</h2>
<p>Gain insights, do your research, and come up with a solution that everyone can understand. It's ok not to be pigeon-holed or boxed in &ndash; allow yourself to be more fluid and allow lateral thinking. Don&rsquo;t let people force you into something you&rsquo;re not comfortable with.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>WHAT AREA OF D&amp;I ARE YOU MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT AND WHY?</h2>
<p>I can&rsquo;t pick just one &ndash; race, sexuality, gender, accessibility/disability, they&rsquo;re all important and worth addressing. It&rsquo;s just not right that there isn&rsquo;t equality. Keeping the conversation strictly gender-based isn&rsquo;t telling the full story. Break down the defensiveness and have open conversations about all areas of D&amp;I, not just one.</p>
<h2>WHAT AREA OF D&amp;I DO YOU FEEL IS MOST UNDERREPRESENTED AND WHAT DO YOU THINK THE INDUSTRY COULD DO TO CHANGE THAT?</h2>
<p>I think Race, Gender, and the LGBTQ has a lot of media coverage. But &ldquo;physical disability&rdquo; doesn&rsquo;t have people constantly in the media educating people. I believe the quietest voice in the room is for the physical disability minority. People that have disabilities don&rsquo;t have a choice &ndash; and it&rsquo;s something they have to deal with every day, often even just for simple tasks. I believe shedding some light on this would require society to approach the conversation openly - don&rsquo;t point the finger or throw stones as this doesn&rsquo;t actually solve the problem. Have the conversations and focus on education. Come with solutions, not problems.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>FAVOURITE MANTRA/QUOTE YOU LIVE BY?</h2>
<p>Love is love!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Thanks, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorainekiely/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Loraine</a>, you ROCK!</em></p>
<p><em>Interview by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-delsol-832419240/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andrew Delsol</a></em></p>

LORAINE KIELY | RAINMAKER SOLUTIONS

<p>There is no 'quick fix' when it comes to ED&amp;I in the tech industry - or any industry for that matter - and we're thankful for that.&nbsp;</p>
<p>We don't want senior managers to cut corners or rush processes when it comes to equality and equity and neither should they.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-grinsted-roryn/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hannah Grinsted</a> beautifully sums this up in this week's Women Rock interview with Women Rock founder <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-teagle-93b04692/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alicia Teagle</a>.</p>
<p>Hannah's insight into ED&amp;I is incredible, stemming from her HR experience in many different industries and her volunteer work with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/pregnant-then-screwed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pregnant Then Screwed</a> who exist to reduce the penalties women face when they become mothers.</p>
<p>This interview is a must-read for start-ups, scale-ups and leading brands alike who want to take a real look at their culture and ask the tricky questions about what they can do better.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Read on to have your mind blown and expanded at the same time!&nbsp;</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">I AM A BELIEVER THAT TO IMPROVE ED&amp;I WITHIN AN ORG IT NEEDS TO COME FROM MANAGEMENT, BUT 9 TIMES OUT OF 10 IT FALLS TO THE PEOPLE OR HR TEAM &ndash; MOST OF WHOM ARE WOMEN. BUT IT&rsquo;S A JOINT EFFORT, RIGHT? <br>YOU HAVE WORKED IN HR, PEOPLE AND CULTURE ROLES FOR A WHILE AND I&rsquo;M SURE YOU HAVE SEEN A LOT, WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE AND HOW DID YOU OVERCOME IT?&nbsp;</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">The biggest challenge I have faced has been to call out the day-to-day actions of a Senior Leadership team. People often like the idea of diversity but struggle with it if it means making them change the way they do things or the status quo.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Working in high-growth start-ups means they want to move quickly, which means relying on normal habits and patterns of behaviour. Asking leaders to step back and do things differently can feel like you&rsquo;re putting up blockers, stopping them from doing things which they feel are harmless.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To really create something different you must proactively strive for it, it doesn&rsquo;t just happen, and the small cumulative behaviours can count for more than the big extravagant ones. Confronting that can feel uncomfortable. Overcoming this means you must have high-trust relationships and a culture of feedback for this to work. But also, I&rsquo;m more ruthless in not working with people who don&rsquo;t want to create change, even if they say they do.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CURRENT THINKING ABOUT DIVERSITY, AND HOW HAS YOUR THINKING CHANGED OVER TIME?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">There has historically been a lot of individualism, if you try hard enough, ask for something in the right way, and present yourself in the right way then you&rsquo;ll &lsquo;make it&rsquo;. For women&rsquo;s advancement this has been showcased through the &lsquo;Lean In&rsquo; movement.&nbsp;I&rsquo;ve been learning a lot more about the deep and unseen systems, beliefs and structures that are at play and have a huge impact.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For a long time, people thought that women didn&rsquo;t ask for pay rises as often, which is why they didn&rsquo;t get them. But recent research has shown that women ask for a pay rise just as often as men but are 25% less likely to get one.&nbsp;It&rsquo;s lit an even brighter flame in my passion for organisation and culture design. How we consciously create our businesses, ways of working and frameworks for decision-making can create real change.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">WHAT KINDS OF EXPERIENCES HAVE YOU HAD IN RELATING WITH PEOPLE WHOSE BACKGROUNDS ARE DIFFERENT FROM YOUR OWN?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Working in different industries has given me exposure to so many different people and backgrounds, across financial services, retail, manufacturing, construction, tech, charities, healthcare etc.&nbsp;For me, the most important thing is to ask questions to seek to understand. So many people ask questions to confirm what they think, rather than challenge assumptions they already held.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And diversify the information you consume! I actively choose to read, follow, and engage with people and creators who are women, neurodivergent, disabled, black and other minority groups.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR VOLUNTEER WORK WITH PREGNANT THEN SCREWED?&nbsp;</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/pregnant-then-screwed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PTS</a> are an absolute force! They exist to create radical change to reduce the penalties women face when they become mothers.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It&rsquo;s something that I feel so passionately about. I&rsquo;ve found that my career has materially changed since having my 2 daughters, it&rsquo;s impacted people&rsquo;s perception of my ability and the opportunities I&rsquo;ve had.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I&rsquo;ve been able to confidentially navigate this because I know my rights, from working in HR. Not everyone has this knowledge, or access to it in their immediate circles. So, I volunteer for PTS on their helpline for pregnant women and mothers every week. I can give women the knowledge and confidence to challenge the treatment they are facing at work, which feels awesome.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">WE SPOKE ABOUT FINDING YOUR TRIBE AND YOU HAVE FOUND THAT IN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE BUT NOW LOOKING TO FIND IT IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE TOO. ANY ADVICE FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO FIND THEIR TRIBE?&nbsp;</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Something I&rsquo;m still working on! The best connections I&rsquo;ve made with like-minded people have been connecting without an immediate purpose or ask, and being my authentic self.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Networking based on interests and offering generously with your time and knowledge. The more we build others up, the more they build us.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I very much believe in community over competition, sharing ideas, passing on work to others and creating goodwill, goes a long way. Pretty much all my work comes from within my network, not cold calling, or cold reach outs. Having a tribe and community is so important, for building my work but also in bringing joy to my work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">I FOUND IT FASCINATING TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE PENSION GAP, AND HOW 70% OF BRITAIN&rsquo;S HOMELESS ARE WOMEN. YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF POLICES WAS SO INSIGHTFUL AND WE DIDN&rsquo;T GET ENOUGH TIME TO SPEAK ABOUT IT. I FEEL LIKE WE ALL NEED TO HEAR THIS, PLEASE CAN YOU TELL ME A BIT MORE ABOUT THIS?&nbsp;</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is a huge economic gap between men and women, but most conversations don&rsquo;t go any further than talking about the gender pay gap. But the inequality between men and women is so much more complex than that.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are pervasive myths and historical legislation built from that which influence us throughout our lives - like women aren&rsquo;t good with money and were grouped with those who are mentally unwell or infants in terms of their ability to do taxes.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In fact, it&rsquo;s only become possible for married women in Jersey to do their own Tax returns in 2022 (blows my mind!).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And historically women were unable to own property because legally they were classed as property. Even today, 80% of land globally is owned by men.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">I SPOKE TO A START-UP LAST WEEK AND I ASKED THEM &lsquo;WHAT&rsquo;S YOUR CULTURE LIKE&rsquo; THEY ARE 3 WHITE GUYS AND THEY SAID, &lsquo;WE DON&rsquo;T HAVE ONE&rsquo; &ndash; HOW DO START-UPS PRIMARILY CREATE A CULTURE?&nbsp;</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">I&rsquo;d start off by saying, every company has a culture. If you don&rsquo;t notice it, it&rsquo;s probably because it feels very normal and comfortable for you. Culture is just the accumulation of behaviours that people show day to day.&nbsp;If you want to start looking at your culture, ask your team who epitomises &lsquo;Company Name&rsquo;. Then ask them to describe what they do. You&rsquo;ll start to find behaviours in there that shape your culture.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you want to shift your culture, or consciously maintain it when you&rsquo;re scaling then think about your company values and what behaviours would live this. Find flash points in an employee&rsquo;s experience at work and bring these to life.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">WHAT ARE YOU READING AT THE MOMENT?&nbsp;</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">I&rsquo;m fascinated by financial services and economics because, like it or not, we&rsquo;re all impacted by money, and money has the potential to be such a force for radical good. So, I&rsquo;m reading: <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-cost-of-sexism/professor-linda-scott/9780571374595" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Cost of Sexism, by Linda Scott</a>. I&rsquo;d also recommend the book <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/why-women-are-poorer-than-men/annabelle-williams/9780241433171" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Why Women are Poorer than Men, by Annabelle Williams.</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But next on my list is <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/unwell-women/elinor-cleghorn/9781474616874" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unwell Women by Elinor Cleghorn</a>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Healthcare and medicine is another area that society needs to address with issues like the gender pain gap, where on average women wait over 30% longer than men to be given pain relief when in A&amp;E presenting with the same issue. Also, the fact that black women are 4 times as likely to die in childbirth than white women.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">IF YOU WERE A SONG WHAT WOULD THAT BE?&nbsp;</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">I think this is the hardest question you&rsquo;ve asked me!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I&rsquo;ve been going through my playlists for days trying to find the right song. I don&rsquo;t think it exists&hellip; So here are a couple:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fuel &ndash; Metallica &ndash; It sounds how I feel when thinking about feminism and dismantling the systems and beliefs that enable poorer outcomes for women and minority groups.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Frontier Psychiatrist &ndash; The Avalanches &ndash; Because I think people find it far-fetched when I start talking about some of the things I&rsquo;ve learned.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Middle &ndash; Jimmy Eat World &ndash; To keep going with setting up my business, it&rsquo;s not as easy but it allows me to be me and do things, I feel passionate about. It just takes some time.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">AND TO END ON DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE QUOTE OR MANTRA TO LIVE BY?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em>"The second-best time is now."</em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The full quote is: <em>"The best time to plant a tree was 30 years ago, the second-best time is now."</em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It gives me hope for the actions of today when it comes to changing some of those deep-seated systems, which won&rsquo;t change overnight. It&rsquo;s now looking like it will be 300 years until we achieve pay equality (longer if you&rsquo;re not white), but the actions of today will create change.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And, I can be a terrible procrastinator! So, reminding myself to be kind, okay maybe I should have done it yesterday, but the second best time is now.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em>Thanks, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-grinsted-roryn/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hannah</a> - you rock!&nbsp;<br>Interview by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-teagle-93b04692/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alicia Teagle</a></em></p>

HANNAH GRINSTED | RORYN 

<p>When it comes to ED&amp;I in the tech space, companies need to start putting their money where their mouth is.</p>
<p>For too long, the burden of fixing equality in the workspace has been on the underrepresented folk that need support, when the responsibility lies with the companies and brands that claim they want to be part of the solution, rather the problem.</p>
<p>Enter 'The Code To Change', a diversity and inclusion organisation set up to empower, mentor and support women looking to get into the tech space - either at the beginning of their career or after a breakaway or looking for a career change. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/codetochange/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Code to Change</a> founder and experienced international NGO leader-activist <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/iffatgill/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iffat Rose Gill</a> shares her story about how this amazing organisation came about and what we can do, right now, to diversify this industry once and for all.&nbsp;</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. WE&rsquo;RE REALLY INTERESTED TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE CODE TO CHANGE. COULD YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT IT AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sure! First of all, thank you for inviting me. So, The Code to Change is a diversity and inclusion organisation. We started off as a boot camp in 2015 because of a problem that I faced myself, as a woman of colour, who moved to a different country and was looking for economic opportunities. Whilst I was at university, I was in Pakistan and a young woman asked about me going to university as she was not even allowed primary education. So, for her, coming across someone who was at university was really unusual. I stood there with this privilege and realisation that I got this opportunity and she, who I considered smarter than me, wasn&rsquo;t offered the same opportunity. That&rsquo;s what triggered my interest to work for economic empowerment and inclusion for women through education.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are so many challenges when faced with accessing job opportunities in a new place when you must build your connections from scratch. What I had though was my digital skills: I knew how to build a digital strategy and create a meaningful online presence. I built on that skill and started consulting local, non-profit, organisations. I noticed then that a lot of women around me were in similar positions. And this wasn&rsquo;t limited to women of colour, like me, but also local women who were looking to step back into work after a break for various reasons. It was a huge challenge for them because the technological landscape had drastically changed so they had to become &ldquo;eligible&rdquo; again by upgrading their skills.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now let&rsquo;s be honest, if you are a guy, it&rsquo;s easier to put yourself out there and get new connections and knowledge. In this industry, because of how women are judged so easily and harshly, we have become more shy and reluctant to ask for help. This is where the mentoring program that we had designed helped re-establish their confidence. They would go through the digital boot camp for a week where they would build websites; connect with mentors (for up to 6 months); learn and work together and become attractive to recruiters. Before that, they didn&rsquo;t even get the chance to go to interviews.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fast forward to today, we&rsquo;re operating in 8 different countries both in Europe and Asia with a focus on delivering customised bespoke boot camps. We understand where these candidates are currently and then tailor the boot camp to their needs. But it isn&rsquo;t just about upskilling. We need to look at the ecosystem, the roots of the problem. We find it very important to build the capacity of the ecosystem stakeholders as well. Moreover, we&rsquo;ve taken the lessons we&rsquo;ve learnt and shared them to platforms such as the UN WSIS, government, and other business conferences&rsquo; to show why and how we need to tackle these problems.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">HOW CAN SOMEONE GET DIRECTLY INVOLVED WITH WHAT YOU ARE DOING?</h2>
<p>There are so many ways that they can get involved with The Code to Change from being a volunteer mentor or donating, or even being part of the team. We&rsquo;re looking for volunteers with a knack for problem-solving. They have to love a challenge where they can break problems down into small bite-size chunks. We&rsquo;re quite versatile with the groups that we&rsquo;re working with from refugees and migrant groups who speak different languages; to native tribes in the US; to female entrepreneurs from Pakistan. They all have their own unique set of challenges which require strategic insight to solve them.</p>
<p>So people can write to us and share what they can contribute. We are always looking for mentors &ndash; whether Subject Matter Experts or Trainers or Mentors. People can also nominate us for things too!</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">NICE. THERE&rsquo;S SO MUCH THAT YOU DO TO TACKLE THIS CURRENT LACK OF DIVERSITY IN THE TECH SPACE. ON A MORE GENERAL LEVEL, WHAT DO YOU THINK WE CAN DO MORE OF TO ENCOURAGE DIVERSITY IN THE TECH SPACE?</h2>
<p>What we&rsquo;ve been doing in the past is focusing on programmes and initiatives that put the burden of fixing this on women, right? And it takes the approach of &ldquo;we need to fix women so that they can become eligible for this kind of environment&rdquo; which is toxic for them in the end. We&rsquo;ve seen this so many times.<br>Our female graduates end up in the workforce for 6-12 months because they get burnout as they don&rsquo;t get the environment where they can learn so they end up leaving. This is something we need to solve but the burden shouldn&rsquo;t lie on women: we need to focus on systemic changes. The workplace needs to change policies around. The systemic change needs to come above the policy-making level &ndash; both on the government and corporate levels. It&rsquo;s all well and good to see that they have goodwill but we need actionable change! We see a lot of campaigns where they&rsquo;re featuring a lot of these women, but does it actually impact their lives?<br>Whether positive or not, it&rsquo;s simply just more window dressing for those companies. I&rsquo;ve turned down many opportunities because we need to stop capitalising on the issue. Of course, there are women looking for exposure and allyship and we shouldn&rsquo;t discount this! At the same time, it shouldn&rsquo;t just be for the company image. It should have a long-term impact on the lives of the women that you are trying to feature in your campaigns. The situation is the same if you&rsquo;re a female founder for example. Not only are you judged more harshly when you go to pitch desk for funding but the ridiculous amount of pressure and the kind of pressure that you have to perform and show results or financial projections. If you compare it with how the male founders would be judged as compared to female founders, it&rsquo;s quite ridiculous. And the amount of pressure that female founders have is immense. And despite all that, despite her pitch deck being exceptional, she might still not end up getting funded because we&rsquo;re not used to trusting women with money. But we would instantly trust a white male for a very similar, possibly less developed project. So two things could be said and interpreted completely differently depending on the gender of the person speaking. Exactly. I get you. You&rsquo;ve actioned a lot of your beliefs, for example at the UN, Government and Conferences, and seen a lot of lives changed. What&rsquo;s been a highlight of your career? When we talk about changing lives, I know it&rsquo;s such a clich&eacute;, but you hear the stories of how someone&rsquo;s life has changed their earning capability 6, 12 months down the line. We see the journey of graduates who have set up brilliant careers and see them develop from the first time we sat down with them to now. That gives me so much energy and power to go on with the work that we do. I have to say, I have an amazing team, a diverse panel of experts and advisors who truly believe in what we are doing, and this is what we all take great joy in. From hearing the stories and feedback to finding out what they are doing now and what projects they&rsquo;ve created. It gives me absolute joy to be a part of these stories whether directly or indirectly.</p>
<h2>WHAT WOULD BE ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE SOMEONE FROM A DIVERSE BACKGROUND WHO IS LOOKING TO JOIN THE TECH SPACE AS IT CURRENTLY STANDS?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you start your learning journey today, in 6 months&rsquo; time you will be amazed at how many opportunities open up to you. From strategic courses where you build your skills to aligning yourself with like-minded people, you will find yourself in a completely different spot. The sense of community and sense of belonging is so important - so start connecting!</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">Thank you so much for your time. Do you have anything, in particular, you want to end on?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thank you! Cindy Gallop&rsquo;s quote really resonates with me, as we hear more and more stories from female founders and Women in Tech; &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t empower me, Pay me.&rdquo; And this should be the tone for all women-focused campaigns and programs now in my opinion. Whether it is an indigenous woman in the Americas, an artisan from rural Pakistan or a tech entrepreneur in the city of Amsterdam, they all want to just run their businesses. And be financially independent! It&rsquo;s important to build confidence and endorse our technical and leadership skills: but, at the same time, please don&rsquo;t use those things as excuses to not pay women their due share. It&rsquo;s time they got their fair share in the economy of 2023! That&rsquo;s what I would like to end on</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em>Thanks, Iffat, you rock!</em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em>Interview by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizzie-murray-531a29177/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lizzie Murray&nbsp;</a></em></p>

Iffat Rose Gill | The Code To Change

<p>Developing curiosity helps a child to be willing and able to continually grow, learn and question what is around them. So when <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ux-gaiaarmellin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gaia Armellin</a> started exploring her granny's loft she stumbled across piles of magazines. Fascinated by the layouts, storytelling images and psychology, that was the moment Gaia realised her passion for design...and boy did it grow.</p>
<p>Now Principle UX and Chapter Lead at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/backbase/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Backbase</a>, Gaia manages the design consultancy team, supports client projects and even has time to promote internal initiatives. And if that isn't enough, she is also a mentor, offering free career and UX coaching to UX designers looking for their first job or transitioning careers - which is clear based on all the AMAZING takeaways, scattered throughout her story!&nbsp;</p>
<p>Why don't we all take ten minutes today to revisit our inner-child passions and see if they are related to what we love today...</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">TELL ME A BIT ABOUT YOUR JOB AND WHAT A DAY IN THE LIFE LOOKS LIKE FOR YOU?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">I work as Principal UX and Chapter Lead for the Customer Success Europe team of Backbase, a global fintech company in the financial industry. The role entails managing the design consultancy team (e.g. building the team, growing talents, on and offboarding, creating regional UX strategy...);&nbsp; supporting clients' projects (e.g. handling escalations); and driving or promoting internal initiatives mainly related to the Backbase UX Guild and other departments.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Usually, my day starts at 9:00, checking emails and Slack messages. I quickly triage the requests, handle the most important ones then jump into calls with other UX leads to align on initiatives and work on to-dos. From 11 am until lunch I'm generally free, to work on such initiatives, create workshops, and take care of urgent demands. After lunch, I have biweekly 1:1s with my reports, interviews with new candidates, meetings with department leaders to align on initiatives and work on to-do's, or supporting projects with design consultancy. The end of my day is focused on writing documentation and knowledge sharing (e.g. new career framework, UX WOW,...). Every day is different and there are always unexpected challenges that come up. This is what makes it interesting :)&nbsp;</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">HOW AND WHY DID YOU GET INTO DESIGN?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">It's a long story but for time's sake, it's thanks to hours spent in my granny's attic. When we visited her, I sneaked up there where grandma stored piles of magazines. I was fascinated by the ads. The layouts, storytelling images, the psychology and intention behind it. It was all so compelling.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My love for design sprung from psychology and visuals, but it stuck because it's an incredibly wide topic. How the medium influence design, how to create a service, how business and finance impact decisions, how to work with politics and cultures&hellip;It's a never-ending learning experience.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU THINK WOMEN FACE IN THE DESIGN INDUSTRY? HOW DO YOU THINK THESE CHALLENGES SHOULD BE TACKLED?&nbsp;</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em>Premise: 1- I don&rsquo;t feel comfortable answering for the whole &ldquo;women&rdquo; category as I assume challenges are different based on world regions, cultural and societal backgrounds, and working industries. For this question, I&rsquo;ll use my experience only, and being solely my experience and privileged, it&rsquo;ll be biased and limited. 2- As much as we're pushing for inclusion, the design industry for tech and banking is still largely male-dominated. Therefore, to tackle women's challenges we should first solve the systemic issues of this male-dominated industry but that's too wide of a topic for here. Having set the premise, I can now deep-dive into the daily challenges because they act as symptoms of the root cause and they are more easily recognizable..&nbsp;</em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Paternalization and not being taken seriously. </strong><span class="ui-provider gy b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z ab ac ae af ag ah ai aj ak" dir="ltr">At times, it's about warnings and forecasts about risks management being laughed at, or peers utterly unaware of context and problematics explaining my job to me; at times, it's about not being accepted as a manager, or having to patch up the backlash peers received for not following direct instructions; at times it's being told women are good at something just because of gender. My way of tackling this is the UX way - by taking a step back, observing, asking questions, and gathering data to understand why men are acting that way. What part of my message is not clear? What part of me are they reacting to? And what part of their human experience (memories, fears&hellip;) is present in the interaction? This plus morphing into what the audience feels familiar lower barriers and make space for human connection beyond stereotypes, first impressions, and biases.<br></span><br><strong>Sexualization and focus on looks &amp; appearance.</strong> Although I live in the Netherlands and my work experience is mainly in northern Europe where gender bias is lower than in other countries, it truly makes a difference in what clothes I wear and how I present myself at work, especially at events or client meetings. It&rsquo;s fairly usual to be told that I look tired when not wearing make-up or that the first thing noticed is the attire. Worse cases are colleagues addressing me inappropriately at the workplace, making suggestive comments during interviews with candidates, or in work communication channels. However, these comments come from any gender and they seem more related to the societal normalization of focusing primarily on looks than anything else.<br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Not being woman enough, but also not being man enough.</strong> Any person can incorporate a plethora of sides that make external expectations based on gender stereotypes limiting and biased. Hence, hearing about how caring, pleasant, and accommodating I should be being a woman is quite funny, as much as it is being told that I&rsquo;m not aggressive enough, that I should be more dominant, and less emotional if I want to go ahead.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Violence or physical risks</strong>. In some regions of the world, challenges may lead to abuse. For example, while hiring in Saudi Arabia, we discussed in depth the option of having a full-male design team in order to ensure the safety of each person when visiting clients. We then decided to hire female UXers and arrange for stronger preparation for them and any other category at risk.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I&rsquo;d like to stress that these negative experiences are a limited number in a much wider positive pool.&nbsp;</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">WHAT HAS INSPIRED YOU TO GET INTO THE TECH/DESIGN INDUSTRY?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">It happened by chance. My background was variegated and I just knew I wanted to work for an international company with international clients because these places overflow with innovation, creativity in the wider sense, and a growth mindset. Once I spoke with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/agerolemou/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andreas Gerolemou</a>, I knew I wanted to learn from him and that&rsquo;s why Backbase was my choice.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">DO YOU HAVE ADVICE FOR PEOPLE COMING INTO THE DESIGN SPACE THAT THINK IT MAY BE TOO OVERWHELMING?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Be patient with yourself.&nbsp;It&rsquo;s good to be hungry and ambitious, but you will not learn everything in a matter of months. UX is such a wide topic that it&rsquo;s simply not possible - and even though companies will want you to know all and be all, you don&rsquo;t need to in order to be successful.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Learn detachment and not take things personally. As a UXer, your role is to interpret the needs of your users and come up with solutions that will best serve them - or nudge them in the right direction (see #3). Things will come and go. No matter how expert one is, ego doesn&rsquo;t have a place in UX.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Listen and speak the language of your audience.&nbsp;Are you job hunting? Research the company and show your value using their wording. Do you want funds for your initiatives? Listen to what your CFO is asking for and build your case in terms of profits and costs. Interviewing users in a non-English speaking country? Listen to what words they use and use them to bridge the cultural gap and create familiarity. Read the room, listen beyond the words, and use your findings to gain deeper insights, negotiate, or nudge. You are there for your users.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED IN YOUR DESIGN CAREER?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Access to information and transitioning careers</strong>. 2010, Italy was the moment I started looking into a design career. Historically, Italian "design" means graphic design, interior design, fashion design, architecture, and advertising, and I choose the latter. It took me another 5 years to find out about UX design - and that Milan has one of the most renowned service design faculties. The same happens to a lot of other people who'd like to work as UX designers but they just don't know the path exists - or find out later in life and have to start from zero.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Defining the path.</strong>&nbsp;Once UX became a trend, boot camps popped up everywhere. In spite of that, the right path is still unclear and the more time passes, the more sub-specializations seem to appear. One can take a university course, a boot camp, or a Google course, and all of them release a certification. One can also be self-taught and do the work, and still be a UXer. This makes for a vague definition of which syllabus to follow and the basic skill set level for entry-level positions.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Recruitment done wrong and unclear market needs</strong>. The vagueness described above reflects in the industry and UX recruitment. In 2017 -when UX became hype- everybody wanted a UX designer but nobody knew what it was. Example: a company I collaborated with swapped employees&rsquo; email signatures from &ldquo;content manager&rdquo; to &ldquo;UX designer&rdquo;. For more insights on how painful it was doing interviews, feel free to reach my Medium article <a href="https://medium.com/design-and-tech-co/why-i-hate-job-hunting-9e45dc503ba3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"Why I Hate Job Hunting"</a>.&nbsp;Although UX is now more established, the lack of clarity remains. To solve this, I enlisted the help of recruiter friends in giving me a "reality check" of what the upcoming job market needs and how my experience ought to satisfy them.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Imposter syndrome and self-doubts</strong>.&nbsp;When the definition of something is loose and each person shares opinions, it makes it almost impossible to run a valid self-assessment and define proper KPIs to reach. To handle this better, my process begins with setting an ideal goal and figuring out milestones with backward design. The second step is trial and error: test out different strategies, adjust and mix them until I find something that works for me and with the goal I set, and is in line with the person I aim to be. Not every time it turns out successful - which takes to the last and probably biggest challenge.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Managing (self)expectations.</strong> I always believed in following the job. In the course of my design career, I moved 17 times across 8 countries; got fired 1.5 times; resigned once from a toxic job; embarked 3 times on ventures I strongly believed in and didn't pan out - the 1st didn't have funds to hire me, the 2nd wasn't ready to scale up, the 3rd I built the wrong business model; or got ahead of myself and managed to be successful at work sacrificing my health. All of this while maintaining (and struggling to) a 7-year long distance relationship, going through sicknesses and death in the family, and living from the sidelines the births and growth of my nieces and nephew.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I&rsquo;d lie if I&rsquo;d say that everything was easy peasy and that I never wished for things to turn out differently. I&rsquo;d lie if I&rsquo;d say that I never felt guilty for not being more present at home when my home is split between Italy and any other country I live in - or that I never felt guilty for not feeling guilty enough because I love doing my job even when it&rsquo;s crazy. I&rsquo;d lie if I&rsquo;d say that I never wished I could do more and be more. <br>For a few months now, I&rsquo;ve reached some balance - maybe I&rsquo;ve learned my limits by straining them, or maybe I learned to let go and give less f*** (thanks, Mark Manson!). For sure, I forgive and am more patient with myself and this, for now, is enough.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR PROUDEST MOMENT TO DATE, BOTH PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Since 2016, I started offering free career and UX coaching to UX designers looking for their first job or transitioning careers. During COVID, it became my second "job". When the 1st mentee reached out to share they got the job they wanted and just a few months earlier didn't believe they could get it, that meant the world to me. Every time it happened, it means the world - because it means they started to believe in their own value and learned how to present it in the correct way for their target audience. That's the trait of a great user experience designer.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">WHY DO YOU THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE A MENTOR IN YOUR INDUSTRY?&nbsp;</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mentors and coaches can be of great support in developing one personally and professionally. They can share their knowledge and guide you in finding your way. However, they shouldn't be one's only lifeline. In fact, they may be the last resource to reach out to, after exhausting everything else. <br>On any given topic, there are plenty of resources to learn from, starting from your peers, LinkedIn posts, Medium articles, books, movies, videos, feedback from friends and family&hellip; And then, there is the old-but-gold trial and error. Put yourself out there. Create a strategy and give yourself some time to test it. Gather data and feedback from that. Once this is done for a couple of rounds and things still don't work out, then get a mentor - and keep those other resources at hand, because nobody has the perfect recipe for everything and personal accountability is key for growth.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">DO YOU HAVE A STORY TO TELL ABOUT IMPOSTER SYNDROME YOU WOULD BE HAPPY TO SHARE?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">So many stories! Due to how I was brought up, perfectionism and imposter syndrome have been my personal and professional life companions for many years; they still resurface every now and then. One example: when someone talks to me aggressively out of the blue, I tend to freeze and it takes me a couple of minutes to find my words. No matter how prepared I am, it leaves me with the feeling that I'm dumb because better answers come to mind after the interaction has ended. "So I should be able to reply faster, wittier, better. Right at that moment. Other people can do it! Why can't I?!".&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It recently happened at a company party and haunted me for days, ruminating on my reaction and the answer I gave. My mentor's advice was to ask for 2 minutes to collect myself before responding, or to kindly ask to postpone the conversation to another moment in time, to better prepare myself and share value; in case I still wouldn't happy with the outcome, to send an email or meeting invite with the object "Upon reflection, these are my thoughts". As simple as it sounds, those simple hacks and letting of control helped massively in handling the aftermath of the party conversation and another couple of events that happened afterwards.</p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">CHALLENGES WHEN IT COMES TO HIRING IN THE DESIGN SPACE?</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Although there are several diverse challenges depending on the job grade, the main ones I've encountered are the following:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Lack of unified job title vs skillset matrix</strong><br>UX designer, product designer, interface designer, service designer, UI expert&hellip; Unfortunately, design titles rarely match a clear job description and a precise understanding of what skills the job entails. This confusion permeates the industries as well as the candidates&rsquo; profiles. <br>E.g. Companies in need of developers ask for a UX designer because it's trendy; graphic designers label themselves as UX designers because they built a website once.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Assessing skill levels remotely</strong><br>Due to COVID times, hybrid or remote work has become a norm. The side effect during recruitment is that evaluating skill level has become more challenging because digital conversations only let 20% of the message pass through; moreover, there has been a tendency for candidates to refrain from sharing portfolios or work samples, or being willing to sit through design tests as it takes time and effort. Without facts, it&rsquo;s impossible to make a valid decision and it&rsquo;s up to the recruiter's street-smartness and intuition to make the right choice.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Hiring globally</strong><br>Globalization has allowed for recruitment horizons to expand. While it increases the talent pool, hiring globally inherently raises cultural and language barriers making candidates' assessments more problematic, and can backfire when companies that offer visa sponsorships are used as launching pads for candidates to access the new market, increasing turnover and operational costs.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em>Thanks, Gaia, you rock!&nbsp;</em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em>Interview by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-daniel-2a6195196/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cameron Daniel</a></em></p>

Gaia Armellin | Backbase

<p>&ldquo;AI&rdquo; is having a moment and whether you are here for it or not, it looks like it&rsquo;s getting smarter&hellip;<br>Women Rock ambassador <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizzie-murray-531a29177/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lizzie </a>had the pleasure in speaking with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliviana-bailey/">Oliviana Bailey</a> who can explain this complex technology to us mere mortals! Oliviana herself isn&rsquo;t from a tech background so had to quickly learn to &ldquo;talk the talk&rdquo; when she began her journey into this colourful and exciting world. <br>Now Director at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/labhyperion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hyperion Lab</a> &ndash; who are creating a space to accelerate green AI and are all about responsible and ethical practices within the AI space, Oliviana is also an ambassador for Women in AI (basically a Women Rock superhero!)&nbsp;</p>
<p>From the Alexa in your kitchen to transforming yourself into an anime character on Lensa &ndash; AI is here to stay, so join us in understanding AI with Oliviana&hellip;</p>
<h2>THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. &nbsp;I&rsquo;M LOOKING FORWARD TO SHARING WHAT YOU HAVE TO OFFER! SO TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND WOMEN IN AI</h2>
<p>Yes! So I&rsquo;m originally from the US and came to the Netherlands 6 years ago to do my masters where I worked for an accelerator that worked for startups in Africa and the Middle East. It&rsquo;s there I realised that if you're going to make change in this world, it's got to be from the bottom up. After my masters, I worked at Rockstart with startups in Health and AI where I became Head of Community additionally supporting the Energy and Agri food programmes on community. I worked with mentors and corporates to help relocate startups into the Dutch market and get the support they needed. Afterwards, I helped ING build their community by bringing various stakeholders together for cross collaboration across different industries. It was from a NVIDIA referral that I joined Escher Cloud &ndash; a start-up who is building a sustainable cloud of AI and HPC. And, the former ambassador for Women in AI was leaving and asked me to take over &ndash; which I did!&nbsp;<br>Women in AI is a global community which started in 2016 and currently has about 10,000 members! Interestingly, the Dutch chapter is one of the most active chapters despite being one of the smallest countries. I think it&rsquo;s because the Netherlands is very tech focused. Whilst you do see quite a lot of women in the tech space, I saw that the majority of mentors and start-ups were not actually women. So, I really wanted to be able to help push that forward and provide a platform for our women.</p>
<h2>I LOVE THAT. IT&rsquo;S A GREAT JOURNEY THAT YOU&rsquo;VE HAD GOING INTO WOMEN IN AI. GOING BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF YOUR JOURNEY, HOW DID YOU GET INTO AI?</h2>
<p>Yeah, it&rsquo;s kind of funny because I don&rsquo;t have a technical background but most people think that I do because I definitely know how to &ldquo;talk the talk&rdquo; at this point. I got into this space from working in the AI programme at Rockstart. I suppose when you have to read about 500 applications for AI startups, vet them and then select the top 25: you really get to know the technology.&nbsp;<br>Also, being one of the first team members at Esher cloud helped me accelerate my AI knowledge whilst they were figuring out their strategy and product at that time. I remember during one of the first product development calls where they were talking about &ldquo;teraflops&rdquo; and &ldquo;GPU versus CPU&rdquo; and I had to pull our CTO aside and say, &ldquo;OK, give it to me straight. We really need to dumb this down!.&rdquo; Even when I asked my husband, who&rsquo;s a software engineer, he started going into binary numbers &ndash; it made no sense!! So, my role in the AI space has been helping with the &ldquo;explainability&rdquo; of AI. &nbsp;<br>AI has a huge potential to change the world but most people within this space are so deep in technological knowledge they haven&rsquo;t really figured out how to explain it which is why I think there&rsquo;s so much hype around it. It&rsquo;s similar to the early days of the internet where no one really understood it. That&rsquo;s why you see people talking about how AI is going to steal your job. But, really, it&rsquo;s just a tool like the internet. Like your Alexa at home is just a form of AI. AI is not this big scary thing, it's actually very accessible and it will shape the future of us, hopefully for the better.</p>
<h2>WHY IS WOMEN IN AI IMPORTANT?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>So, Women in AI is important because it advocates for diversity and representation in the AI space. At the moment, there's not a lot of women in the field and I think it&rsquo;s due to people&rsquo;s idea that you have to be good at maths, or love video games, or have incredible technical knowledge. It&rsquo;s also so important to make sure that AI data is accumulated and managed accurately &ndash; especially for healthcare industries using AI. For example, if we use historical data, the majority is white male which leads to a lot of biases in the decision making for AI. But, we know, medically, that different symptoms can arise in different sexes, races, and ages. So that discussion of diversity is important to the core foundations of AI because we need to look at the available data, how we&rsquo;re using it and ensuring that there&rsquo;s no bias from legacy data. If you have a very homogenous team, you&rsquo;re not going to notice governance practices and ensure that you incorporate diverse voices. Also, interestingly, we see that most of the women in ai community comes from healthcare because it&rsquo;s a huge tool for them where they need to have the right data<br>But, overall, it&rsquo;s important we have a community, like Women in AI, to amplify AI and give voices to these women. In such a male dominated field, it gives role models for the younger generation to get involved in what&rsquo;s important. We&rsquo;re still in the forefront of the AI journey so if we don&rsquo;t have that diverse voice now, it&rsquo;s going to impact us later on.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>WHAT DO YOU THINK CAN BE DONE TO ATTRACT MORE WOMEN IN AI?</h2>
<p>So, our way is through initiatives that can be used by anyone. For example, we host inclusive talent fairs which bring diverse candidates forward; we do education courses for young girls teaching them how to use AI; we offer mentorship to help develop soft skill leadership building; and, we showcase companies that are doing it right.&nbsp;<br>It&rsquo;s also not just about getting more women in, but helping women move up in the field because we need to see more women in leadership positions. You&rsquo;ll see companies with more Women in leadership positions result in more women joining the company. One way we support this is hosting a Women in AI Awards where we can shine a light on AI companies and women.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>AS WELL AS YOUR WOMEN IN AI PROJECT, YOU&rsquo;RE ALSO THE DIRECTOR OF HYPERION LAB WHICH YOU MENTIONED EARLIER. IT&rsquo;S A PROGRAMME THAT CAN SHOWCASE AND SUPPORT GREEN AI COMPANIES AND STARTUPS. WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION FOR HYPERION LAB?&nbsp;</h2>
<p>The inspiration for Hyperion Lab comes back to NVIDIA and Escher Cloud. I guess the first thing to clarify is that there are different types of green AI. Most people think of green AI in relation to being sustainable, but green AI is also how apps are built: Are you making sure your algorithm isn&rsquo;t over using resources? Are you on ethical clouds? Any circular energy projects?<br>It&rsquo;s also about responsible and ethical practises. So, we wanted to bring all these startups together and provide a sustainable cloud. We know that AI requires GPU but within Europe there&rsquo;s not much GPU capacity even in the hyperscalars. So it&rsquo;s also about providing more access to that because GPU runs better whereas CPU is a slower process and less sustainable.&nbsp;<br>It&rsquo;s also helpful to have companies being brought together from different industries and seeing the great collaborations that happen. They share technologies and build on each other! I like to see it as an ecosystem that continues to build and support each other&rsquo;s data without having to keep rebuilding it.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>THERE&rsquo;S SO MUCH THAT YOU DO &ndash; IT&rsquo;S INSPIRATIONAL. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS ONE OF YOUR PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENTS?</h2>
<p>You know, that&rsquo;s a hard one. I guess I&rsquo;m very proud of kicking off Hyperion Lab as it&rsquo;s the culmination of all the work I've done in the last several years. It jump-started my network - in terms of the startups that I've worked with, investors, mentors, corporates, and it also got me back into the Women in AI ecosystem. It helps impact the startups and talent that we&rsquo;re working with. So, it&rsquo;s my baby! Even though I was brought on board to develop it, &nbsp;it's been my blood, sweat and tears that have got this off the ground. So, at the moment, I&rsquo;m this extra resource to all these startups helping them connect with the rest of the ecosystem; helping them understand how to work with corporates; and, helping them talk about technology and expand their network.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>YOU DO EVENTS VERY REGULARLY AND ONE THAT'S HAPPENING IN A FEW WEEKS IS THE INCLUSIVE AI TALENT FAIR. WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO CREATE THAT AND HOW TO GET INVOLVED?</h2>
<p>So, knowing that it&rsquo;s important to create a diverse team from the start, we have launched this talent fair to bring all this talent from all backgrounds together. It's a collaboration of Hyperion Lab on our responsible Green AI segment; Women in AI bringing the female talent; and Extra Mile, a community group based in Amsterdam South working with the local Bijlmer community to help showcase their talent. Also, it&rsquo;s not just university level, there&rsquo;s so much talent here that&rsquo;s self-taught. It&rsquo;s incredible work they&rsquo;re doing so we&rsquo;re providing a space for them to come together and meet companies. If you want to get involved we have our Eventbrite up and it&rsquo;s happening on March 23rd. And, if there&rsquo;s companies interested, we have booths available to meet the talent. The goal is to bring together the underrepresented talent community with companies that know that diverse teams are better teams.</p>
<h2>THAT&rsquo;S AWESOME. FINALLY, IF YOU HAD ONE PIECE OF ADVICE FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN AI, WHAT WOULD IT BE?</h2>
<p>So, my one piece of advice is: don't be scared about it being &ldquo;deep tech&rdquo;. There's so many applications, open source tools, free trainings, and education making it incredibly accessible for everyone. Just don't be scared of these random scary words people throw out that you have no idea about. There&rsquo;ll be someone who will help explain it.<br>In general, if you're going to start your own company or get more involved: just jump in and do it. My favourite saying these days is &ldquo;to not ask for permission, but to ask for forgiveness&rdquo;. It&rsquo;s a growth hacking mentality by just doing something small, get yourself into it. If it fails, it's OK. Fail small and keep moving forward.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>I LOVE THAT, I DON&rsquo;T THINK I&rsquo;VE HEARD OF THAT BEFORE! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, IT&rsquo;S FANTASTIC WHAT YOU ARE DOING.</h2>
<p><em>Thanks <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliviana-bailey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oliviana</a>! You rock!</em></p>
<p><em>Interview by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizzie-murray-531a29177/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lizzie Murray</a></em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

Oliviana Bailey | Hyperion Lab

<p>The line between emotive and factual, creativity and analytical is getting more and more blurred in the world of tech and folk from creative backgrounds are finding other ways to their creativity in a way that aligns with facts and data. Just like <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellie-hill-digital-expert/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kellie Hill</a> did when she embarked on her journey into the tech industry.</p>
<p>Continuing with this theme, Kellie would like to see STEM become 'STEMD' where the D stands for &ldquo;Design&rdquo; - especially as we see an increase in Neurodiverse people - who are typically more creative - journeying into the world of tech.</p>
<h2>HEY KELLIE! THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR STORY WITH US. LET&rsquo;S START AT THE BEGINNING &ndash; HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INTO THE TECH INDUSTRY?</h2>
<p>I worked in both digital and creative spaces, then stepped into hardcore tech at Capgemini. I was driven by experiences in GSK, Ted Baker, Metro Bank, and worked in several roles as a Product Owner/Business Transformation consultant. I learned the hard way that I had to work hard to get my voice heard. I fell into the technology industry primarily by circumstance as I didn&rsquo;t want to become obsolete. I&rsquo;m naturally very ambitious, impatient, and creative, and tech has a lot of disciplines that can fulfil that hunger for knowledge.</p>
<h2>WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED IN THE INDUSTRY?</h2>
<p>Confidence &ndash; I didn&rsquo;t study cloud computing or data science, so I had doubts around my technical understanding. I had to learn to have confidence in myself, my skills and where I came from. I experienced a serious case of imposter syndrome as I wasn&rsquo;t familiar with technical jargon and I was afraid this would show a lack of credibility. I eventually tackled this just by having conversations and understanding what other roles do. I needed to understand Business Strategy to understand where other roles sat. Another big challenge was being dismissed &ndash; I&rsquo;m naturally creative and emotive, and within tech, there&rsquo;s typically a need to be factual and detailed with data. I was told in a meeting that &ldquo;it&rsquo;s not about how you feel&rdquo; and it was challenging for me to find a way to express my creativity in a way that aligned with the facts and the data. With regards to being a woman in tech, I never experienced any overt prejudice, but I experienced covert microaggressions (cutting me off during meetings, undermining her points publicly, etc) which by nature are hard to prove are based on me being a woman.</p>
<h2>HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER SO FAR?</h2>
<p>My Team won an international CX award (gold) for an app that was delivered to a global FMCG company that had over 360,000 colleagues. It was tested by colleagues who had an accessibility need and had a very human-centred design based on those with neurodiversity challenges. I realised that an &ldquo;inclusive-first experience&rdquo; benefits everyone involved.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHERS WHO WANT TO GO INTO THE SAME CAREER?</h2>
<p>Increase your skill in design. You can use free tools to get skilled in user experience and design. Get yourself accredited as a PO and Scrum Master. Join any groups that are linked to business transformation disciplines. Become multidisciplinary. Speaking specifically to a woman, I&rsquo;d suggest getting a mentor, believing in yourself and having confidence in yourself. Trust that you belong there. Ensure you have psychological support outside of work to increase your mental resilience and fortitude - have the strategies and tools, and techniques around you to increase your resilience. Ensure your mental health remains intact. Outside of that, be a great servant leader.</p>
<h2>WHAT AREA OF D&amp;I ARE YOU MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT AND WHY?</h2>
<p>I think we need to see more black women in tech and senior positions throughout business as a whole. To do that we need to increase equity and equality, as they are massively under-represented. Secondly &ndash; neurodiversity (dyslexic, autism, adhd any other neuro-divergencies). Neurodiverse people are typically more creative, which is the antithesis of STEM and therefore hasn&rsquo;t had a firm standing within Tech. I believe &ldquo;STEMD&rdquo; where the D stands for &ldquo;Design&rdquo; is the way forward.</p>
<h2>WHAT AREA OF D&amp;I DO YOU FEEL IS MOST UNDERREPRESENTED AND WHAT DO YOU THINK THE INDUSTRY COULD DO TO CHANGE THAT?</h2>
<p>Primarily, I don&rsquo;t think there&rsquo;s enough light shed on Black Women, but a close second would be someone&rsquo;s socioeconomic status. I want to see more diversity based on socio-economic status because attitude, willingness, and ability to get the job done and isn&rsquo;t exclusive to a particular status. Not having a mix of backgrounds and ethnicities limits ideas and initiatives and detracts from the overall value a company can deliver. I believe if a company changes its interview process to be less focused on academics and more focused on mindset and approach, then this would be an effective first step in creating this change.</p>
<h2>FINALLY, DO YOU HAVE A MANTRA YOU LIVE BY?</h2>
<p>Learn to be your authentic self, because nobody will do it for you.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Thanks, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellie-hill-digital-expert/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kellie </a></em><em>you rock 🤘</em></p>
<p><em>Interview by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-delsol-832419240/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andrew Delsol</a></em></p>

Kellie Hill | Gate One

Victoria Reed | LUSH Digital

<p>Talk of the weather, stiff upper lip, Marmite - all very British nuances. But what are we most guilty of as a Brit? Not giving ourselves enough credit! We often find it very difficult to talk about what we're good at but is it holding us back?</p><p><br></p><p>Here, we hear from <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenfynn/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Karen Fynn</a> - Product Director at <a href="https://journey.travel/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Journey</a>, who draws from her experience as an umpire to keep calm under pressure, the importance of the bigger picture when briefing developers and how to tackle "intellectual snobbery".</p><p>This refreshingly frank article is just what you need if you're feeling a bit lost or at a crossroads in your career...</p><p><br></p><h2>CAN YOU TELL ME A BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND HOW YOU GOT INTO PRODUCT MANAGEMENT?</h2><p>By accident really, I was working in IT as an infrastructure server consultant going and doing big migrations of servers. I was between contracts and the development manager of the company I was working for had a lot of work for his team, he said to me “Do you fancy learning how websites work?” and I said, “yeah why not”. So he gave me a half-hour lesson in how websites work, gave me&nbsp;“web design in a nutshell” from O’Reilly and then set me off to go and write all the JavaScript frontend validation for forms on this asset management application that was being written. This was back in the day when there weren’t proper editors or similar so I was coding in notepad. There was nothing to tell you what your syntax errors were! So that was my first introduction into websites and I started to do a lot more of that work as a developer.&nbsp;</p><p>When I was pregnant with my son I was doing some freelance work whilst on maternity leave, building people's websites, trying to decide if that was something I wanted to do as a career change from working in IT to then building websites. I decided that running my own business as a freelancer wasn’t what I wanted to do and I got offered a job by someone I knew. I said I like managing projects, but I’m also really interested in software engineering, he said, “well I think I have the answer to both of our problems then” and I came on as Product Manager with Firehoop and that was that!&nbsp;</p><h2>WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO PRODUCT MANAGEMENT AS A CAREER?</h2><p>I’ve always been someone that, when there’s a big mess, seem to have the ability to see through it all and organise things. If someone shows me the big picture, I know how to break it down. I’ve always had that ability to see things that way. I like the fact that it can still be quite a technical role, but also, I am interested in business and overcoming the problems that people have and finding solutions and solving problems.</p><h2>WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU'VE FACED AND HOW HAVE YOU OVERCOME THEM?</h2><p>With everything that I end up doing, you have multiple plans in mind with what you can do to be able to meet expectations. So having backup plans of how you change the scope to be able to deliver something on time is something that is always a challenge. But I think the biggest one is when there are issues that can’t be controlled by product. Technical debt in a product can be one of the toughest things to work with if you have a product with too much technical debt. It’s virtually impossible to be able to overcome it, we’ve ended up dealing with it with best practice, trying to do the boy scout route of leaving something better than when you found it. I guess it’s also about communicating the needs to everyone. As much as developers want to write code, giving them context for the bigger picture is obviously important as they can make better decisions with implementation and really know and own the product rather than just being told.</p><h2>CAN YOU DESCRIBE A SPECIFIC PROJECT OR PRODUCT THAT YOU'RE PARTICULARLY PROUD OF AND EXPLAIN WHY?</h2><p>Revspa, our spa booking platform, we are all quite proud of it as it’s the first spa booking engine with live pricing and availability, we partnered with a third-party company to get that functionality. We worked with them to build their API to our requirements. Off the back of our collaboration as two businesses, we have created something that our customers really love. It looks great, and operates well so that’s still something we are all proud of. The current product that we are working on, OneJourney I’m proud of it and the team because it's so complicated. The Belfry and Celtic Manor have tried and failed to do what we’ve done. It’s a huge achievement to have gotten to where we are. The other one that I really loved working on was a project when I was at Firehoop for British Cycling and SKY, a collaboration for their recreational cycling programme to get a million more people into cycling. We worked with those two companies for about five years launching all their campaigns. And that wasn’t just about the brand, there were bookings, and there were GPS files of routes that you could download, upload, and book on rides. There were so many different aspects to it, all bespoke and all the workflows were complex as it was a very big application. It was enjoyable because it was an interesting subject matter but also technically complex. All three of those products have been technically complex and executed in a simple user-friendly way. So, I think those are always the ones that you know you’re doing well because somebody thinks that what you have produced is simple.&nbsp;</p><h2>WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU HAVE FOR SOMEONE WHO IS LOOKING TO BREAK INTO THE SECTOR?</h2><p>Listen. And ask the question that needs to be asked, by that I mean, people will provide solutions and listening to what they have to say and asking the why is so important because people don’t always know what they need. Because they will come along with a solution and say "can it do this?", "can you do this thing?", or maybe someone on the board is saying "here’s a vision, can you do it?". Understanding why is the key to all of it. Asking delving questions and then also listening to what people have to say in response and remembering it. If someone gives you that information, it’s polite if nothing else to absorb the information in whatever way is best for you. If you are actively listening and absorbing information and asking questions, then you can do your best work in being able to provide the solution. I think if you don’t fully understand the situation, ask questions to really get to the bottom of it so it’s solid in your help. Sometimes people don’t feel brave or confident enough to be able to say “sorry I’m still not quite getting to the bottom of it do you mind sharing a bit more with me”</p><h2>WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU HAVE GIVEN TO YOURSELF AT THE START OF YOUR CAREER, KNOWING ALL THAT YOU KNOW NOW?</h2><p>Don’t downplay your capability. Instead of people thinking “oh Karen is much better than I thought she was going to be”, they start off by thinking maybe you aren’t as capable and then you must work back from being underestimated. It’s a bit of a British thing anyway, it doesn’t always feel comfortable to talk about what you are good at. I found it with umpiring. I would go and say to my colleagues how nervous I was feeling and start talking about all my gaps. Then my colleagues think “is this person going to be able to handle this” and then you go in and rock it and they’re like “oh she’s okay”. If you don’t say it in the first place they will just say “Oh well Karen rocked that”. There’s no need to point out your flaws to everyone unless it’s necessary.&nbsp;Self-awareness is good but you don’t need to open up to people unnecessarily, and you need to be more confident in your own abilities.</p><h2>WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED AS A WOMAN WORKING IN A MALE-DOMINATED FIELD LIKE TECHNOLOGY?</h2><p>I haven’t. It’s a challenge because I think, whether I have needed to or not, I have always wanted to be the hardest working person in the building, and a lot of that has come from wanting to be taken seriously. I also want to know my stuff; I am quite happy to hold my hands up and say I don’t understand that, but I then take time to be able to learn what I need to. I’ve seen situations, and I don’t think it’s a male-female thing, but there’s intellectual snobbery that goes on in the tech world. I think that making sure you know as much as you need to at least, and maybe more, about the technical side of things has been important for me to be taken seriously. That I’m not just someone who is managing, I know the tech as well. I think that has certainly helped with the way that I have worked with teams. Even when I was working in IT as a techie myself, I never had any problems. I have only ever seen problems where someone doesn’t really know or understand or know their field and there might be an assumption that it’s because they’re female. But in my experience, it is more intellectual snobbery, where someone doesn’t know very much be it male or female would struggle. I have had more issues with sexism outside of tech than I have in tech. Dealing with clients and partners, I remember being at a meeting with a partner. I was running the project and I went along with my boss. I knew everything about the product and my boss didn’t, but the brand agency wouldn’t speak to me. I’d ask a question and he would respond to my boss. I was uncomfortable, but I thought I was reading into it. We came out of the meeting and my boss asked me if I was okay as he thought it was awkward.</p><h2>YOU SPEAK A LOT ABOUT YOUR TIME PLAYING, COACHING, AND UMPIRING IN HOCKEY. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST LESSON YOU HAVE TAKEN FROM THIS INTO YOUR CAREER AND ROLE NOW?</h2><p>Umpiring, and what I do as a job are very different in terms of ways of thinking and behaving. At work I must consider, collaborate, get opinions, and build a picture to make sure we are making the right decisions for the strategy, vision, delivery, and execution of the product. In umpiring, I must blow my whistle and decide instantaneously without any kind of collaboration. I’m the one with the whistle and you must do what I say in that scenario. It’s a very different way of thinking and that’s been very difficult for me to overcome, but it is helpful at times at work. If you have 11 people in the team all coming at you complaining about something you did, you won’t shrink and instead, be calm and deal with it. We always say panic slowly. Keeping a poker face when you’re under pressure really helps with resilience for work. It’s interesting - psychologically, umpiring has given me some interesting skills. As I’ve got better at work, I’ve got better as an umpire, and they come together. So, there are quite a lot of crossovers.</p><h2>WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE THAT YOU REFER TO?</h2><p>Jane Powell (Ex England GB, Hockey, Cricket and Badminton player) used to say when she was training me that she wanted us to “Play with PRIDE, Personal Responsibility In Delivering Excellence”. What you do off the ball is as important as what you do on the ball and helping your teammates to be in the right place and support them. It translates directly to business, with everyone in the team working towards a common goal. From a development point of view, you don’t not self-test and then hand it over to someone for code review and then that other person has to give you a ton of feedback. It’s about doing your job well but also making it easier for other people.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><em>Thanks, </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenfynn/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Karen </em></a><em>you rock 🤘</em></p><p><em>Interview by </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-faire/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Tom Faire</em></a></p>

Karen Fynn | Journey

<p>Did you know the top performing posts on social media include food or an animal - specifically cats or dogs? So when <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniela-alvaran/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Daniela Alvaran</a> ran into visa issues while studying and beginning her career in the Netherlands, she posted a <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/daniela-alvaran_entrepreneurship-education-work-activity-6886911009601257472-FNVA?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">picture</a> of herself and her housemates (very cute) dog 'Oona' on her profiles to see if anyone could help - and she went viral.  </p><p>Daniela and Oona reached over 200,000 people, one of those people being a founder of <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/xomnia/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Xomnia </a>who got in touch with Daniela and a year later she is working as a talent consultant. When social media is used for the greater good it really does work! </p><p>Women Rock Ambassador <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucia-alcock-a6913a194/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lucia </a>chatted with Daniela about how she aims to create a more diverse data team, what millennials can learn from Gen Z and who would be guests at her dream dinner party - we'd definitely want a seat at this table, that's for sure...</p><p><br></p><h2>FIRSTLY... HOW DID YOUR JOURNEY START, HOW DID YOU GET INTO TECH RECRUITMENT?</h2><p>The picture of my roommate’s dog saved me from being deported…</p><p>After moving to the Netherlands for studies &amp; kick-starting my career by helping young entrepreneurs, I ran into some visa sponsorship issues &amp; was in a situation where I needed to find a job, or I'd have to leave the Netherlands. After posting a picture of myself (&amp; gorgeous dog) it reached out to over 200,000 people &amp; the founders of Xomnia found the post and gave me a chance. After being there for a year now, I've had my ups &amp; downs, experiencing imposter syndrome, and having no idea what Machine Learning was when I joined, I've entered the Tech world now &amp; I'm excited to see where this takes me!&nbsp;</p><h2>WHO KNEW A SELFIE WITH A DOG COULD BE LIFE-CHANGING?! YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU'RE AIMING &amp; HOPING FOR THE DATA TEAM TO BE THE MOST DIVERSE, HOW CAN COMPANIES ATTRACT &amp; RETAIN WOMEN IN SENIOR TECH ROLES?</h2><p>Today one of the most senior people we have hired accepted the offer – and she was a woman for the data engineering team! I almost cried when I found out this female was going to be joining this team (which has traditionally been very male-dominated), because it starts there, getting a few senior women on board through networking &amp; recommendations. I worked with my Team Lead to make this happen because he understands the importance of more balance.&nbsp;</p><p>We're also going to a campaign with one of our youngest Data Engineers &amp; a Women's Tech hub in Amsterdam called Equals. She's so hardworking and really understands the value of representation, so she'll be able to demonstrate a more realistic path for those who are maybe only a small bit away from where she is, inspiring younger women to keep going.&nbsp;</p><p>Branding is also super important, what you're posting on LinkedIn has to show diversity because if people don't see themselves in what you're posting they're not going to be interested.</p><h2>CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THAT CAMPAIGN ONCE IT'S FINISHED! WHOM WOULD YOU SAY INSPIRES YOU THE MOST?</h2><p>I could name a few, one being Marie Forleo who's super into the social space, celebrating femininity in the workplace. I also know it's cliché but I love Oprah Winfrey, I love what she's done with her platform &amp; I love her new focus on spirituality.</p><h2>WHAT DO YOU THINK MILLENNIALS CAN LEARN FROM GEN Z?</h2><p>I think so much about generations, it's one of my guilty pleasures. Ray Dalio comments on how we're always repeating patterns of history &amp; that what we're living through right now happened before</p><p>I'm really excited to see more millennials make it into leadership positions because they tend to have a more holistic understanding of people and their wants and needs (unlike baby bloomers😉) &amp; tend to understand people more. I think it's really important for millennials to learn more about the digital era from GenZ's. For example, LinkedIn influencers are a real thing now &amp; it's not really cringy!! You can really make an impact at scale through social media and millennials should listen to GenZ because the digital era is going to be a tool to change the world not just something to use for fun.</p><h2>TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU! SO, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE WOMEN TRYING TO GET INTO TECH?</h2><p>I'll give two sides, a recruiter side &amp; a Daniela side... I think it's so important in your early 20's to spend time to try and understand your mind, try to understand your limiting beliefs, and understand how your mind body &amp; emotions are connected, so when you're faced with life later on, you'll be able to handle it a bit better.&nbsp;</p><p>Also, join a community! I think there are a lot of great communities, women are great at building them. My best friend started from Good Girl to Bad Ass &amp; we meet women from all over the world from. We chat about professional development, our love lives, and our minds &amp; we're just all there for each other. Having a community to help you figure out who you are before your career, will make you feel less alone in the process.&nbsp;</p><p>In terms of career, it's totally fine to be yourself. You don't have to act like the guys in the room to make it. Once you have that understanding of who you are, it's okay to own it. Stop trying to fit into this mould that the tech world has become!!</p><p>Besides that, if you can get into consultancy, it's great because you can learn a lot very fast. The requirements do tend to be strict, so Product &amp; start-up organisations are a great place to start.&nbsp;</p><h2>INCREDIBLE ADVICE, THANKS FOR SHARING! NOW MOVING ON TO PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION... YOU'RE HOSTING A DINNER PARTY: WHO ARE YOUR GUESTS, WHAT'S ON THE MENU &amp; WHAT ARE WE PLAYING FOR MUSIC?&nbsp;</h2><p>So funny... Dinner party guest Jay Shetty, he's a millennial with a great understanding of social media. I'd love to understand how he's marrying all these worlds together &amp; how he's using social media to bring it to the masses in such a successful and beautiful way. I'd have his wife Radhi cook some of the lovely vegan stuff she makes! &amp; then after dinner, we can have a salsa party.</p><h2>I'D WANNA BE THERE! AND FINALLY, WHAT'S THE MANTRA YOU LIVE BY?</h2><p>I was a bit hesitant because it's not guided by recruitment or tech, but it is something I live by...</p><p>Direction over ambition, courage over control &amp; playfulness over emptiness.&nbsp;</p><p>I don't know what it is, maybe when we're trying to prove ourselves it makes us burnt out. You're trying to control everything. You achieve a lot of things, but you feel so tired and empty in the process, so I think the direction is more a mission-driven thing. It's something north, but you should be flexible on how you get there - it doesn't have to be as strict and demanding and you can definitely have fun in the process!</p><p><br></p><p><em>Thanks, </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniela-alvaran/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Daniela </em></a><em>you rock 🤘</em></p><p><em>Interview by </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucia-alcock-a6913a194/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Lucia Alcock</em></a></p>

Daniela Alvaran | Xomina 

<p>There is an argument that soft skills are just as important when pursuing a career in tech, as tech skills and academia. Maybe we're using the wrong adjective here and "soft" doesn't represent the importance of these particular skills - Abilities like empathy, resilience and problem-solving are super important, especially in the tech industry.</p>
<p>Women Rock Ambassador <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthamiller/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sam </a>spoke with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/anita-pritchard-974bbb51/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Anita Pritchard</a> this week about her journey into the QA and Testing world and the many important lessons she learnt from becoming a mum, moving from one country to another and securing a role that allows her to work in an industry she loves while celebrating diversity.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>HEY ANITA! WE&rsquo;RE DELIGHTED TO BE SPEAKING WITH YOU AND SHARING A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY IN THE QA/TESTING WORLD SO FAR. HOW HAVE YOU GOT INTO TECH AND ENDED UP AS QA COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE MANAGER AT PRINCIPALITY?</h2>
<p>Being originally from Germany, I did not plan a career in the UK or in QA. But love makes you do funny things. I met Jason in 2000 during a work placement as part of my language studies at the European Business School in London. I left the UK in 2000 with improved English but a broken heart&hellip;.. After that, there were many, many flights between London and Frankfurt, and in 2002 we decided to fully commit to our relationship. I moved to the UK in April 2002 and we got married in 2005.</p>
<p>Before I left Germany I worked in the payment systems department for the German Central Bank, the Deutsche Bundesbank. The transition to the Bank of England felt logical and I was over the moon when I got a job offer in their payments team. A few years later, I started my testing career after being offered an opportunity in the Bank of England&rsquo;s Testing Team, testing their payments and settlement systems. The great thing about testing is that you can quickly be appreciated by your team even without having too much of a technical background.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Eventually I got to the point where I was ready for a change. It came quite naturally and I just felt that I needed to see something different and learn new things. I joined McDonald&rsquo;s IT department as a Test Manager in 2013. After some exciting projects at McDonald&rsquo;s, Jason and I decided to move with our two children to Monmouth. We always liked the countryside and decided that this change in lifestyle was very important to us. I had to reconsider what I wanted to do but I quickly identified that I really like Quality Assurance (QA) so I wanted to carry on in this field.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>I initially accepted a pay cut for the role at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/principality-building-society/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Principality</a>, but, I really liked the organisation and the brand and for me, that was more important.&nbsp;And, so that&rsquo;s how, in 2017, I started my career in the Principality in Cardiff. In the beginning as a Test Lead, then a Test Manager and in 2021 there was the move to the QA Community of Practice Manager.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The main challenge as a Test Lead/Test Manager was the delivery of difficult testing updates. Communicating the impact of complex defects to a large senior stakeholder group was tough and nerve-wracking at times. But I think that the honesty and insight helped and I earned respect for that. In the end, programmes want to deliver high-quality software to their customers. So whilst some delays are sometimes hard to accept, we know it is done with the best intent.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>As a Community of Practice Manager, my responsibility has now shifted to focus on the capability of the QA community. I had to make a conscious effort to embrace some new responsibilities and let go of some old ones. But,&nbsp;I thoroughly enjoy leading the QA community with my peer, Marc, and I am excited and passionate about QA and how the industry is continuously progressing. And just in November 2022, Principality won the European Software Testing awards for the Best Software Testing Project for delivering our Mortgages Transformation Programme, including implementing our new Mortgage Sales and Originations (MSO) platform, in partnership with Qualitest. So, it&rsquo;s great to feel&nbsp;like we&rsquo;re doing something right.</p>
<h2>HOW DID YOU FIND ADJUSTING TO LIFE AS A WORKING PARENT IN TECH? HAS THAT EXPERIENCE SHAPED HOW YOU SUPPORT WORKING PARENTS IN YOUR CURRENT ROLE?</h2>
<p>Tech is fast moving so it&rsquo;s important to stay up-to-date and keep learning.&nbsp;I have had breaks away from tech, starting with a career break to go travelling in my mid-20s. Then I took 10-month maternity leave for each of my children when I was 29 and 31.&nbsp;These breaks were invaluable for me and also added to my personal experience and development. Having a break, travelling and then becoming a mum allowed me to learn new life skills like resilience, problem-solving, creative thinking, risk management and many others. These newly found skills and juggling family life made catching up on new tech seem so much easier in comparison.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Juggling work with being a parent is a balancing act, I use my working hours to their fullest and make the most of my time when logged on. This in return allows me to have time with my family and for hobbies. Work-life balance has always been important to me as this is the foundation for my mental and physical well-being.&nbsp;</p>
<p>I have had amazing Line Managers and coaches throughout my career. I think I am one of the lucky ones as I have found that my needs for my work-life balance have always been met with respect, and my career aspirations have been encouraged enthusiastically.&nbsp;My Line Managers have always wanted me to experiment and explore, learn new things, and make mistakes. They appreciated that I wanted to progress and gave me their full support. Having experienced this myself makes me want to provide the same level of support to everyone I am coaching in their role.</p>
<h2>PRINCIPALITY WAS RECENTLY NAMED FIRST IN THE 2022 UK&rsquo;S BEST WORKPLACES FOR WOMEN AND THIS WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF FEEDBACK AND COMMENTS FROM WOMEN WORKING THERE. THIS IS AN AWESOME ACHIEVEMENT. AS A WOMAN WORKING AT PRINCIPALITY, WHAT MAKES IT SUCH A GREAT PLACE TO WORK?</h2>
<p>Equality, Diversity and Inclusion are very important to Principality.&nbsp;They provide various networks and forums to make it easy for colleagues to connect. These networks are used to share insights and inspire colleagues through articles, workshops and other engaging activities.&nbsp;&ldquo;Everyone has the right to come to work and feel comfortable being their real and authentic self&rdquo;&hellip;. I really like that statement from our former Chief People Officer.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>The hybrid working strategy, which was introduced this year, was a game changer for me and many others at Principality, and has improved my work-life balance immensely. &ldquo;Work is an activity, not a destination&rdquo;, is one of my favourite principles from our hybrid working handbook. During Lockdown, our office was completely refurbished enabling collaboration between people working in the office and people working from home.&nbsp;Being able to work from home saves me over two hours of time commuting every day. That&rsquo;s priceless. But equally, I do like face-to-face collaboration and the energy I feel when being in the room with other people. So I choose to go to the office one or two days a week.&nbsp;</p>
<p>In addition, Principality offers flexible working options and there is a healthy uptake in the teams. Some members of the QA community work compressed hours such as 70 hours over nine days (meaning a day off every other week) or 35 hours over four days. Adjusting working hours to allow for school runs or other personal commitments is also commonly used and makes a huge difference to individuals and means that we can juggle family and life commitments with work much more easily.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Another element that makes Principality a great place to work as a woman is the focus on mental health, something which is super important. This is supported through the Mental Health Advocacy Network led by our mental health advocates. Their mission is the promotion, protection and restoration of mental health at Principality. We also have an Employee Assistance Programme for a complete range of well-being considerations, including proactive counselling support and regular monthly webinars and online gym sessions. These small things together can make a big difference.</p>
<h2>WHAT DOES DIVERSITY MEAN TO YOU AND WHY DO YOU THINK IT&rsquo;S IMPORTANT?</h2>
<p>I think the world would be very boring if we were all the same. I appreciate the broader perspective I get when discussing topics with a group of people with different genders or sexual orientations, different ages and cultural backgrounds, abilities and disabilities. A diverse group brings different skills, different knowledge and wider views to the table, even more so within Test/QA. I find it interesting how much better conversation is with a diverse community. At Principality, the Community of Practice Leadership team, which consists of nine line managers across change, feels nicely diverse. I look around the table (or the Webex screen) and see a healthy representation of different genders, ages and backgrounds. We never run out of things to talk about. Similar diversity is also evident at board level with a healthy ratio of male/female representation among our directors and board members.&nbsp;</p>
<p>As a woman in tech, self-belief and confidence are very important.&nbsp;Throughout my career, I have often found myself sitting in a meeting with just male peers or senior colleagues. It can be easy as a female to feel outnumbered in these situations, but, I have never allowed this situation to rob me of my confidence. We need to remember that at the end of the day, we are all people with our own thoughts and insecurities. What is important is what we have to say and what information or knowledge we can add to discussions regardless of our gender or background. Sometimes the best discussion comes from the most diverse mix of people.</p>
<h2>HAVE YOU SEEN A CHANGE IN THE TYPES OF APPLICANTS YOU RECEIVE FOR QA POSITIONS IN RECENT TIMES?</h2>
<p>In Principality&rsquo;s QA Community, we recruited quite heavily over the last 12 months, filling 9 QA vacancies in total. I am pleased that we had a diverse group of applicants over the last year. More diverse than maybe compared to 2 or 3 years ago which was great to see. We also recently started our very first Test Engineering Academy in Principality, offering 3 positions to graduates or candidates seeking a career change into Test/QA. We received a really diverse range of applicants through FinTech Wales and Cardiff and Vale College so it&rsquo;s great to see that more and more people are being drawn to a career in tech.</p>
<h2>IF YOU COULD GIVE ADVICE TO SOMEONE WHO&rsquo;S THINKING ABOUT MAKING A CAREER CHANGE INTO TECH/ TESTING WHAT WOULD IT BE?</h2>
<p>Nowadays there are amazing Academy opportunities out there for people looking to pursue a career in tech who don&rsquo;t necessarily have a technical background. As mentioned, we recently connected with FinTechWales and Cardiff and Vale College and found 13 great candidates that joined Principality&rsquo;s Dev and Test Engineering Academy. Have a look at this interesting story here from one of our new joiners: <a href="https://fintechwales.org/news/golfer-to-coder-a-new-career-is-on-par-thanks-to-new-coding-academy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Golfer to Coder</a>.</p>
<p>Collaboration, communication skills and relationship-building skills are important for whatever area of tech you end up in and there are some great webinars available. I do like a Ted Talk and I will never tire of the leadership lesson from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hO8MwBZl-Vc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a dancing guy</a>.</p>
<h2>FINALLY, ARE THERE ANY QUOTES/MANTRAS/WORDS OF WISDOM THAT YOU&rsquo;D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR WOMEN ROCKERS?</h2>
<p><em>&ldquo;Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.&rdquo; &ndash; Nora Ephron&nbsp;</em></p>
<p>I feel strongly about the power of believing in yourself. So, I like those quotes that make me feel strong and confident.&nbsp;I often think that confidence in your own ability is half the recipe for a successful career. The other half is what everyone has to figure out individually.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>I think a career will find you if you look after yourself and analyse your own ambitions. You need different things at different stages of your life. What is important to you when you are 20, might not be important anymore when you are 35. Always take time to reflect on your career aspirations and balance these carefully with your mental health and physical well-being.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Sometimes opportunities come along that weren&rsquo;t part of the plan. In my case, moving to a different country for love. Take a chance. Sometimes a sideward step instead of an upwards step can be the right move. You&rsquo;ll still learn something new doing this and who knows what opportunities it might lead to.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Thanks, </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/anita-pritchard-974bbb51/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Anita </em></a><em>you rock 🤘</em></p>
<p><em>Interview by </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthamiller/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Sam Miller</em></a></p>

ANITA PRITCHARD | PRINCIPALITY BUILDING SOCIETY

<p>Inclusion: the "I" in "ED&amp;I", to be "included" is to feel part of something, to feel accepted. If we think about this in terms of the digital world, and as more and more parts of our lives move online it is important everyone can benefit from the internet and technology, regardless of their background or circumstance.&nbsp;</p><p>Enter stage right - <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/nexer-digital/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nexer Digital</a>, and more specifically <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilarystephenson/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hilary Stephenson</a>, managing director and ED&amp;I advocate. Women Rock Ambassador <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesjhoskins/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Charles </a>spoke with Hilary about the importance of community engagement and having a team that can relate and are representative of the audience Nexer want to reach.</p><p>In this refreshing post, Hilary speaks candidly about the areas that need improving within Nexer in terms of ED&amp;I but also recognises the small steps that are being made towards the end goal of being a fully inclusive, diverse workforce.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><h2>TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND NEXER DIGITAL?</h2><p>Nexer Digital is a design and development agency with a focus on digital inclusion and social impact. We are the user experience arm of the wider Nexer Group, a Swedish-based organisation with over 2000 employees globally. We work with users to design, test and build products that we hope help people to live and work better, focusing on sectors where we can make a difference, namely health, local and central government, education, culture and heritage.&nbsp;This includes a number of charitable organisations, housing trusts and public sector research bodies. I started the initial UK business in 2007, building on my career and interests in usability, accessibility and user-centred content design.</p><h2>WITH NEXER, HOW HAVE YOU MAINTAINED A POSITIVE D&amp;I FOCUS WHEN GOING THROUGH RAPID GROWTH?</h2><p>We’ve always had a focus on digital inclusion, from our early work in web accessibility. We’ve also chosen to work with organisations that have a social purpose, such as Mind, Diversity Role Models and Citizens Advice. This means we rely on community engagement, co-design and testing with a diverse audience to create better products and services. A natural conclusion from that was we needed a team that is representative of the audiences we seek to reach for our customers, so inclusion and intersectionality became broader concerns for us as we grew. We were finding issues in some aspects of recruitment that required some affirmative action. Our investment in a partnership with Diverse &amp; Equal last year was just one step, but probably the most important one made in our business in recent years. From that initial boot camp, we have been able to mentor and support career changes for eight people from relevant sectors who want to move into user-centred design work. In parallel, we have made some progress with our Disability Confident employer status. We can of course do much more in both areas.</p><h2>NEXER SEEMS LIKE IT’S HAD AN AWESOME JOURNEY SINCE IT WAS FOUNDED IN 2007 (THEN SIGMA). WHAT’S BEEN THE BIGGEST LEARNING FOR YOU IN THAT TIME?</h2><p>That you can stay focused on the work you want to do. I’ve been given a lot of freedom to build the team, services and culture we need to focus on the sectors and causes we care about. If you can find value and friendships in your work, from colleagues to clients, it’s all a lot easier and more rewarding. That does include being bold, and honest, about the things you want to tackle, both in your own organisation and the client problems you work with.&nbsp;Accessibility is never done, behaviours are never truly inclusive, and user's needs clash. If you can embrace that and all the hypocrisies and missteps it might bring, while showing you have good intent, things are less stressful, generally.</p><h2>WHAT’S BEEN YOUR PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENT?</h2><p>The team we continue to build, their enthusiasm for their specialist craft and their focus on making stuff better. I’m still proud when I watch them speak, show me something we have designed or built, raise a theme they want to explore, or simply compromise and design things collaboratively. We need to keep that.</p><h2>WE GOT IN TOUCH FROM TWITTER, WHERE YOU TALKED ABOUT OWNING ANY HYPOCRISY ON ANY D&amp;I INITIATIVE. WHAT EXACTLY DID YOU MEAN BY THIS?</h2><p>I think this came from observing a reluctance in some client teams to work in the open, specifically about accessibility. Sadly, due to the very real and important legal aspects, some people are nervous about sharing what they’ve achieved, for fear of being criticised for what they still need to do. It means the good, small steps and commitments to inclusion aren’t shared, so don’t encourage others to invest. I’d favour a more open, honest approach, where gaps are acknowledged, roadmaps are shared, and apologies offered. The same applies to our own team and diversity, where we are stronger in some areas, such as LGBTQ+ inclusion, yet were falling behind in other areas. The Diverse &amp; Equal partnership came about when we embraced some of the awkwardness around a lack of cultural diversity in our own team and in leadership roles. We also need to work harder at supporting disabled and neurodiverse colleagues so accessibility informs who we are, as well as what we do.</p><h2>FINALLY, YOU ARE A VOLUNTEER AT DIVERSITY ROLE MODELS. WHO ARE THEY AND WHAT DO THEY DO?</h2><p>Diversity Role Models are a UK charity that encourages inclusion and acceptance through positive LGBTQ+ storytelling. They deliver workshops, assemblies and training in schools to help people teachers and young people consider diverse families, inclusive language and reduce homophobic, transphobic and biphobic bullying. We have supported them with their digital strategy since they launched in 2011. They are still very much needed, as their most recent impact report highlighted that “Secondary school pupils are most likely to be bullied when they are gay or thought to be gay (42%)”. As well as supporting them in our work at Nexer, I also volunteer for them as a role model, trainer and workshop facilitator, where I share my own coming-out journey. The aim is to offer some personal insight into the experience of being a lesbian and living in a happy, same-sex relationship and raising a young family. I hope it resonates.</p><p><br></p><p><em>Thanks, </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilarystephenson/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Hilary </em></a><em>you rock 🤘</em></p><p><br></p><p><em>Interview by </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesjhoskins/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Charles Hoskins</em></a></p>

Hilary Stephenson | Nexer Digital

<p>Not many of us know what we want to do in our twenties...or thirties...or forties...let ALONE when we were 11. But as 11-year-old <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kingashill/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kinga Stryszowska-Hill</a> explored the forests and rural countryside of Poland, she knew she was destined to feed her passion for the environment - whatever that would end up looking like. </p><p>Here, we hear about Kinga's journey from academia to industry having gained a BA, MS, and PhD in Environmental Studies, and eventually finding a strong affinity in tech to solve real-level environmental problems as a Geospatial Data Scientist. This wasn't an overnight transition but Kinga proves if you put the time and hard graft in - anything is possible. The other common thread throughout this interview is about the importance of networking, community and mentorship and Kinga's passion to help fellow techies and share advice over a coffee.</p><p>So grab your tipple of choice and find out how to embrace change and take the first step toward your dream career!</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><h2>SO GOOD TO BE SPEAKING WITH YOU! LET’S START AT THE BEGINNING, WHEN DID YOU FIRST REALISE YOU WERE PASSIONATE ABOUT USING YOUR SKILLS AS A FORCE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL GOOD?</h2><p>Well, I grew up in a very rural town in Poland, an upbringing which saw me freely run around in the local forests and fields. So, it’s safe to say that from a very early age, I always had an affinity with the outdoors! In the ’90s my parents emigrated to the United States, bringing the whole family to New York City, the move was a HUGE shift to what I was used to, I’d be taken from a luscious green bliss to an urban jungle!&nbsp;</p><p>It was a huge move for an 11-year-old, the move undoubtedly speared me to environmental stewardship whether 11-year-old me knew about it or not! I always had a natural gravitation to biology through high school and really excelled at Biology, when the time came to start thinking about what I wanted to do post high school it was such an easy decision. It has to be the environment; I remember thinking this is what’s been missing from my life!&nbsp;</p><p>My passion only increased as I gained a BA, MS, and PhD in Environmental Studies, subsequently sharing my knowledge as a visiting assistant professor &amp; postdoc associate before transitioning into industry as a Geospatial Data Scientist just over 12 months ago.&nbsp;</p><h2>WOAH, WHAT A JOURNEY! HOW WAS THAT TRANSITION FROM ACADEMIA TO INDUSTRY?&nbsp;</h2><p>Academia is relatively closed off, with most academics being expected to stay in academia to do research and teach. With very little guidance and support on how to get out and exit the system. I decided to leave not because I felt like I wasn’t making a difference in academia, I was still super happy, more so I found I was always struggling to find real security in a full-time position with an adequate salary. I identified Data/ Tech as an area I would excel, with my science background I knew my analytics skills were super sharp, knowing I could use those skills to solve real-level environmental problems.</p><h2>OK, AND WHAT KIND OF CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED AS A WOMAN MOVING INTO TECH, WHICH IS TRADITIONALLY A SPACE DOMINATED BY MALES?</h2><p>I guess I’m fortunate that I’ve not had any huge adverse experiences in both industry or academia (which is also very male-dominated). Which is good. That said, I’ve seen first-hand the positive power of having women in senior management can have on a business.</p><h2>WHAT LESSONS OR ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OTHERS WANTING TO FOLLOW A SIMILAR PATH IN USING THEIR SKILLS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP WHO MAY BE LOOKING TO TRANSITION FROM ACADEMIA TO INDUSTRY? </h2><p>Well, it’s such a big shift and equally difficult, I will invite anybody to follow me on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kingashill/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>, I’m always wanting to help aspiring techies and welcome a quick virtual coffee to muse about all there is. That said, separating it into the particulars of my path as a Data Specialist/ Data Scientist, my advice would be to start with a basic analytics tool such as Excel and work up from there, to SQL, R or Python. You don’t have to be an expert in any of them, though there’s always an element of upskilling involved.</p><p>And then there’s the subject matter expertise, for example, my company hired me because of my water expertise, having these specific nuances is often what secures you that role.&nbsp;</p><p>Sidenote, My PhD took me five years, my Masters 3 years and Bachelors 4 years - it’s a lot of education! Sometimes I think how much of an impact I could have made if I spent some of this time working for a mission-driven start-up!</p><p>I’m also a huge proponent of networking, and coffee chats. I learn something every single time I speak to someone new doing a similar profession. This is just talking to learn what type of work they do in different companies.</p><h2>HOW ARE YOU GOING ABOUT THESE INTERVIEWS KINGA? IT CAN BE PRETTY DAUNTING APPROACHING A CEO FOR A FRESH GRADUATE FOR EXAMPLE.</h2><p>I guess to get some runway, I started by reaching out to loose connections in the space I was looking to pivot into. Also, I don’t yet reach out to CEOs, more so people on a similar peer level or a role/ title that I’m interested in. You’ll likely get way more value immediately this way. I often ask, what do you do, how do you do it and how did you get her? </p><p>People love helping, it’s in our nature. My advice to any student would be to be brave and network with people that inspire and motivate you.</p><h2>DO YOU SEE YOURSELF AS A MENTOR?</h2><p>I guess so, my LinkedIn presence has a mentoring capacity in some ways. I’ve had a lot of conversations sharing my advice which I love. I personally don’t have any formal mentor/mentee relationships.</p><h2>DO YOU FEEL MORE CAN BE DONE TO SUPPORT WOMEN IN THE TECH COMMUNITY? </h2><p>I think community is so important. Slack, LinkedIn, and Facebook can be really powerful in these respects.&nbsp;I think if more women can be featured as role models it’s only a good thing.</p><h2>WHAT DO YOU DO TO DISENGAGE FROM DATA SCIENCE, WHAT CAN BE A VERY MENTALLY ENGAGING CAREER?</h2><p>Naturally, it probably comes as no surprise, with three young girls I love just to have a full reset and get some fresh air and explore. We’ve recently relocated to North Carolina, so still learning about the local surroundings.</p><h2>FAVOURITE MANTRA OR QUOTE YOU LIVE BY? </h2><p>That’s super hard. I really struggle with these. The thing that resonated most is embracing change, and seeing it as a positive. Scary change may be the best of all, life is always going to throw changes at you, we’ve had some really unexpected times of late. Rather than being locked down by fear and inaction, just lean into things. Not operating by fear. My transition from academia to Data Science was terrifying but only good things came from it.</p><h2>DO YOU RECKON YOUR MOVE FROM POLAND TO THE U.S. AT A RELATIVELY YOUNG AGE HAS MADE YOU MORE ADEPT AT CHANGE?</h2><p>Yes maybe! Though it’s not something I often think about. Embrace things and take the next step forward!</p><p><br></p><p><em>Thanks, </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kingashill/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Kinga </em></a><em>you rock 🤘</em></p><p><br></p><p><em>Interview by </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-hardwick-690033172/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Mike Hardwick</em></a></p>

Kinga Stryszowska-Hill, Ph.D. | StormSensor 

<p>Role models are so important when looking for advice, inspiration and encouragement...so what do you do when you can't seem to relate to influencers in your industry? Well, you become one yourself of course! And that is exactly what Software Engineer and self-proclaimed "career changer" <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauravoineag/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Laura </a>did when she realised there was no real voice for "ordinary people" switching to tech.&nbsp;</p><p>If you are feeling any self-doubt or unsure of your next step in your career then this is a MUST-READ! Laura talks candidly about anxiety and imposter syndrome, offers some amazing tips and there are tangible takeaways throughout! </p><p>Get ready to feel motivated...&nbsp;</p><h2>THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO TALK WITH US TODAY, LAURA. CAN YOU START BY TELLING US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND, AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO TAKE THE LEAP INTO SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT? </h2><p>As a career changer, I never knew what I wanted to become, so I tried a few careers (in finance, law, and public service). I discovered that tech allows me to express myself as a person as I rarely stick to norms. As a Software Engineer, I have the opportunity to be creative, to learn, to improve, to problem solve and to work with others in creating great products. As a bonus, tech allows me to encourage others to code and improve the industry with my contribution.</p><h2>WHAT DO YOU THINK STOPS OTHERS IN A SIMILAR POSITION FROM TAKING THAT FIRST STEP?</h2><p>1. The unconscious bias where if you don’t see people like you — you feel that you don’t belong.</p><p>2. Erroneous self-belief that you are not smart/good enough. This is primarily because, as women, we were never encouraged by our families, schools, community or country to go into technical roles from an early age.</p><p>3. The Tech industry is not supporting authentic female leaders - female leaders think they need to adopt “masculine” traits to produce better results because the industry didn't create a space for them. </p><p>4. No training and support available for people going into tech. Most organisations only hire mid to senior devs. They expect developers to gain the knowledge somewhere else and apply to their jobs in 2 years' time to reap the benefits.</p><p>5. Rightly, Imposter Syndrome kicks in with the cumulation of the above and women get disheartened and start to question their decision of picking tech as a career, some even abandon it.</p><p>Tech is still perceived as a "difficult" subject to pick up where only the brightest would succeed and boot camps, companies, and recruiters cultivate it ignorantly. Even if women switch to tech, they rarely go for the more technical roles like software engineering.</p><p>We should normalise pursuing our goal and accept that, in order to accomplish it, we need to overcome obstacles and learn a lot of lessons. Learning to code is the same as learning any other skill, it’s just a habit and anyone can do it. Nobody is born doing calculus! (Dr Heidi Grant - Growth Mindset) </p><h2>YOU TALK A LOT ABOUT IMPOSTER SYNDROME, HOW HAVE YOU STRUGGLED WITH THIS, AND HOW HAVE YOU MANAGED TO OVERCOME THIS?</h2><p>Before moving to tech I called Imposter Syndrome, anxiety. I sometimes suffered from anxiety because of not finding my place in the world, changing careers, moving countries, and failed relationships, but mostly because I was feeling the odd one out. After finding tech I substituted my Anxiety with Imposter Syndrome.&nbsp;</p><p>I soon realised that I was worrying about things outside of my control. I read a lot of books about mental health, CBT and motivation and was able to pick up on my unhealthy habits. I made a decision to free myself from fear or worry and accepted that someone's opinion of me does not need to be my reality.&nbsp;</p><p>Therefore, in my first month as a Software Engineer, I made my peace with getting fired. I dropped my ego and allowed myself to make as many mistakes as possible. I asked all the questions I wanted in order to learn without worrying about what people thought. I stopped doubting myself and stopped comparing myself with others and just focused on my progress and accomplishing my goal. And finally, I surrounded myself with positive like-minded individuals and ignored anything else that didn't support me.</p><h2>YOU HAVE BEGUN TO BUILD A PLATFORM THROUGH WRITING ARTICLES ON WOMEN IN TECH, AND FORGING A CAREER IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT. YOU EVEN MENTIONED THE WOMEN IN TECH PANEL YOU WILL BE SPEAKING ON IN THE NEW YEAR. WHAT INSPIRED THIS, AND WHY IS THIS PLATFORM SO IMPORTANT TO YOU?</h2><p>After securing my first role as a developer I joined a Women in Tech event. I listened to women speak about their experiences in the hope that they might offer a formula or some great advice that would help me in my struggles of becoming a great software engineer. Suffice to say that didn't happen, there was no actionable advice provided. Moreover, I got a bit frustrated with hearing other women only praising "the superstars" and the "most talented" individuals giving the impression that ordinary people cannot just switch to tech.</p><p>In the absence of a role model, I decided to become a Speaker.</p><p>I was accepted as a Panel Speaker at the Reframe WIT Conference in March 2023. Shortly after this announcement, I started to write articles on my <a href="https://medium.com/@lauravoineag" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Medium account</a>.</p><p>I want to provide practical and tangible advice to individuals pursuing tech and especially to software engineers. I don't want people to have to suffer from imposter syndrome and I want to empower the belief that everyone can switch to a career in tech.</p><h2>IF YOU COULD GIVE ONE BIT OF ADVICE TO SOMEONE WHO’S THINKING ABOUT FORGING A CAREER IN TECH – WHAT WOULD IT BE?</h2><p>You start by understanding your needs, the tech industry and the companies you would like to work for.&nbsp;</p><p>Firstly, decide on your purpose and then you strengthen your reasons for picking it. Knowing why you've chosen your goal will help you during dark times.&nbsp;</p><p>Secondly, think about how to accomplish your goal e.g. going to boot camp.&nbsp;</p><p>Thirdly, understand the Tech Industry wall. I've written an article about this <a href="https://medium.com/@lauravoineag/understanding-the-tech-industry-wall-7b98c3ee39bc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>Lastly, choose the right company for you. A company that provides you with a safe space for learning, where your diversity is valued, and a collaborative and Agile environment where best practices are encouraged.</p><h2>IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE TECH INDUSTRY, WHAT WOULD IT BE?</h2><p>The change that I would like to see is how we address and recognise diversity in tech along with how we support early career engineers after completing their tech course.</p><h2>WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR FREE TIME?</h2><p>I do so many things (＾ｖ＾)&nbsp;</p><p>I am a Coder 👩‍💻Illustrator 🦋 Otaku (๑• .̫ •๑) who draws manga (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑) loves ♡ Anime &amp; the Japanese culture🙌 Very active with Sports ⛹️‍♀️🏊 🏃‍♀️🤸‍♀️🧘‍♀️💃 ✨Painter🌟Learning Japanese おはようSpeaker 👩‍🎤 advocating for Women in Tech and Diversity, Equity &amp; Inclusion 🦄 🧚‍♀️🧛‍♀️🧜‍♀️Early Career Engineers ❤️Obsessed with motivation and mental health.</p><h2>FINALLY, DO YOU HAVE A MANTRA TO LIVE BY? </h2><p>It's not whether or not I can do it. I am doing it because I want to!</p><p><br></p><p><em>Thanks, </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauravoineag/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Laura </em></a><em>you rock 🤘</em></p><p><br></p><p><em>Interview by </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/izzy-morgan-davies-dotnet/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Izzy Morgan-Davies</em></a></p>

Laura Voineag | Software Engineer

<p>This week <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/maddie-clingan/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Maddie Clingan</a> is taking us on a journey into the unknowns of Agile Coaching and we couldn't ask for a better tour guide. Maddie followed her dream of working for a tech start-up after working for one in Beijing while doing her masters. Originally interviewing for a business strategy role, she ended up accepting an Agile Coaching position and, quite frankly: nailing it. As an Agile Coach, she has the opportunity to look at how people work together, and how people collaborate which often gives Maddie permission to talk to people about diversity, and inclusion - another huge passion of hers, a passion that grew as she travelled the world and truly embraced different ways of doing things.</p><p>So, strap yourself in for a journey that explores the past, present and future of being a woman in tech...</p><p><br></p><h2>CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT AN AGILE COACH DOES PLEASE?</h2><p>Yes, absolutely. And I think that sense of being unassured and unfamiliar with this role or the Agile profession is really common.&nbsp;</p><p>So even for myself about three years ago, I hadn't had any exposure to Agile. I actually said yes to my first Agile Coaching role without fully knowing the extent of what's involved. So it's been a learning process for me as well, and it's really nice to go on that journey alongside teams and companies.&nbsp;</p><p>So, if I give a little bit of background, Agile is a way of working that has come become quite prolific across lots of different industries. But it started off in tech in 2001 when a group of people got together and wrote the Agile Manifesto.&nbsp;</p><p>I think one of the really important things to know about Agile is that it was actually the response to a problem that they were experiencing in IT projects. So, namely, they tended to be planned upfront and delivered in quite a sequential way. And by the time they came to market, they weren't actually relevant for business or user needs anymore.&nbsp;</p><p>So perhaps, as an example, if you think about the pandemic, if you planned something before that, and then delivered it a year later, whilst the pandemic was happening, the industry and the business and users are completely different, and needs and wants have changed.&nbsp;</p><p>So Agile is a way of working that responds to that by looking at creating small, iterative feedback loops, and ways of working that create those feedback loops, both within teams and product groups with users and stakeholders. Agile Coaches are there as the people who are well versed in that way of working (or eventually become well versed in that!), and they help teams to bring those ways of working to light and continuously improve their process.</p><h2>HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE AGILE SPACE, PARTICULARLY IN TECH AND HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE? </h2><p>Yeah, so my journey was slightly unintentional and also almost Agile and iterative. Again, unintentionally!&nbsp;</p><p>So I originally wanted to seek a role within a startup because I'd worked in a startup in Beijing where I was doing my Master’s, and I really liked that environment as it was fast-paced, and I was given a lot of autonomy and responsibility. And so that was the direction that I started out in when I returned to London.&nbsp;</p><p>And then in the process of that, I came across a tech startup that specialised in Lean and Agile product delivery. And I interviewed for a business strategy role there, and throughout the interview process, I got to know the interviewers. Around kind of stage three, they told me that their business direction had changed and they weren't looking for someone to go into this role, but they would really like to help me find a position. And I thought they were being very polite at the time, but what ended up happening was that they suggested that I went for an Agile Coaching role at one of their clients. And so I went for that and was successful.&nbsp;</p><p>After I started the role, they coached me in Agile principles and ways of working, and, eventually, I ended up taking over the responsibility that they had as an external consultancy, but as an internal coach. So it was a real team effort, and I learned a lot along the way. I have a lot of credit to give to the people that helped me, believed in me, and put me forward for these roles.</p><h2>SPEAKING ABOUT THE BROADER TECH SPACE NOW: WE OFTEN GET ASKED HOW YOU GET INTO THIS, SPECIFICALLY - ARE UNIVERSITY DEGREES IMPORTANT? WHAT ARE YOU THOUGHTS?  </h2><p>Yeah, so I tend to think about two sets of groups within the world of tech.&nbsp;</p><p>So you have, at least in my mind, one group of people who have a really strong knowledge base. They might be your kind of Engineers, Developers, Security Specialists, or DevOps people. And for those kinds of roles, given that the contribution that you bring to the team tends to be quite specialist, I would say there's only ever a benefit to starting earlier, but that by no means excludes you if you want to start later.&nbsp;</p><p>And then you've got another set of roles that are, in my mind, much more skills-based. So, potentially, Agile Coaches, Scrum Masters, Product Owners, or even User Researchers whose contribution is much more are focused on the skills and ways of thinking that they bring to get different contexts. And for those types of roles, I'd say in regards to your university degree or your previous experience, it matters less about the industry and more about the skills, experience, and impact that you'll be able to build up during that time.&nbsp;</p><p>But I think regardless of whether you're going into either set of roles there, it's never too late to start. There are so many resources out there, so many different journeys and so many ways that you can get self-taught. So I'd say if you have that vision, start early, but never feel that you're excluded from the tech path just because you didn't do a university degree or haven't started yet.D&amp;I is super important to have different perspectives when it comes to problem-solving - leading to better and quicker solutions...it really is a no-brainer! </p><h2>DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IS SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE QUITE PASSIONATE ABOUT. SO WHAT DO YOU THINK CAN BE DONE TO HELP ATTRACT A MORE SORT OF DIVERSE MIX OF PEOPLE INTO THE TECH SPACE, WHICH CLEARLY IS GOING TO BENEFIT EVERYONE INVOLVED? </h2><p>Yeah, absolutely. So I think there's this stereotype of the character who works in tech. So that might be the kind of lone wolf male who sits in a dark room typing away at his keyboard, and I think if you have that image of tech, then that might not feel like a welcoming environment for someone who is not of that demographic. But I think actually, that's a very inaccurate representation of what working in tech looks like.&nbsp;</p><p>Tech is one of the spaces that are trying to be really intentional about ways of working. Hence you have people involved, like Agile Coaches, whose whole job description is to look at how people work together, and how people collaborate. And so some of the values, specifically the Scrum values, such as openness, respect, and courage, really facilitate spaces where diverse voices are welcome and where people of different viewpoints can come together to try and find a consensus that satisfies lots of different requirements.&nbsp;</p><p>I think those are the spaces that really benefit, as you said, from diverse viewpoints. So if we can change the image of tech to one that's a lot more vibrant, a lot more open, and a lot more intentional about these things, I think maybe more people would consider coming into the space.&nbsp;</p><p>I know like me, myself, had I known that five years ago, I probably would have been much more open to coming into the industry. </p><h2>AS A WOMAN IN TECHNOLOGY, WHAT SORT OF CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED?</h2><p>I'd say one of the unique things about being a woman in tech is that it's very normal to be the only woman in the room. And I think that's not a problem in isolation, but it becomes a problem when that's the only professional environment that you ever experience.</p><p>I, myself, tried to be quite intentional about getting female coaches, and female mentors, to have more perspectives, opinions, and professional experiences that I can draw on. And that's been really helpful for me to see those role models and understand how other people navigate these spaces.&nbsp;</p><p>And then I think, at least in my case, being an Agile Coach puts me in quite a unique position where I'm given permission to look at ways of working and how companies set themselves up from an organisational perspective, which often gives me permission to talk to people about diversity, inclusion and, in general, be more vocal in that area. So I've had a lot of opportunities to have these conversations with companies and be part of the solution as well. Overall, I've loved the opportunities that I’ve had so far in this space: both in getting the support that I need, but also in trying to be part of the solution to make environments more welcoming for others.</p><h2>IN TERMS OF TECH AND IN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE AS WELL, WHAT ARE YOUR PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENTS SO FAR? </h2><p>I think one of the interesting things is that there's a program that I really want to go on called I Am Remarkable, which helps women speak about their achievements. It feels a little out of character to speak about what I’m proud of, but I will give it my best shot.&nbsp;</p><p>I think the situations where I feel most proud of myself are the ones where I've taken things from an idea to full implementation, and you see the effects in the real world, impacting people.&nbsp;</p><p>So I'd say on the tech side of things about a year or two into my first job, I was put on a second project from the get-go. We were able to take that idea and bring it all the way through initial discovery, then create a continuous discovery approach, as well as continuous delivery. We created ways of working where we were consistently delivering value for clients, and for the company more broadly, and I loved being part of that whole process from end to end.&nbsp;</p><p>I got to work with such a diverse range of people, some of whom work really new to tech, for example, their first job, and some of whom had been there for many, many years. It was such a vibrant and collaborative process. And there was something so tangible (the first iteration of the product) that we were so proud of at the end, just before I left the role. That was a great, great experience.&nbsp;</p><p>And then on the personal side of things, I had the idea when I was much younger than I am now - it makes me feel old to think about it! - but when I was a teenager, I was really fascinated by international affairs and China, and I had the idea that I really wanted to build up expertise in that area and create a forum for dialogue for young people to discuss what a rising China might mean for certain countries and industries.&nbsp;</p><p>And so I did various things, such as going to China before my undergrad, learning the language and studying, and then I eventually got a full scholarship for my Master’s. From there, I contributed to a conference that brought people from around the world to Beijing. So, again, going from an idea to then living in Beijing, working in Beijing, and being surrounded by people with a similar kind of aspiration. I was really proud of that as well.</p><h2>IN TERMS OF WHERE WE ARE NOW, WE'RE AT THE START OF 2023 - WHAT DO YOU THINK 2023 HOLDS FOR YOU? AGAIN, INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF WORK?</h2><p>Yes. So I think from a professional side, this year for me has been focused on looking at what's called flow metrics and probabilistic forecasting, which is a way of working that falls under the Agile umbrella. It really helps teams answer the question: when will it be done? which is notoriously hard in Agile where you're constantly learning as you go.&nbsp;</p><p>So I had been looking at implementing that in the teams that I'd worked with at my previous company, and now doing a lot of training and knowledge sharing at ControlPlane in regards to this. So that's something that I'm really excited about because I think that it resolves a lot of these age-old tensions between more traditional ways of working and Agile ways of working. I'd like to get a certification in that area towards the end of the year just to formalise my learning there.&nbsp;</p><p>And then I'd say, outside of work, I am really focused on my own health journey. Around a year and a half ago, I got really sick with a virus that wasn't COVID but left me with really, really, strong post-viral fatigue so I couldn't get out of bed for a long time. It was often a struggle to walk and then I also, somewhat unrelated, had really bad back pain. So it's been a very iterative journey again, to come back to full health but I've done amazing things like hiking across Albania last month, and, alongside that, I’m building up my frequency of going to classes like spin. And for me, that's really exciting as well, because I want to get to a place where I feel really physically strong too.</p><h2>IN YOUR FREE TIME WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPIEST OUTSIDE OF WORK?</h2><p>Related to what I just mentioned, I love travelling, being in new environments, learning about new cultures, and having that experience alongside good friends. I'm going to Amsterdam in a couple of weeks, and I've just been to Albania. I think that those experiences really help to shape me and my ways of thinking, and shake up my relationships too, so I love doing things like that.&nbsp;</p><p>And yeah, overall I'd say I enjoy investing in relationships and the people around me. I have a lot of international friends from my time in Beijing so there are always good debates happening with us discussing various things that we're thinking about and the various things going on in the world.</p><h2>IN ONE SENTENCE, HOW WOULD YOU SUM UP YOUR CAREER SO FAR?</h2><p>I would say a squiggly career.&nbsp;</p><p>This is the concept that there aren't necessarily linear ladders that you need to progress up. But you can do lots of different things, experiment, and try lots of different industries to see what you're interested in. For example, my background spans lots of different humanities and China studies, and now I'm in tech. So I see that as squiggly, but something that's really exciting for me as I navigate all of these different areas and find joy in all of them.</p><h2>ARE THERE ANY COMMON THEMES TO ALL OF THEM?</h2><p>Yes, I would say the common theme is that I'm primarily motivated by the environment that I'm in rather than necessarily the context of the work.</p><p>I think when a lot of people think about their careers, they consider: what industry do I want to go into? And they think less about: what will my life look like in that field. Whereas I'm much more concerned about the atmosphere.&nbsp;</p><p>This means that I seek out environments that are fast-paced, challenging, and tend to be cutting edge and help you really understand the world. So I would say that's the common theme.</p><p>It's taken me to all of these different places, and I think will take me to many different places again in the future.</p><h2>WHAT YEAR WOULD YOU LIVE IN - PAST, FUTURE OR PRESENT? PERHAPS, IN A DIFFERENT COUNTRY, AND WHY? </h2><p>This is a hard one. I think I will close off any past options because I think being a woman in the world of work wasn’t great.&nbsp;</p><p>I say I would love to go into the future and understand what the world of work looks like in 30 years because I'm really hopeful that it will develop and expand to be much more kind of human-centred, much more intentional, much more focused on how we collaborate and work together as people. And, hopefully, that creates great working environments for everyone and also better outcomes for businesses.</p><h2>WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE?</h2><p>This is a quote that I found in Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead book, and it stuck with me ever since.</p><p>And it is:&nbsp;“In the past, jobs were about muscles, now they're about brains, but in the future, they'll be about the heart.”</p><p>And for me, that reminds me of the bigger picture transition that we've gone through in the last couple of hundred years in terms of what the world of work has looked like and also what success and leadership have looked like, throughout the different stages of work.&nbsp;</p><p>And this, for me, ties into Agile because I think that now we're in a period where the main skill set that one should have is the ability to navigate uncertainty and continuously learn, and leadership in that field looks like creating those environments for teams.&nbsp;</p><p>That is much more about the heart because, contrary to feeling like you always need to get it right and to have the right knowledge, it's much more about creating an environment so that other people succeed.&nbsp;</p><p>I think that challenges traditional notions of leadership and success, but if you're able to do that internal work, collaborate with others, and create good working environments, I think the possibilities are endless. So yeah, I'm really hopeful about what's to come. </p><p><br></p><p><em>Thanks, </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/maddie-clingan/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Maddie </em></a><em>you rock 🤘</em></p><p><br></p><p><em>Interview by </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-dennison/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Ben Dennison</em></a></p>

Maddie Clingan | ControlPlane

<p>Tech and Tampons. From menopause bracelets to menstrual trackers, the Femtech industry has grown rapidly since 2016. The first tampon however, was invented by Earl Haas in 1931! During the 1930s there was common social discomfort with the idea of women touching themselves at all near their vagina. At the time, many people, including physicians, believed that women touching their reproductive organs during tampon use would cause them to sexually pleasure themselves or break the hymen. Thankfully things have moved on A LOT since then...and with sustainable and ethical companies like <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourdaye/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Daye</a>, women now have the the opportunity to make educated and sustainable decision when it comes to their menstrual cycle.</p><p>Today we hear from <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lora-kiosseva-b49003166/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lora</a>, Software Engineer at Daye - creators of the world's first CBD infused tampon - about her journey into tech, why culture is so important when wanting to attract a diverse workforce and how she finds inspiration in her everyDAYE life!&nbsp;</p><h2>HI LORA,  THANKS SO MUCH FOR TALKING TO US TODAY...WE LOVE THE DAYE BRAND EVERYTHING IT DOES FOR WOMEN'S GYNAE HEALTH AND THE PLANET! CAN YOU START BY TELLING US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND HOW YOU BECAME A SOFTWARE ENGINEER? </h2><p>It’s a family affair! - I come from a family of engineers with both mum and dad and also my grandma and grandpa being engineers - so I have been exposed to it for the majority of my childhood. I soon joined this family trait and went to Sofia Highschool of Mathematics – the classes were generally made up of mostly boys – I was one of eight girls in a class of thirty – but to be honest, I never really noticed the significance in that ratio back then. </p><p>I went to the University of Strathclyde where I studied Mathematics and Computer Science and following that attended The Data Lab Academy  - Scotland’s innovation centre for data and AI and I received a scholarship through them. They covered my MSc tuition fees but also provided additional training and networking opportunities with people from the industry, as well as a paid internship while I was doing my MSc dissertation. It's a great organisation that helps a lot of people build data skills or even change careers.</p><h2>AND WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO DAYE? </h2><p>During university my internships were mostly in the automotive industry that was basically just middle-aged men. I didn’t feel like I really fitted in, in terms of ethos and didn't feel like sustainability was much of a priority and this is something I'm really passionate about. I had been interested in implementing my knowledge into the healthcare industry so when the position at Daye came up, I went for it. My manager Ed is amazing, the most wholesome person on the earth and the interview was more of a great chat that left me feeling positive and excited. Finding out about the culture at Daye really excited me as it's super friendly and inclusive. You are surround by like-minded people and everyone is always on hand to help with any questions you have. We actually have a selected “Culture Guardian” who’s job is to arrange an activity each month to bring the team together – the next one is ‘painting with wine’ so painting with a wine reduction and drinking wine...</p><h2>PAINTING WITH WINE SOUNDS RIGHT UP OUR STREET! YOU MENTIONED THE CULTURE WAS 'INCLUSIVE' WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT TO YOU? </h2><p>ED&amp;I is super important to have different perspectives when it comes to problem solving - leading to better and quicker solutions...it really is a no-brainer! </p><h2>WE WHOLE-HEARTEDLY AGREE! IF YOU COULD GIVE ONE BIT OF ADVICE TO SOMEONE WHO'S THINKING ABOUT FORGING A CAREER IN TECH, WHAT WOULD IT BE? </h2><p>Do your homework - there are so many different roles in tech, you can surely find something that suits you, transferable skills are super important. Research what type of companies get you excited and start a conversation with them - you never know where it might lead! </p><h2>WHO OR WHAT INSPIRES YOU?</h2><p>I find tiny bits of my everyday life inspirational. It can be a nice gesture I saw someone do or the way that tree in front of my home grows.</p><h2>WHAT DO YOU DO TO UNWIND AFTER A BUSY WEEK? </h2><p>I think having regular screen detoxes so important and I love being outside in the beautiful Bulgaria! In the winter I ski and in the summer; hang out on the beach friends and play tennis. I am also in the process of getting my captain license for a sailboat and hoping to soon be a fully-fledged captain. </p><h2>A CAPTAIN'S LICENSE? THAT'S INCREDIBLE! WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU HAVE RECIEVED DURING YOUR CAREER IN TECH? </h2><p>Take a walk! When you get stuck on something and hyper-focused the best thing to do is get outside in the fresh air, take yourself off for a breather and you will usually come back to the issue with a calmer and clearer approach.</p><h2>FINALLY, DO YOU HAVE A MANTRA TO LIVE BY? </h2><p>No… not really&nbsp;😁 But whenever I get overwhelmed I try to focus on&nbsp;my breathing!&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p><em>Thanks </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lora-kiosseva-b49003166/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Lora </em></a><em>you rock 🤘</em></p><p><br></p><p><em>Interview by </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-eadon-57984a14/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Sophie Eadon</em></a></p><p><br></p>

LORA KIOSSEVA | DAYE

<p>The devil is in the detail, and the detail is in the data...</p><p><br></p><p>This week's interview is fascinating as we find out more about the gender inequalities in healthcare. And who better to give us insight than <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisa-sai-40907623/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Elisa Sai</a> - Senior Director, Data &amp; Analytics at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/capgemini-invent/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CapGemini Invent</a>. Elisa has worked in data analytics, within the public sector for her whole career and was involved in the recent partnership between Capgemini invent and <a href="https://womenindata.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Women in Data® </a>as they published the paper:  <a href="https://womenindata.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Women-in-Data-Policy-paper-Data-driven-action-to-close-the-gender-health-gap-Capgeminmi-Invent-UK-V02-1.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“Data-driven action to close the gender health gap”</a> </p><p><br></p><p>The partnership and paper were created to understand the role that data plays - and could play - in improving women's health outcomes - it's an incredible document and we urge you to give it a read! But before you do, hear from one of the experts! Elisa's focus and approach is so refreshing and inspiring!&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><h2>HI ELISA, THANKS SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO TALK TO US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY INTO DATA! CAN YOU PLEASE START BY TELLING US WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ROLE AND HOW DID YOU ARRIVE AT THE WORK YOU ARE DOING?</h2><p>I’ve worked in data analytics and the public sector for my whole career. I studied for a PhD in the history of art, but realised that academic life was a bit too solitary for me. I applied for a job with a consulting firm and by chance one of my first projects was working with analytics, at a time when data science wasn’t very well known. Back then, there were few people with the necessary skills, and because I had some experience working in a data-mining team as a graduate, I ended up managing the project. And that’s how my career in data analytics began.</p><h2>WHAT ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT? </h2><p>Data and AI are fascinating – the way you can draw insights from data and the impact that can be made by driving appropriate actions. My work is focused on the public sector, where it’s possible to have a positive impact on people’s lives.&nbsp;</p><p>I also care deeply about coaching and mentoring, which I see as part of team development. I love having a team around me that is empowered and inspired, so personal development is just a natural conversation. In fact, I also see it as reverse mentoring because I get so much out of it in terms of seeing from other perspectives.</p><h2>CAPGEMINI AND WOMEN IN DATA RECENTLY PUBLISHED A PAPER "DATA DRIVEN ACTION TO CLOSE THE GENDER HEALTH-GAP" WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT?</h2><p>Capgemini’s partnership with Women in Data® has been a fantastic experience. There has been a lot of discussion recently about gender inequalities in healthcare and we felt we could contribute to that, applying a data lens.&nbsp;</p><p>Together we held a workshop with about 30 senior female professionals in the field, facilitated by Women in Data®. We looked at the data lifecycle, from collection to consumption, and examined the gaps in each area and what the possibilities were. The thinking that came out of the workshop formed the basis for this paper, which itself is intended as a basis for further discussion. Women in Data® is now looking at how it can take forward actions to address the issues raised, and I hope to be a part of that process as it progresses.</p><h2>YOU SPOKE ABOUT DATA COLLECTION AND DATA CONSUMPTION. TALK US THROUGH THE INEQUALITIES THERE?</h2><p>Research shows that women can sometimes lose out from a healthcare perspective and have poor healthcare outcomes. There are varying reasons for that, but one we discussed is that some illnesses affecting only women have not been studied as deeply. Endometriosis is a good example. We heard that it can take seven or eight years on average for a woman suffering endometriosis to be diagnosed.</p><p>If you think about where we get data from, it’s often from clinical trials. But the participation of women in clinical trials is not as representative as it should be – 50 per cent of the population does not translate to 50 per cent of trial participants. There are conditions or situations that exclude women from clinical trials too, pregnancy being a big one. If you’re pregnant you are often discouraged from participating in a trial and that’s a problem, not only for balanced representation but also because we then lack data about how pregnant women are affected by medications, for example.&nbsp;</p><p>But there are other ways to collect data from women. Data can be automatically donated by health-tracking apps, for example, but women have to have confidence that it will be used for the right purposes. In her recent podcast, Caroline Criado Perez, author of the book Invisible Women, has spoken about how in the United States, after the Supreme Court ruling on abortion, there has been a lot of concern around women who have provided data around periods and their health, because of the information that can be drawn from it. Could that information potentially be used against them in a legal context? The lack of clarity in this space does not encourage “data altruism” and the desire to share personal data.&nbsp;</p><p>We also discussed how fewer than 20 per cent of data scientists in the UK are women and this number is going down. Data scientists also often work in silos and are not always adequately integrated with medical professionals. There are, of course, physiological differences between men and women, and when data is not disaggregated there is a risk that valuable information is lost. All this has an impact on how women are represented in research.</p><h2>WHAT CAN BE DONE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE ISSUES? </h2><p>The workshop generated a lot of ideas – for example, the creation of a regulated body that would provide standards on how private organisations work with the data provided. Rules on data collection to analysis could help women feel confident handing over data. The certification would guarantee that a person’s data can only be used for scientific or research purposes.&nbsp;</p><p>We don’t have all the answers yet, but having these discussions helps. We’ve seen in other areas how conversations like these can lead to real changes in regulation. This is the first step. I think more work also needs to be done to understand the role of data both in terms of opportunity and risk, and what can be achieved.</p><h2>WHO IS BEST PLACED TO DRIVE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN AN ORGANISATION?</h2><p>I think it’s everybody’s responsibility. When we talk about inclusion and diversity, we are not just thinking in terms of gender. It’s about diversity in all its forms, and the recognition of our biases, so we can change our behaviour.&nbsp;</p><p>It’s also about recognition that one size doesn’t fit all. For example, I’ve had a lot of discussions around work-life balance and how to help working parents, and that benefits a lot of people. But that’s not the case for every single woman. For me, when I came back from maternity leave, the most important thing was having someone help me progress my career very fast – that’s what I wanted. Sometimes, in the spirit of encouraging diversity, we can end up falling into stereotypes.</p><h2>FINALLY, CAN YOU LEAVE US WITH YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE? </h2><p>“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realise this and you will find strength” – Marcus Aurelius&nbsp;</p><p>I can be affected a lot by events and I need to keep myself in a steady space, regardless of what has happened. So, I like this idea that you can train your mind and have power over what happens within it. Traditionally, particularly in certain fields, women often find they’re the only woman in the room. How do you deal with your thoughts around that situation? It comes back to my passion for coaching and personal development – mastering the ability to control your mind and nourish your thoughts.</p><p><br></p><p><em>Thanks </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisa-sai-40907623/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Elisa</em></a><em> you rock 🤘</em></p><p><br></p><p><em>Interview by </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesjhoskins/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Charles Hoskins</em></a></p><p><br></p>

Elisa Sai | Capgemini Invent 

Zena, Maria & Heather | Kin + Carta

<p>Women Rock advocate and all around amazing human being <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/evie-skinner-0bb389127/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Evie Skinner</a> is back to talk to us about her most recent venture - <a href="https://queertechbristol.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bristol Queertech</a> - a space, where LGBTQIA+ people can get together and talk about their shared passion for tech and generally let their hair down to momentarily exist outside the CIS heteronormative structure they find themselves in.</p><p><br></p><p>Queertech just had their second meet up last week and SR2 had the great pleasure of sponsoring, so Women Rock ambassador <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-comber-109332164/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rachel Comber</a> sat down with Evie to see how it is all going...</p><p><br></p><h2>EVIE WE ARE SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU BACK! HOW HAVE YOU BEEN? WE KNOW YOU FROM BACK IN 2020, WHEN YOU HAD YOUR FIRST INTERVIEW ON OUR WOMEN ROCK PLATFORM TO CHAT ABOUT YOUR STORY INTO TECH. SINCE THEN, I HAVE SEEN LOTS OF GREAT STUFF OVER LINKEDIN THAT YOU HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN. HOW HAS THE PAST TWO YEARS BEEN, WHAT’S CHANGED?</h2><p><br></p><p>Hiya, it's beautiful to see you again! I'm blessed to be able to say that I've had some great changes in my life, along with the weird ones we've all been through since 2020. I've settled down long term in my beloved hometown of Stroud, got my life back after lockdown, and this year went to Pride for the first time! Good vibes! I'm very lucky.</p><p><br></p><h2>ALTHOUGH OF COURSE WE LOVE MEETING UP WITH YOU TO CHAT,&nbsp;THE MAIN REASON WE ARE HERE TODAY IS TO TALK ABOUT YOUR NEW TECH GROUP CALLED ‘QUEERTECH BRISTOL’ OF WHICH YOU ARE A COFOUNDER. WHERE DID THE IDEA COME FROM? WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE GROUP?</h2><p><br></p><p>The idea came from my visionary co-founder and colleague Harriet. They planted the first seeds of the meetup by noticing that, while Bristol has both a vibrant tech scene and a great gay/queer scene, there was no community event focussing on LGBTQIA+ people in technology like they had seen when they lived in London. Through hanging out together at work, we realised we shared a huge passion for technology and in person queer spaces! We both saw the need to create more of them, given that in London alone, the number of in person queer spaces halved during the pandemic. The aim of the group is to provide such a space, a comforting bubble where LGBTQIA+ people can let our hair down and momentarily exist outside the CIS heteronormative structure we live in. Being queer isn't all Kylie Minogue and drag shows: it's tough, especially for our trans and non-binary siblings, so it's massively important to us that the meetup should act as a support network as well as a fun techie get-together.</p><p><br></p><h2>WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO HAVE A SPACE OF LIKE-MINDED INDIVUALS WHO ALSO SHARE THE SAME PASSION?IE WE ARE SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU BACK! HOW HAVE YOU BEEN? </h2><p><br></p><p>It means everything for us to position the meetup as a community-led DIY initiative. Community led as in we take all the input we can from our participants, because they are the most important part! They've given us many ideas for upcoming events, and it feels lush to be together with others who share that passion for tech, so we're very thankful for their support.</p><p><br></p><h2>RUNNING A MONTHLY GROUP ISN’T EASY, HOW DID YOU FIND GETTING IT OFF THE GROUND?&nbsp;VIE WE ARE SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU BACK! HOW HAVE YOU BEEN? </h2><p><br></p><p>You're right it takes work, especially as we want to keep it as DIY and independent as possible! We're lucky to have inspiration to draw upon from other great meetups like Codebar. There's so much to think about: from negotiating with potential sponsors, to learning to make social media that generates engagement, to developing our website in an environmentally sustainable way. It's been great learning so far!&nbsp;One thing that's helped get us off the ground has been the three of us networking and spreading the word. We're also very grateful to Made Tech for sponsoring our first two events, and to those who've voluntarily contributed to our open source website during Hacktoberfest.</p><p><br></p><h2>IT IS STILL EARLY DAYS HAVING JUST HAD YOUR SECOND MEET-UP, BUT WHAT ARE YOUR AIMS FOR THE GROUP, WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE COMING UP FOR QUEERTECH BRISTOL?</h2><p><br></p><p>November's event is a side project show and share, in collaboration with Control Shift, a Bristol based creative organisation. In our first event, we asked our participants to contribute ideas for future sessions, and we were humbled to see them give us loads of ideas to keep us completely stocked for at least the next eighteen months of the meetup! December will see us give a talk about public speaking skills, and then go on a night out. We're also thinking about co-running a hackathon, and running an expo to showcase local LGBTQIA+ speakers and business owners. Currently, there are three of us in the South West organising QTB: Harriet, Sam and I. We're also in discussions with friends in Manchester about starting a QueerTech there.</p><h2><br></h2><h2>WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE BE FOR SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO GO BUT IS NERVOUS/NEW TO TECH/ NEW TO QUEER COMMUNITY ETC?</h2><p><br></p><p>My advice would be to visualise all the fun you'll have at the event and imagine us welcoming you there! We're a really warm and friendly bunch and we would treasure the chance to welcome anyone who's nervous and help calm their nerves with great banter and food. Also, you can always get in touch with us directly before the event if you feel particularly nervous, maybe questioning your sexuality/gender, and we'll do what we can to help. Did I mention we have free food??</p><p><br></p><h2>THE GROUP IS BASED DOWN AT THE WATER SHED EVERY MONTH,&nbsp;WHY DID YOU PICK THIS LOCATION IN PARTICULAR TO BE YOUR BASE?HAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO HAVE A SPACE OF LIKE-MINDED INDIVUALS WHO ALSO SHARE THE SAME PASSION?IE WE ARE SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU BACK! HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?</h2><p><br></p><p>The Watershed is such a gem in the city. It emerged as the perfect location because it's already a very LGBTQIA+ friendly venue, and Harriet had a great experience attending the trans and non-binary creatives meetup there before we started ours. Everyone we've interacted with there has been an absolute dream: they even let us use the venue for free. Not to mention they have a cracking bar too!</p><p><br></p><h2>IF INDIVIDUALS WANTED TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS GROUP WHERE WOULD BE BEST FOR THEM TO HEAD FOR MORE INFORMATION?</h2><p><br></p><p>You can check us out at <a href="https://queertechbristol.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">queertechbristol.com</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/queertechbristol/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@queertechbristol</a> on Instagram; or reach out to me, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/harriethw/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Harriet Horobin-Worley</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-fallowfield-517286211/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sam Fallowfield</a> on LinkedIn.</p><h2><br></h2><h2>YOU ARE INVOLVED IN A LOT OF COMMUNITY AND TECH EVENTS BUT MORE RECENTLY I HAVE SEEN YOU HAVE ALSO BEEN COMBINING IN THE USE OF MEDITATION SESSIONS TO THE GROUPS. THAT IS REALLY INTERESTING TO PUT EMPHASIS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF A HEALTHY BODY AND MIND WITHIN THOSE SPACES, HOW DID YOU GET INTO MEDITATION AND HOW HAS IT CHANGED YOUR MINDSET ABOUT LIFE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF WORK?</h2><p><br></p><p>I got into meditation as a very stressed seventeen year old: I was struggling at the time, and my Mum's&nbsp;friend recommended me a local Buddhist group in Stroud. We all find it hard to stay present and avoid following our thoughts down a rabbit hole at times! The teachings I received at the group gave me the tools I needed to completely change my life. Since then, my mindfulness practice has enabled me to revolutionise my relationship with my thoughts, by becoming their critical observer rather than their frightened follower. I'm very proud to say that many people I've met are now meditating because I taught them at a club I started or an event I attended. When I'm having a bad day that's something lush to think about!</p><p><br></p><h2>I KNOW YOU ARE A BIG ADVOCATE FOR REDUCING YOUR SCREEN TIME, HOW DO YOU LIKE TO RELAX IN THE EVENING?</h2><p><br></p><p>My fave way to relax is any practice that involves bringing the mind home to the body: something that gives my thinking mind a break. I love playing the drums, training in karate, and I've recently started Japanese jiu jitsu as well. I always find drumming and training to be really beneficial, mainly because they help me activate a deeply relaxing state of flow and contentment. Apart from that, a good cackle with my Nan on the phone will do the trick!</p><p><br></p><p><em>Thanks </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/evie-skinner-0bb389127/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Evie </em></a><em>- you rock 🤘</em></p><p><br></p><p><em>Interview by </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-comber-109332164/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Rachel Comber</em></a></p><p><br></p>

Evie Skinner | Queertech Bristol

<p>Meet the incredible <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rayhanarahman/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rayhana Rahman</a>, a Software Engineering Manager at Tech For Good, funding platform <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/neighbourly/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Neighbourly</a>💙</p><p><br></p><p>She's here for women in tech, she's here for the BAME  community in tech, she's here to talk about how the menopause can have a huge impact on women's careers and what companies can do to support and empower the team throughout this period of their lives.</p><p><br></p><p>Rayhana shows up for all these things and we can all learn a thing or two from her!</p><p><br></p><p>Read her story today and have a think about what you can do to help make the tech industry more inclusive and diverse - it could just be sharing Rayhana's amazing Women Rock blog post!</p><p><br></p><p><strong>HEY RAYHANA CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF…</strong></p><p><br></p><p>I have always worked in IT, it was something I was interested in when I was studying my O levels. That slightly gives away my age! At the time the idea of being a Systems Analyst interested me as I liked the idea of talking to people to understand what they wanted and then making that happen.</p><p>My first manager said what caught his eye when looking at my CV was the degree I had completed. I started as a report writer and then within a few months became a project manager. It was so empowering to deliver a system that supported numerous training providers who were submitting returns to the Regional Government Office for funding. That a system we implemented could collate all the individual details from each provider into one submission. This is where my desire to improve systems and make users lives easier came about.&nbsp;</p><p>From that I did a variety of management roles to understand the needs of business and implement change. I have realised through my career that alongside this I enjoy building teams and coaching individuals to be the best they can be even if they don’t see their strengths at the beginning. That is how I found my current role as I wanted to continue to build a team by coaching and mentoring.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>SOMETIMES IT CAN BE DAUNTING TO TAKE THE LEAP AND CHANGE YOUR ROLE AFTER BEING IN THE SAME ORGANISATION FOR A LONG TIME. HAVING RECENTLY TAKEN UP A NEW ROLE IN A NEW COMPANY, WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE BE TO ANYONE CONSIDERING A CHANGE?</strong></p><p><br></p><p>I would say that the market has changed so much and there is so much opportunity out there. You will be surprised how much you match your wants to a job. Maybe you want to work remotely, maybe you want to work 4 days a week, maybe you want to work for a social impact company. They are out there, but first find the right recruitment company (like SR2), that makes a great difference!</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>YOU HAVE RECENTLY EXPERIENCED THE MENOPAUSE AND THE EFFECT THAT IT CAN HAVE ON WOMEN'S CAREERS. WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE? WHAT MORE DO YOU THINK CAN BE DONE BY EMPLOYERS TO SUPPORT WOMEN GOING THROUGH THE MENOPAUSE?</strong></p><p><br></p><p>My first symptom was pain suddenly in my left shoulder that I thought was repetitive strain injury for which I was given very strong painkillers, but I didn’t know it was the start of the menopause. I was naïve, I thought I’d gone through all the symptoms, and it was plain sailing. Actually I had put many of the signs down to too many meetings, maybe overworking myself. It was actually after an interview when I found I was still upset. I thought something was wrong. I then was told it was the menopause.</p><p>It wasn’t until I went through it that I realised that actually the solution is individual to each woman, and it takes time to find the right solution for you. There is much more awareness out there, but I think all managers need to be more understanding as there so many symptoms (not just having a hot flush) that have an impact on our working lives.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE, HOW IMPORTANT IS DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE?</strong></p><p><br></p><p>As an Asian woman in IT, much of my career has been in a mostly male environment. Over the years I have built teams who are diverse and have seen the beauty of different thoughts as well as different working practices. It’s about giving people the space to air their views and work towards a solution. Once you see the benefits you never look back! The best part of a team is when they respect each other even if their views are different as they recognise each of them are working towards the same goal.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>WHAT MORE DO YOU THINK CAN BE DONE TO GET MORE UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES AND WOMEN INTO TECH?</strong></p><p><br></p><p>I recognise as an individual every person I come in contact with has an opportunity to see the strength of me being in my role and think I’d like to do that, and I can do that. It’s finding ways to get to communities and schools to show the young that this is interesting as well as exciting and it makes a difference.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>LASTLY, DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE QUOTE THAT YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE BY?</strong></p><p><br></p><p>It’s not a quote as such but my own belief - Be kind, you don’t know what someone else is going through, be there for them and listen to what they have to say.</p><p><br></p><p><em>Thanks </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rayhanarahman/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Rayhana </em></a><em>you rock! 🤘</em></p><p><br></p><p><em>Interview by </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosie-fearnley-b894068b/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Rosie Fearnley</em></a></p><p><br></p>

Rayhana Rahman | Neighbourly

Chloe Bishop | Gresham Technologies

Noga Mann | Figma

Gavin Kimpson | Black Valley

<p>A feel good story from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-wood-380243116/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Alexandra Wood</a>&nbsp;this week 🥰</p><p>We love to hear about someone – especially a woman – who’s had a great journey into the tech industry – surrounded by incredible mentors and learning new skills on the job…enter Alex! It’s so important to share these feel good stories to prove it CAN happen that way!</p><p>Women Rock ambassador&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/izzy-morgan-davies-dotnet/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Izzy</a>&nbsp;chatted with Alex last week about her journey and there’s some sound advice here for anyone looking to get into tech, including the importance of taking a break! In this case – making plum jam! We’ll await for our jar in the post Alex…</p><p>Enjoy 🥰</p><h2>HEY ALEX! CAN YOU START WITH GIVING US AN INSIGHT INTO YOUR STORY SO FAR PLEASE?</h2><p><img src="https://sr2rec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/alex_wr_body-300x300.jpg" height="300" width="300">Sure! I started by doing a Maths degree, well actually, although I had really enjoyed my Maths GCSE and A-Level I didn’t think I would be able to do Maths at university level so I applied to study Adult Nursing originally. It turns out I didn’t really have the right personality or skills for nursing and I wasn’t enjoying it so I quit after about 6 months and applied to do Maths instead, it’s hard to know what you should do when you are 18 but maybe trust your gut instinct and try and ignore the “I can’t do this” thoughts, if you enjoy it then you probably can do it with a bit of commitment and hard work.</p><p>Anyway, I studied Mathematics, I had the option with my course to do a placement year – I highly recommend doing this – I wasn’t so keen about the statistics side of Maths so I looked for something a bit different (the careers department at my university helped with this) and applied for a placement position with an engineering company called Renishaw, they placed me in the software department and that’s how it started. After the placement year had finished they offered me a graduate place and I went from there! I had an amazing team who taught me so much, I owe a lot to them. I worked primarily with C# on desktop applications, after 5 years there I decided it was time for a change and worked for a company building websites in C# using ASP.NET and Blazor, I’ve been there over 2 years and its now time to start the next challenge, still doing web but using a slightly different tech stack and for a different type of product.</p><h2>AWESOME. IT’S SO ENCOURAGING TO HEAR WHAT A GREAT START YOU HAD IN THE INDUSTRY. CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THE WORD “DIVERSITY” MEANS TO YOU PLEASE?</h2><p>It means different.</p><p>Applied to a single person I think it would mean keeping yourself varied having lots of interests… a career is important but make sure you have other hobbies outside of work, a relationship with one person can be nice but make sure you regularly see friends and family too. Too much of one thing can be bad.</p><p>Applied to the context of a team I think it means having a group of individuals who have contrasting but complimentary personalities so that they can work together to achieve the best possible outcome.</p><h2>IF YOU COULD GIVE ONE BIT OF ADVICE TO SOMEONE WHO’S THINKING ABOUT FORGING A CAREER IN TECH – WHAT WOULD IT BE?</h2><p>You don’t need to be obsessed with coding to have a career doing it, I really enjoy my job but I don’t code in my spare time and I rarely look at my computer outside of work hours unless I’m trying to learn about something.</p><p>Also, it’s worth noting that there are a whole range of roles that make up a software team, to name the ones I’m familiar with: Business Analyst, Product Owner, Product Manager, Software Developers, Quality Assurance – there is such a variety of roles that even if you don’t feel that you are naturally a ‘tech’ person there is probably still a place for you, as I mentioned in the previous answer, for me diversity means different and different is good.</p><h2>GREAT TIPS! AND WHAT DO YOU THINK COULD BE DONE TO PROMOTE THE REPRESENTATION OF FEMALES AND DIVERSE HIRES IN TECH?</h2><p>It’s difficult. Personally, I’ve never had any problems with being in software because I’m a woman, the men and women (mostly men) that I’ve worked with have always treated me with the same respect as they have others and I’ve not had problems getting hired. I think it probably boils down to what pathways are taken at a younger age and what a person feels they are capable of. I hadn’t thought I would be capable of doing a Maths degree but luckily I eventually went for it anyway and it worked out really well for me in the end. Telling others of the success stories I think helps, SR2’s Women Rock initiative is a great way to do this, it inspires confidence.</p><h2>THIS IS SO REFRESHING TO HEAR! IS THERE ANY ONE THING YOU WOULD CHANGE ABOUT THIS INDUSTRY?</h2><p>For me nothing, I’ve had a great experience working in the tech industry. Pretty much everything I’ve needed for my job has been learnt as I’ve gone along and I’ve had fantastic mentors. The people I’ve come across in the tech industry are great – please don’t be afraid!</p><h2>YOU’VE MENTIONED HAVING AN AMAZING TEAM AT RENSHAW, BUT WHO OR WHAT INSPIRES YOU IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE?</h2><p>Friends and family.</p><p>Family – my parents worked really hard to bring me and my sisters up, my whole family is really supportive, I just want to make them proud</p><p>Friends – those who are also in software know so many things, they’ve been doing it a bit longer but I want to be able to have the confidence and knowledge they have so I can do my job as well as them</p><h2>WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR FREE TIME?</h2><p>Lots of things! I’m lucky to have a garden so I do enjoy doing some gardening – I planted a small plum tree last autumn and made plum jam this summer. I decided I wanted to be able to make my own clothes so I am learning how to sew – to date I’ve made 1 top, 2 skirts and 1 dress, I’m in the progress of making a 3rd skirt (this is over a period of about 3 years so its slow progress). I have a dog so I walk most days and I like to go on longer walks with friends and family on the weekend. I also like to read, and to do Pilates and I like to make and eat nice food and sometimes I like just sitting and doing nothing at all.</p><h2>WOW! WHAT A WHOLESOME LOAD OF HOBBIES! DO YOU HAVE A MANTRA YOU LIVE BY?</h2><p>Don’t compare yourself to others, only compare yourself to you.</p><p>It really doesn’t matter what other people are doing and if you try to constantly compare yourself to others you are probably going to make yourself unhappy, enjoy your achievements.</p><p>Expressed much more poetically in Haemin Sunim’s ‘The Thing You Can See Only When You Slow Down’:</p><p>“My dear young friend, please don’t feel discouraged just because you are slightly behind.</p><p>Life isn’t a hundred-meter race against your friends, but a lifelong marathon against yourself.</p><p>Rather than focusing on getting ahead of your friends, first try to discover your unique colour.”</p><p><em>Wonderful words Alex – you rock 🤘</em></p>

Alexandra Wood | Dynamic Planner

Heather Lockley | DWP

Charlotte Richmond | Aiimi

Tim Bardell | NTT DATA UK

<h1><br></h1><p>What do you get when cross a huge “Passion” for people and a genuine curiosity in the Tech and Engineering sector? You get&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/eva-spexard-015439132/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Eva Spexard</a>, Head of HR at&nbsp;<a href="https://passion.io/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Passion.io</a>.</p><p>Women Rock Ambassador&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-daniel-2a6195196/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Cameron</a>&nbsp;had the pleasure of meeting Eva via their LinkedIn communities to talk all things culture and diversity within the workplace, specifically how we can makes things easier for women to succeed without sacrificing – a topic very close to our hearts!</p><h2><em style="color: rgb(97, 97, 97);"><img src="https://sr2rec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Eva_1-300x300.jpg" height="300" width="300"></em>HEY EVA! THANKS SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SHARE YOUR STORY. CAN YOU BEGIN WITH A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE PLEASE?</h2><p>Sure! I’m Eva, currently Head of HR at Passion.io and I’m more or less born into a People and Culture position in Tech/Engineering. My mom is an HR Manager and my dad is an Electrical Engineer that moved into development (he has always been very eager to teach me how to do anything from changing light bulbs up to developing code for the big cutting machines his company sells).</p><p>Now as you can see today, my passion for people and work environments was a little stronger and I decided to start my first role after my studies in recruitment. I was responsible for the E-mobility sector in the company I worked for at that time and learned how fulfilling it is to help people find a job they can thrive in and see them succeed.</p><p>In the following years I worked in HR consulting and as an international HR professional, all mainly in Tech and Engineering companies until I joined Passion at the beginning of this year and I can say that I’ve really “found my home” here, as one of my amazing team members always says.</p><h2>AND HOW HAVE YOU SEEN REMOTE WORKING AND FLEXIBILITY FUEL ED&amp;I, MAKING IT EASIER FOR WOMEN SPECIFICALLY TO SUCCEED WITHOUT SACRIFICING?</h2><p>Remote working and flexibility are great tools to enable ED&amp;I. It can give companies access to the talent they usually would not have access to (in different countries and locations and from diverse backgrounds, not just the people that are within a commuting distance from your offices). It can also increase women’s ability to advance in their careers by offering more flexibility to work from anywhere and anytime. It can make them less dependent on a certain location and its availability of child care and nursing services – women are still the primary caregivers in our society.</p><p>All that while saving them time and cost to commute to an office and not having to make that work with pick-up times at schools and day care. The accessibility of remote work can also open new opportunities for those who aren’t able to afford transportation costs or for people that are neurodivergent or people with disabilities. This goes hand in hand with a culture that encourages flexibility, of course, async work, autonomy, parental/caregiver leave, mental health support, and so on and so forth.</p><p>It absolutely doesn’t mean that remote work is the solution to everything and for everyone and there are certainly many things we as a society need to improve on to make it easier for women to access certain industries and roles but it can be one tool to attract and also support women with whatever their career aspirations might be without them having to sacrifice other aspects of their life.</p><h2>FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE HOW IMPORTANT IS DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE?</h2><p>It’s not even a question of importance for me – it is absolutely vital for any company from my point of view. Companies that don’t make it a top priority will not survive the next 5 years, if you always do what you did because you hire the same people you always hired and promote the people you always promoted your workplace and company will not be able to adapt to the always changing reality. Diversity is THE number one advantage when it comes to building a culture that fuels the success of an organization from my experience. It drives innovation and enables challenging conversations that more often than not lead to positive changes, learnings, and improvements.</p><h2>WHO IS THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSON/PERSONS IN YOUR EARLY CAREER?</h2><p>I did my LL.M. in Labour Law and my M.Sc. in Business Psychology both at the same time while I was working full time between 2016 and 2019. Looking back, it was one of the toughest times for me and also one of the most stupid decisions I made in my life (would not recommend it, like seriously :D). Anyways, during this time I had a professor at university that was an absolute role model for me. She was different from other profs, more relatable and not afraid to say “I don’t know” or “I’m sorry I’m late, it’s because…”. She told us about her mistakes and learnings, how she struggled and then found her way. How difficult it can be for a woman in a male-dominated environment. That did not make her look weak or less professional, it only made her students open up to her more, build trust and do the best work they can. That was when I realized I want to be that kind of leader and contribute to making the world of work a little bit better.</p><h2>IT’S PRETTY CLEAR YOU’VE DONE SOME PRETTY COOL THINGS IN OUR CAREER SO FAR! WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE YOUR PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENTS BOTH PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY?</h2><p>Personally, I am super proud I managed to walk the Bright Angels trail into the Grand Canyon and back up (where back up is the actual achievement here haha). It was a pretty cool experience for me because it showed me once again how much we can achieve if we really really want it. But also that it only works if we have the right support and environment. It’s a little bit like a career you really want and you’re willing to work hard for it but if no one shows you it’s possible, gives you a chance, a map and some good shoes, you’re set up for failure.</p><p>Professionally my proudest achievement is probably my current role at Passion. I always wanted to be in a People &amp; Culture role that allows me to create a culture and environment that is diverse and inclusive and where people can bring their whole authentic selves to work. No bs, no work-face. An environment that is willing to learn and improve. One of our values at Passion is #levelup and I think that’s exactly what every organization, CEO and people leader can do when it comes to ED&amp;I and for instance women in tech: aim to get better and find ways to improve.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><em>Some amazing takeaways there – thanks Eva you rock!&nbsp;</em></p>

 “Culture is not a building” Interview with Eva Spexard | Passion.io

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/katearatcliffe/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Kate Ratcliffe</a>&nbsp;is here to prove you can be a woman, have a family, be a great leader and support other women at the start of their careers in the tech industry – read that again! Kate has been working in Product Management for the past 10 years and is Head of Product Management at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/eagle-eye-solutions/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Eagle Eye</a>&nbsp;– a marketing tech company that works with retail and hospitality companies, helping them develop their loyalty and promotions programmes. Women Rock Ambassador&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/douggear/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Doug</a>&nbsp;spoke to Kate about her love for the tech industry and the incredible Purple Women community – a platform to develop women’s careers in tech and allow them to reach their full potential.</p><h2><img src="https://sr2rec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/kate_ratcliffe_insta-300x300.jpg" height="300" width="300">HEY KATE! COULD YOU START WITH GIVING US A LITTLE INTRODUCTION ABOUT YOU AND EAGLE EYE?</h2><p>I grew up in a small village in Lancashire and was always pretty academic, so I knew I wanted to go to a great university to get my degree but honestly, I didn’t have a clue what I would do once I graduated. Once I finished university I decided to look into graduate schemes for inspiration and stumbled upon one focused on Product. I quickly fell in love with working in Product Management and 10 years later, I still feel the same. Now I am Head of Product Management at Eagle Eye.</p><p>Eagle Eye is a marketing tech company that works with fantastic retail and hospitality companies around the world, helping them develop their loyalty and promotions programmes. It’s our tech that powers initiatives such as Pret A Manger’s coffee subscription scheme and Asda’s loyalty program. It’s my role to help Eagle Eye define and develop products and solutions that deliver true value to our clients.</p><h2>WHAT IS IT LIKE AS A WOMAN IN TECH WORKING FOR EAGLE EYE?</h2><p>I LOVE being a woman in tech at Eagle Eye. We have a 50/50 gender split in the product team which is amazing. I truly believe the best, high performing teams are diverse; diversity brings rich skillsets, better communication and problem solving. Our senior leadership team is also filled with incredible women who, on a daily basis show you can be a woman, have a family, be a great leader and support other women at the start of their careers.</p><h2>WHAT ARE EAGLE EYE DOING TO HELP WITH D+I?</h2><p>We have an ERG group which has provided education and awareness on our diverse group of employees. We’ve learned about different religious festivals, veganism, had some emotional speeches on the Black Lives Matter movement and have now set up a successful women’s ERG group called the Purple Women.</p><p>Our Purple Women have implemented a new Family Friendly Policy covering topics such as enhanced maternity and paternity pay, the menopause, flexible working and work experience. They have also been looking at ways to attract more women into the tech sector to try to boost the number of applications we receive from female candidates.</p><p>We’ve taken small steps such as adding a slide in our job description deck with a statement around being able to offer flexibility and consider applications from candidates who don’t feel they necessarily meet all the suitability criteria for the role, plus advertising the Purple Women’s Family Friendly Policy and all its benefits.</p><p>Lastly, whilst not yet required by law to report on the Gender Pay Gap, we have started looking at this internally and using the data to inform our own salary reviews annually.</p><h2>WHAT IS YOUR PURPLE WOMEN ERG GROUP AND HOW WILL IT IMPACT LIFE AT EAGLE EYE?</h2><p>Our Purple Women group was established to represent the incredible ladies in our business and make Eagle Eye a great place for our Purple Women to work. It’s a community that is everything from a friendship group and support network, to a platform for us to develop our women and allow them to reach their full potential.</p><h2>WHAT HAVE YOU AND YOUR TEAM DONE NOW THAT COVID RESTRICTIONS HAVE ENDED?</h2><p>I actually had my first baby during lockdown so whilst remote working has been incredible in terms of easing back into work after maternity leave, I couldn’t wait to get back to the office to see everyone. In the last couple of months we have got the whole team together for a delayed Christmas party at Flight Club, and Google hosted us for a storytelling workshop and team builder activity which was great.</p><p>We are also having our first in-person Company Day in 3 years in July where we fly all of our international team over to the UK and get together for 4 days of teambuilding. I am so looking forward to finally meeting all of our new team members in the flesh.</p><h2>FINALLY, CAN YOU LEAVE US WITH YOUR FAVOURITE SAYING / QUOTE THAT REALLY SUMS UP YOUR OUTLOOK ON LIFE AS A WOMAN IN TECH?</h2><p>If you think something nice about someone, tell them. Small acts of genuine kindness are exactly what the world needs right now.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Thanks Kate! Keep rocking!</p>

 “Diversity brings rich skillsets, better communication and problem solving” An interview with Kate Ratcliffe

<p>Meet designer turned developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandria-gilliott/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Alexandria Gilliott</a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/27251171/admin/#" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">.</a>&nbsp;😊</p><p>A very special human who Women Rock Ambassador&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/27251171/admin/#" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Charlotte Baker</a>&nbsp;has been super lucky to get to know and work with over the last couple of months 💙.</p><p>Alex is a super hard-working and inspiring individual – she decided to take a leap of faith when she went from seven years as a designer to a software developer, without a related degree-level qualification 💥 .</p><p>From being a designer to a developer, part-time science documentary lover, gamer, and a big foodie. Alex has a curious mind and loves to surround herself with like-minded people ✨.</p><p>Alex proves it is all possible as she chats to Char about what diversity means to her, who inspires her daily and her manta 🧘‍♀️</p><p>We highly recommend getting comfy, having something to sip on and giving this a read 📖.</p><h2><img src="https://sr2rec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/alexandria_blog_img-300x300.jpg" height="300" width="300">TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHY YOU’RE HERE TODAY?</h2><p>I grew up on the beautiful south coast of England, with ever changing ideas of what I wanted to do from palaeontologist to astronaut to gardener and everything in between. Throughout my education, I could never settle on one ‘thing’ and therefore have a rather diverse set of skills such as film &amp; game studies, photography, geography, and even floristry.</p><p>As mentioned, I am a designer turned developer. I fell into digital design at a part time job I had while at university (studying something else) and I enjoyed being a designer for several years before eventually taking the leap to become a developer.</p><p>I am here today with the hope that by sharing my experiences, I can offer that small nudge to take a chance or try something new.</p><h2>HOW HAS YOUR JOURNEY BEEN (MOVING FROM DESIGN INTO DEVELOPMENT OR JUST IN GENERAL?) HAVE THERE BEEN ANY BUMPS IN THE ROAD ETC?</h2><p>At the beginning, I was acutely aware that I didn’t have any formal education around software engineering and the sheer breadth and depth of topics, languages and technologies that exist was so over-whelming. Knowing where to start seemed like an almost impossible task and every job seemed to want a related degree-level qualification.</p><p>With some advice from peers in the industry and support from friends I chose to start with the front-end technologies mainly because my design background helped me here the most, and after a few months of self-learning using various courses and tutorials, I managed to get my first development job.</p><p>There have been ups and down as with anything. I have been fortunate to be surrounded by so many fantastic peers and mentors who strive to uplift those around them, and I have grown the most from working with those people. But I have also experienced the negative side of being a woman without formal qualifications in a male-dominated academically biased industry. There is outdated views and gatekeeping behaviour still around, but they are fading and there is support there for you if you are affected by it.</p><h2>WHAT DOES THE WORD “DIVERSITY” MEAN TO YOU?</h2><p>Diversity is success – it makes us all the best we can be and achieve more than we ever could alone. When I collaborate or I am open to other points of view or listen to other people’s experiences, the outcomes from that far exceeds anything I could have achieved by myself or with only liked-minded people. Diversity gives us so much strength and the opportunity realise and improve many things that would have otherwise gone unnoticed.</p><h2>IF YOU COULD GIVE ONE BIT OF ADVICE TO SOMEONE WHO’S THINKING ABOUT MAKING A CAREER CHANGE INTO TECH – WHAT WOULD IT BE?</h2><p>A “full-stack” developer is a myth. While it is good to have a working knowledge of each aspect of development there is far too much you need to know now for one person to be deeply and equally skilled in all aspects. This expectation to know everything, especially if you are just starting out, is what makes it feel so over-whelming.</p><p>No one knows everything! So, with that burden removed, I would recommend getting hands on and having a play around with a few different languages/frameworks by doing their tutorial projects to find out which flavour captivates you the most and progress from there. If you do what you enjoy, you can’t go wrong.</p><h2>WHAT COULD COMPANIES DO TO SUPPORT WOMEN WHO ARE JOINING A MALE-DOMINATED TEAM/COMPANY?</h2><p>Everyone is an individual so generic solutions are hard to identify so for me it is about ensuring equity, awareness and being flexible to the needs of any minority.</p><p>On an individual level, they should avoid spreading women out just for the sake of looking more diverse. Saying “we have a woman in every team” sounds great, but realistically, it can be quite isolating and make you feel like ‘diversity points’ rather than a valued team member. Teams should be made based on skillsets, experience and personalities not gender.</p><p>On a wider level, companies should be pro-actively addressing the gender pay gap. Women are both more likely to be underpaid and much less likely to negotiate their salary, and this is taken advantage of either deliberately or inadvertently. Having a regular and open process of evaluating compensation that also considers market rates and other economic factors would go a long way to addressing this problem.</p><h2>IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE TECH INDUSTRY, WHAT WOULD IT BE?</h2><p>It’s accessibility for people from all backgrounds and places. There is a large barrier to entry to this industry, especially if you don’t follow the traditional educational routes and an even bigger one to work with some of the industry leading companies that drive global change. I can’t help but wonder what potential revelations we are missing out on by excluding so many undiscovered voices.</p><h2>HOW DO YOU UNWIND AFTER A LONG DAY?</h2><p>I log a lot of screen time per day so heading outside for a walk really helps. I am also a big foodie so making a fancy dinner with my partner and paired with some nice wine is my usual Friday treat.</p><p>I also love gaming, all different sorts of games, because it is a great way to switch off work-mode and stop my brain from thinking about code! There is something I call the ‘code dream’, which most developers I know have experienced, where your brain is still mulling over a problem in the background, and you end up either dreaming about solving it or waking up with a potential solution! The brain is a funny thing, and this is an incredibly thought-intensive job and so having a good work-life balance is very important.</p><h2>WHO/WHAT INSPIRES YOU IN DAILY LIFE?</h2><p>I am constantly inspired by the people I work with; it was a big factor for my career change because I hadn’t met a developer who wasn’t inspiring in some way. And having worked in a tech-for-good company, it naturally attracts certain types of incredible people who are humbling and motivating at the same time.</p><p>They say to surround yourself with people who have traits that you aspire to have, and I am lucky enough to say I have done that and hopeful enough to say that I have achieved some of them.</p><h2>WHO/WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? (PODCAST/MUSIC ETC)</h2><p>I do love a good science channel to learn about the weird and wonderful. It’s not a podcast but I am working my way through “Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell” videos. They answer fun questions in a short, animated videos such as “Can you upload your mind and live forever?” to “Why do beautiful things make us happy?”. If you fancy being fascinated, check them out.</p><h2>YOUR MANTRA?</h2><p>I have a few for different contexts but a particular mantra from a workplace with an amazing culture has stuck with me: ‘Kindness, Candour and Good Humour’. It sounds obvious at face value, but it helps adjust your thinking. For example, sometimes when you are stressed it helps you notice if your good humour slipping and you might be less open to feedback, or when trying to be kind you realise you are not being candid and that might be detrimental to progress. Similarly, if you are being honest about something, you make sure it is constructive and fair to uphold kindness. They all balance each other out and are all traits I want to have and encourage in those around me.</p><p>Thanks Alexandria! Keep rocking!</p>

 “No one knows everything” An Interview with Alexandria Gilliott

<p>Have you ever felt like you haven’t had enough support and advice at school when it comes to you career choices? We find it incredibly shocking that some schools are still so behind the times when it comes to girls wanting to get into tech! Here, Women Rock Ambassador&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-cook-409259b9/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Jacob</a>&nbsp;speaks with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fadumoaideed/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Fadumo Aideed&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;about her journey into this male dominated space. As a woman who is black and Muslim, Fadumo came up against many challenges but if anything this made her even more determined to create a safe space for Women in Engineering, Science &amp; Technology (WEST).</p><p>Prepared to be inspired…</p><h2><img src="https://sr2rec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/fadumo_blog_img-300x300.jpg" height="300" width="300">TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR STORY SO FAR (HOW YOU GOT INTO TECH, YOUR TIME AT SCHOOL, TIME AT UNI, TRANSITION INTO CODING ETC.</h2><p>My journey into tech was more of a discovery than a final career goal. During my time at school, I was always interested in STEM subjects but felt like I didn’t get enough support or advice from the school for continuing it without advocating for myself. My earliest experience of this was when I wasn’t allowed to sit GCSE science exams but teachers felt it was better if I opted for more vocational BTEC courses. Disheartened by my teachers for not seeing my potential, I was driven to prove them wrong. With the help of my parents and home tutors, I was finally able to sit them.</p><p>To my dismay, this would not be the only experience. Another similar situation occurred during A levels when I received “advice” from teachers on picking more practical subjects as I was interested in physics, particularly a career in astronomy. Again, I didn’t listen and went with my gut and decided I wanted to pursue Applied Physics at university. This turned out to be the best decision I’ve ever made. With no career goal in mind, I really enjoyed studying physics at university, particularly research in photonics which led me to my internship within the university’s photonics institute and gave me insight into academia and what studying a Ph.D. might be like but I was still unsure about my career goals.</p><p>After I graduated in 2020, I took a few months to think about what I wanted to pursue and during the summer I started to learn web development for fun as a hobby while I looked for graduate physics jobs. I had some experience programming during university but I did not enjoy it at all then. I was very lucky to stumble across the School of Code boot camp which was a lightbulb moment that completely changed my perspective and my career. I never considered tech as a career option as I always thought I would need further master’s qualifications to apply. School of Code didn’t only teach me how to code, it was a personal transformation that gave me important life skills which I am forever grateful for.</p><h2>WHAT IS WEST AND WHY DID YOU FOUND WEST (WOMEN IN ENGINEERING, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY)?</h2><p>Studying a male-dominated subject had its challenges. As a woman who is black and Muslim, sometimes you are not taken seriously, you get many slight remarks, mansplaining, comments and microaggressions, especially when voicing your opinion and getting yourself heard. I met some amazing and inspirational women who had similar experiences and our stories brought us together. What we thought were isolated individual experiences were deep-rooted unconscious/intentional gender bias.</p><p>We decided we wanted to create a safe space for Women in Engineering, Science &amp; Technology (WEST) to come together, feel empowered and provide them the tools and opportunities to overcome the same issues we faced. Our vision then became to “engineer an inclusive culture for all”. Our success only accelerated as we all shared the same passion for increasing representation in STEM and was met with heavy support from the university, student union, and company sponsors.</p><p>As we grew we came across an opportunity to make an impact internationally. We decided then to branch off from the society and become a community interest company (C.I.C.) which allowed us to work on projects funded by the government. A bioenergy start-up PyroGenesys approached us with a proposal to help bring clean cooking energy to rural parts of Nigeria. We partnered with them to create a gender equality and diversity strategy to ensure that the technology they were introducing to these communities was inclusive, commercially viable, and would not result in any unintended consequences. After the project, we had the opportunity to do a TEDx talk, present our findings to the royal academy of engineering, and present at the International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists about how our projects are aiming to solve global humanitarian challenges.</p><p>We realised how important our work is in thinking about inclusivity from the early stages of innovation. Sometimes this can be overlooked and can lead to solutions that exclude some groups in society leading to gendered innovations and our vision to work toward more inclusive innovations</p><h2>WHAT CHALLENGES DID YOU FACE AND DO WOMEN FACE IN TECHNOLOGY AND HOW DID YOU OVERCOME AND DEAL WITH THOSE BARRIERS?</h2><p>I am very fortunate to not have experienced any challenges in my tech career so far however many women face many challenges especially when climbing up the career ladder. Breaking the glass ceiling is very difficult as there is no diversity in senior tech roles. I feel like it is a multitude of factors that prevent women in tech from progressing. The two main factors that come to mind are gender bias/discrimination and career progression into senior roles. Many women find it difficult to get their voices heard on their contributions and achievements which ultimately can drive them out of the industry.</p><h2>HOW DO YOU THINK WE BRING ABOUT REAL CHANGE IN THE REPRESENTATION OF FEMALES AND DIVERSE HIRES IN TECH? WHAT DO YOU THINK CAN BE DONE ON BOTH PERSONAL AND BUSINESS LEVELS TO ATTRACT MORE UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS INTO TECH?</h2><p>Real change comes from the bottom up. Teachers should not be reinforcing stereotypes about what students can achieve. It is very disheartening when teachers who are there to teach, inspire and uplift the next generation do the complete opposite and deter them from STEM altogether. The main drop-off point I feel is when they finish GCSEs. My passion is to do outreach to students and make them aware of the career opportunities that are out there. I myself didn’t even know what engineering was exactly until I was in sixth form so if a young kid is aware of the wide range of career options and knows it is possible to achieve it they will do well.</p><p>As for business, most junior tech job descriptions have unrealistic expectations. They want you to already have years of experience after you have only just graduated. Job criteria like this deter women as there are loads of statistics that show that women only go for roles when they meet 100% of the criteria compared to men who just apply if they meet around 60%.</p><h2>WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO WOMEN THINKING ABOUT GETTING INTO TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT?</h2><ul><li>Don’t be afraid to reach out to people already in the industry for mentorship or advice</li><li>Look into free online resources like freeCodeCamp or online tutorials</li><li>Apply for boot camps! There are loads of free ones like the School of Code</li><li>Join women in tech communities and find others on your journey</li><li>Apply to jobs even if you feel like you don’t have enough knowledge, In most tech roles you learn a lot on the job</li><li>Practice by doing! Incorporate your current interests with programming and create something cool</li><li>Don’t be a gatekeeper! If you find useful opportunities or resources, SHARE THEM!</li><li>Finally, BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!</li></ul><h2>A FAVOURITE QUOTE AND WHY?</h2><p>The quote that stuck with me is “You can’t be what you can’t see – Marian Wright Edelman”</p><p>As children, we rely on stories, images, role models, and leaders that help us form our worldview on who we are and who we could be. Without anyone who looks like us, anyone who has paved the way for us to follow, we are unaware of the opportunities that lie in front of us and it becomes almost impossible to get your foot in the door.</p><h2>A MOVIE OR BOOK THAT INSPIRED YOU AND WHY?</h2><p>The movie that inspired me the most was Hidden Figures. It was a movie based on the three African-American women who were the mathematicians behind the NASA space launch. Despite the racial discrimination and gender bias, they accomplished incredible things. There are a lot of women in history who are hidden figures that contributed significantly to innovations that history has forgotten or ignored.</p><h2>WHAT BARRIERS HAVE YOU PERSONALLY FACED SO FAR AND HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM?</h2><p>I have always faced some sort of barrier where I have gone against the norm and someone says I can’t do it e.g. teachers or peers. What stopped me from listening to the negative noise was my parents’ support. Having a good support system at home is so important when making career decisions at a young age and I am lucky to have parents that have supported me every step of the way.</p><h2>PROUDEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT?</h2><p>My proudest professional achievement was teaching Code First Girls only a year into my tech career. It was both nerve-racking but also exciting that I could inspire women into the tech industry having only just begun my own journey. I would definitely encourage people to give back to the community even if you don’t feel like you know enough or it’s too early in your career.</p><p>Thanks Fadumo! You absolutely rock!</p>

 “You can’t be what you can’t see” An Interview with Fadumo Aideed

<p>What do you get when you fill a room with female students who are eager to learn more about the world of tech and some of the countries inspirational female leaders in tech? You get #GirlTech 💙</p><p>Women Rock Ambassadors&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-hazell-9b7810103/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Andy&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-reynolds-b0b579168/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Hannah</a>&nbsp;spoke with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzie-bell-217b8746/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Suzie Bell</a>&nbsp;– Project Manager at Ahead Partnership and Founder of #Girltech and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-mikulla-74162915/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Nicky Mikulla</a>&nbsp;#GirlTech Ambassador to find out how the event was breaking the bias for women in tech.</p>

 76% of female students aged 12-14 years old thought they knew what skills were needed for a role in the tech industry | Interview with #GirlTech

<p>For the final instalment of ‘Meet the Women Rock Ambassadors’&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-teagle-93b04692/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Alicia</a>&nbsp;chats with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenna-heyes-5b1989163/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Jenna</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesjhoskins/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Charles</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/javajackson/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Steph</a>&nbsp;about why they wanted to get involved in this movement, what diversity means to them and how they see the landscape of ED&amp;I changing. Alicia started Women Rock to let folk have a voice and make a positive change in the tech industry by empowering the groups that don’t usually get the recognition they deserve.</p><p>The whole of the Women Rock team feel so passionate about these subjects and we hope you enjoy meeting the gang on a more personal level! Each ambassador has a story to tell and this week we get a peek into the wonderful brains and lives of Jenna, Charles and Steph…</p><p>Keep rocking!</p><h2><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenna-heyes-5b1989163/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">JENNA HEYES – CONSULTANT</a></h2><h2><img src="https://sr2rec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Jenna-300x300.jpg" height="300" width="300"></h2><h2>WHAT DOES DIVERSITY MEAN TO YOU?</h2><p>Diversity to me means equal opportunities for all no matter what gender, race, sexuality or religion. A human is a human, and we should all strive to be kind to each other. Diversity is what makes each one of us totally unique – who wants to be the same as everyone else? It’s our differences that shape the world, and when you create a diverse space, it makes the whole community a better place to be in.</p><h2>WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO COMPANIES ON HOW TO ATTRACT THE BEST DIVERSE TALENT?</h2><p>I would advise companies to think outside the box and not follow the typical norms and ways of doing things. A big one for me would be to use inclusive language in job adverts and on socials! Also, be consistent. Diverse talent won’t be convinced if there’s just one or two posts about diversity, and not really much to back up what you’re looking for.</p><h2>IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE WORLD, WHAT WOULD IT BE?</h2><p>If I could change one thing about the world, I would change greed. I think humanity have become obsessed with greed and money and ultimately, it’s destroying our planet and our society. We need to get rid of those ego’s of ours!</p><h2>WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS TO DATE &amp; WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO DATE?</h2><p>My biggest success to date is joining a company like SR2. I never thought I would be able to say I work for such an amazing company with incredible motives and morals. I never did that well at university and my confidence was low – but since joining I feel so supported and excited to see what the future holds!</p><p>My biggest challenge to date is packing my bags and jetting off to Australia on my own at 18 years old! I ended up staying out there for two years and having the best time of my life – it grew me as a person and gave me so many life lessons. What doesn’t challenge you doesn’t grow you!</p><h2>IF YOU WERE A SONG WHAT SONG WOULD YOU BE?</h2><p>If I was a song, I would be&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2NNiCmCyITuhyYblpmhRWA?si=9cbd26276e0448ab" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Filthy/Gorgeous by the Scissor Sisters</a>. No reason just an absolute tune!</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesjhoskins/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CHARLES HOSKINS – HEAD OF PERM (PUBLIC SECTOR LONDON)</a></h2><p><img src="https://sr2rec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Charles-300x300.jpg" height="300" width="300"></p><h2>WHAT DOES DIVERSITY MEAN TO YOU?</h2><p>To me it’s creating an environment that means I get to have the opportunity to surround myself with amazing people from different walks of life. A place where I can learn and teach with them on a daily basis. It’s great!</p><h2>WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO COMPANIES ON HOW TO ATTRACT THE BEST DIVERSE TALENT?</h2><p>Listen! More often than not companies fall into the trap of having a D&amp;I statement on their website and it stops there. If you are only just starting to drive D&amp;I, that’s okay! There’s so many people and groups that would love to help and educate you. So listen to what they say works/is right and most importantly follow it up with action 😊</p><h2>IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE WORLD, WHAT WOULD IT BE?</h2><p>Given my upcoming move to London, I’d like to make rent there cheaper 😂 But to keep it relevant, lets bin off close-mindedness! Without different opinions and a counter argument you cant learn. So keep an open mind with everything, you’ll be surprised what you’ll learn.</p><h2>WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS TO DATE &amp; WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO DATE?</h2><p>Success: My recruitment career has taken me to some pretty cool places. Not just to a senior post at SR2, but it’s taken me around the world! A close second is my music career 😏</p><p>Challenge: Learning to deal with life, particularly the rubbish bits. But got to find the positives and it makes you a better person coming out of it!</p><h2>IF YOU WERE A SONG, WHAT SONG WOULD YOU BE?</h2><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3Tg8JctqoeIwZ3Rue8BjaI?si=34f753188baf41ed" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Ratamahatta by Sepultura</a>&nbsp;because what the f**k is going on there!</p><h2><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/javajackson/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">STEPH JACKSON – PRINCIPLE CONSULTANT</a></h2><p><img src="https://sr2rec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/steph-300x300.jpg" height="300" width="300"></p><h2>WHAT DOES DIVERSITY MEAN TO YOU?</h2><p>Diversity to me is about celebrating differences and allowing them to all come together to create more of a varied workplace. No matter what skin colour, background, religion, gender etc… it’s about celebrating differences and accepting that we are all equal human beings in this world.</p><h2>WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO COMPANIES ON HOW TO ATTRACT THE BEST DIVERSE TALENT?</h2><p>To be as flexible as possible, if you’re getting diverse candidates applying who might not have every skill you’re looking for – why not have something set up in place to support those people to help them gain more experience and train them up, it’s important for companies to make that first step in making changes if they want diverse talent in their teams. Other advice I would give to be actually offer people the work/life balance they are looking for, that’s going to attract more candidates in general always.</p><h2>IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE WORLD, WHAT WOULD IT BE?</h2><p>One thing I see so much of these days and would LOVE to remove from the world is this whole “cancel culture” thing – people are far too judgemental, and quick to slam someone for their mistakes or for getting things wrong. Nobody is perfect, and we should all be teaching one another with love… how great would a world be when we didn’t cancel people for their mistakes, but support them with patience and kindly explain a different point of view to them. If we all thought the same way it would be a very boring world. It costs nothing to be kind.</p><h2>WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS TO DATE &amp; WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO DATE?</h2><p>My biggest success to date I would say was being able to purchase my first home, all by myself in the middle of 2020 right in the thick of the pandemic. It was something I always dreamed about, and so proud of myself for making it happen and still often pinch myself. My biggest challenge I would say was recently trying to get to Barcelona with an expired passport, and driving to the home office to beg for an emergency passport and getting on the next flight. Made it happen though! 😇</p><h2>IF YOU WERE A SONG, WHAT SONG WOULD YOU BE?</h2><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5x5JM1BSB6vollcIzDocqT?si=bdc7a64c8c764d7f" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">The Climb by Miley Cyrus</a>, I love the words and I think they are something to live by.</p>

 Meet the Women Rock Ambassadors Part 3

<h1><br></h1><p><img src="https://sr2rec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Mhair_blog_image-300x300.jpg" height="300" width="300">Meet&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mhairihislop/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Mhairi,</a>&nbsp;a Software Developer at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/huboo-fulfilment/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Huboo</a>&nbsp;in Bristol. 2 years ago she was an Operations Lead for Dyson and hadn’t written a single line of code before, so Women Rock Ambassador&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/douggear/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Doug</a>&nbsp;chatted with Mhairi about how and why she decided to jump into the wonderful world of Software Development – with zero experience!</p><p>Her story is truly inspiring and if you are in the same boat as Mhairi was – where code was (quite literally) another language – read on to discover how to make the move!</p><h2>HI MHAIRI, THANKS SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR STORY WITH US! CAN YOU TALK US THROUGH HOW YOU CAME TO THE DECISION TO MAKE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT YOUR FULLTIME CAREER AFTER HAVING NEVER WRITTEN CODE BEFORE?</h2><p>Yeah, so I would say that I’m very much a generalist and I’ve been lucky enough to have had exposure across a large breadth of different areas. My undergrad degree was originally in engineering and since then, I’ve worked in operations, programme management and strategy across several different sectors.</p><p>My engineering background means that I am a data driven person, and with the exponential increase in the way we store and use data, I could see a lot of opportunity in expanding my skillset to keep up.</p><p>The original plan was to do a part time masters in analytics whilst still working, but in 2019 I was made redundant along with a few hundred others as part of the Dyson Automotive project closure.</p><p>Whilst at the time this was sad and unexpected – I spent about a solid week in the pubs of Bristol afterwards, I don’t mind telling you – it gave me a huge opportunity to stop and reflect on what I actually wanted to do next.</p><p>I basically took all the things I liked about my previous roles – problem solving, data analysis and a need to improve an issue – and applied it to the kind of company I wanted to work for and the work I wanted to do.</p><h2>GOING FROM OPERATIONS LEAD TO WRITING CODE AS A SOFTWARE DEVELOPER MUST HAVE BEEN QUITE DAUNTING! CAN YOU TELL US YOUR STORY OF HOW YOU MADE THE MOVE AND TALK US THROUGH THE RESOURCES AND/OR COURSES THAT HELPED ON THIS JOURNEY?</h2><p>Of course. At the time, and this was just before COVID formally hit the UK, there were a plethora of online and in person courses available to learn software development. I chose a local Bristol based company, DevelopMe, after going along to an open night and being really impressed with the course material.</p><p>Before enrolling I spent a lot of time on some of the free online resources available to get a feel for writing some front-end code. This was useful just to confirm to myself more than anything, that the idea I had in my head matched the reality of writing code.</p><p>Unfortunately, when COVID hit, it obviously meant that we couldn’t study in person but the team at DevelopMe did an amazing job of turning the whole thing round to an online course in a very short space of time – they even sent us the beers and snacks!</p><p>During lockdown, luckily, my plans didn’t have to change very much at all – I cannot say how thankful I was for that. Unfortunately, DevelopMe did not make it through the pandemic, but there are other similar options available.</p><h2>WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU HAVE FOR ANYONE ELSE WHO IS LOOKING TO RE-TRAIN IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT? AND ARE THERE ANY RESOURCES THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF NOW AND WISH YOU HAD HEARD OF WHEN YOU WERE MAKING THE MOVE?</h2><p>Firstly, make sure you know yourself including strengths, the things that you enjoy and, more importantly, the things you don’t.</p><p>Use the abundance of free resources online to check if you like writing code before investing any money. There are plenty of other jobs in tech that might be worth considering including UX/UI, agile project management, dev ops or product management.</p><p>Once you’re as sure as you can be at this stage, and don’t worry if you’re not you’re not signing anything in blood, start looking around for courses that are going to suit what you want to do and can fit around your commitments.</p><p>I should mention at this point, there are plenty of self-taught developers out there however, if you’re anything like me, it’s worth investing in course and a bit of structure that will fast track you and help you prioritise the retraining.</p><p>There are loads of online courses available, some free, some have fees and some offer certificates. There are also several coding bootcamps around the country which offer part time and full-time intensive courses.</p><p>These are a big investment and although they often offer finance options, there are a few tips I can share that may help you choose one:</p><ul><li>Check their offerings – if you’re looking for part time, some may only offer full time courses which might not work for you</li><li>Often course organisers host open nights or offer calls/in person appointments. Make use of these to ascertain whether you like the people, are clear on the syllabus, and that it will fit round your needs</li><li>Try and find alumni to speak to and get their opinions on the course. Often you can meet them at the open nights or tech meetups</li><li>Look at the jobs that you would like to apply for and check their requirements. Compare these requirements to any syllabuses you’re reviewing to check that they are going to give you what you need</li><li>There are finance options out there so make sure you review what’s available to you and your circumstances</li><li>There are loads of in person meetups, online communities and slack channels for all sorts of areas in development. I’ve found a mixture of experience at these events, and everyone is there for the same thing – meeting people and knowledge sharing. It’s worth going along</li><li>I would also encourage you to poke around in your current workplace. There is a huge shortage of developers at the moment and, depending on the company, they may have resources available to help support your retraining in house</li><li>Consider internship options and non-profit organisations like foundersandcoders.com/ which support minorities and people who maybe wouldn’t get the access otherwise</li><li>When are coding take lots of regular breaks – sometimes stepping away from a problem for a bit can actually help your brain process it</li></ul><p>A masters or undergrad is also an option however, this can be the more expensive route, and not always necessary. They also tend to be slower moving in updates to syllabuses due to the long-term nature of the course. Having said that, if this is your chosen route, there are some very relevant degrees out there particularly in analytics.</p><p>Ultimately, it’s about learning how to learn and using transferable knowledge to apply it to a new problem. Try not to get too attached to one language as, I know everyone says this but it’s true, once you’ve learned one and the premise of object-oriented programming, you can apply that knowledge to any other new OOP language.</p><p>Some of the resources I have used or can recommend are:</p><p>Training and free resources:</p><ul><li><a href="http://codecademy.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">codecademy.com/</a>&nbsp;– Free and paid for courses in most languages</li><li><a href="http://stackoverflow.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">stackoverflow.com/</a>&nbsp;– Q&amp;A forum which usually finds itself at the top of google searches</li><li><a href="http://developer.mozilla.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">developer.mozilla.org/</a>&nbsp;– Excellent documentation and resources for developers</li><li><a href="http://coursera.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">coursera.org/</a>&nbsp;– Online free courses by University Professors</li><li><a href="http://edx.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">edx.org/</a>&nbsp;– Opensource courses governed by Harvard and MIT</li><li><a href="http://freecodecamp.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">freecodecamp.org/</a>&nbsp;– Opensource educational community</li><li><a href="http://codewars.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">codewars.com/</a>&nbsp;– Coding challenge site for all levels</li><li><a href="http://codepen.io/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">codepen.io/</a>&nbsp;– Website full of front-end examples and ideas</li></ul><p>Paid online subscriptions and courses:</p><ul><li><a href="http://pluralsight.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">pluralsight.com/</a>&nbsp;– Courses on everything from data analysis to front-end but expensive</li><li><a href="http://laracasts.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">laracasts.com/</a>&nbsp;– Excellent resource for PHP and Laravel</li><li><a href="http://datacamp.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">datacamp.com/</a>&nbsp;– Resources for analytics and data</li><li><a href="http://udemy.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">udemy.com/</a>&nbsp;– Multiple courses on almost everything</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR FIRST ROLE IN TECH? WHAT DID YOU LEARN? AND WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU HAVE FOR SOMEONE ELSE WHEN SELECTING THEIR FIRST ROLE IN TECH?</h2><p>Trying to get my first role in tech was tricky for me as it was right in the middle of 2020 and the pandemic. My role was in small start-up on the side of a more established business offering a product that was overcame some challenges raised by the pandemic.</p><p>We worked as close-knit team of four to build a platform allowing self-employed trades people to manage and conduct virtual assessments, quotations, billing and invoicing completely remotely through a web app. We also partnered with banks to allow these clients to offer finance to their customers through using this platform.</p><p>The small nature of the team meant that I was lucky to be thrown in at the deep end and got the opportunity to actively contribute large portions to the first version of the web app. The other side of this was that we didn’t have the resource for proper feature tests or QA before deployment, so I didn’t get a lot of exposure to certain areas within software development.</p><p>The main piece of advice I would give to any junior is that the interview process is as much for you as it is for your potential employer. As a junior, it’s important you get the support and training required progress to higher level. Sometimes people can be optimistic on what taking on a junior developer entails, and don’t have the structure to support them. I’ve had friends leave their roles due to this so I’m aware that I was very lucky in my first role.</p><h2>FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE, HOW IMPORTANT IS DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE?</h2><p>The system and society under which we work is inherently unfair, and prejudiced against anyone who doesn’t fit into very strange narrow norms that we’ve created for ourselves which can be seen in the data.</p><p>STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) is still very much a male dominated area. As of 2019 in the US, women represented under a quarter of people who worked in computing and less than 15% in engineering. Black, Hispanic and Asian people made up less that 40% of workforce in tech .</p><p>Whilst in the UK, according to a 2020 report from The British Science Association, only 27% of the STEM workforce were female, 11% were Equality Act disabled, and at that time 65% of the workforce were white men .</p><p>This means that in terms of design, there is huge potential for blind spots and discrimination to be built into our apps, algorithms, machine learning models and products from cars right through to breast pumps.</p><p>A lot of us have benefited from the privilege we’ve inherited, but at the expense of others. To change and challenge this, we need to educate ourselves on the privilege we have and become part of the solution. This can be anything from challenging toxic behaviours in the workplace right through to getting actively involved in STEM initiatives that support underrepresented minorities.</p><p>Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed by Men by Caroline Criado-Perez, is a great read if you want to learn more about gender data bias in particular.</p><p>I believe that diversity in the workplace not only produces more creativity and better engineering but supports a fairer society.</p><h2>WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEONE WHO HAS AN ESTABLISHED CAREER AND WANTS TO MOVE INTO TECH BUT IS A BIT APPREHENSIVE ABOUT HAVING TO START ALL OVER AGAIN?</h2><p>To be clear, I didn’t have any family commitments and as I mentioned before, I was made redundant, so I didn’t have to make the decision on whether to leave my current job – my current job no longer existed. This made it a lot easier to take the leap.</p><p>I just threw myself in and did a full-time intensive course as a result but there are part time courses, funding and finance options available to help lessen the financial constraints. As mentioned before, ask your current workplace – they may have resources to support your career goals.</p><p>I love learning and I’ve always felt like I had more to learn in whatever role I’ve been in, however, even with that mentality, I’ve still found it very humbling starting again. Be prepared to be a learner again, to ask questions and most importantly fight off the imposter syndrome. Be kind to yourself, no one else is expecting you to magically know everything after a year. Even senior developers, all the good ones anyway, will tell you they have lots to learn. When you’re in software you’re never done learning, which keeps it interesting.</p><p>Play the long game. I took a pay cut to start again. I did a check with my outgoings to make sure I could afford to live, but I’ve had to make some serious lifestyle adjustments.</p><p>Whilst experience in other fields helps, ultimately a company is paying for your knowledge in software so depending on where you are in your career, you may have to take that pay cut. The opportunity for progression that this kind of career can offer however, can make up for that – I’ve already started to close that gap.</p><h2>FINALLY IS THERE A QUOTE, MANTRA OR ATTITUDE THAT YOU LIVE BY EVERY DAY?</h2><p>Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Total cliché but it’s true in my head…</p><p>Thanks Mhairi! You #ROCK!</p>

 “I believe that diversity in the workplace not only produces more creativity and better engineering but supports a fairer society” Interview with Mhairi Hislop | Huboo

<p>This is the second time&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-sidwick-5a4195104/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Natalie</a>&nbsp;has sat down to chat with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gina-fielding-a478ba64/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Gina Fielding</a>&nbsp;because she continues to ROCK in the IT and tech industry! We have followed Gina’s journey closely and her career is going from strength to strength, so we are always excited to hear about her next chapter…</p><h2><img src="https://sr2rec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/gina_f-300x300.jpg" height="300" width="300">GINA, GREAT TO HAVE YOU DOING ANOTHER WOMEN ROCK! LAST TIME WE SPOKE YOU WERE WORKING AS A SOFTWARE TEST ANALYST BUT HAD YOUR SIGHTS FIRMLY SET ON TAKING YOUR CAREER DOWN THE PRODUCT MANAGEMENT ROUTE, WHAT WAS IT THAT ATTRACTED YOU TO PRODUCT MANAGEMENT?</h2><p>Product management is a wonderful mix of technical and creative. You are involved in every phase of the product development process; from research to design to development to launch.</p><p>Product management is about building products that solve a problem for people. This means talking to customers and learning about their goals, motivations and barriers. I want to build products that people love.</p><p>I am a process driven person so I enjoy the design and development phase because you are translating the identified problem space into usable solutions.</p><h2>WELL, YOU CERTAINLY HAD A CLEAR DRIVE AND VISION AS YOU’VE MADE THAT GOAL A REALITY AND HAVE BEEN WORKING AS PRODUCT MANAGER FOR THE LAST 2 YEARS AT BASEKIT! HOW HAVE YOU FOUND THE TRANSITION AND WHAT SKILLS HAVE YOU FOUND TO BE MOST USEFUL?</h2><p>There are some similarities between Software Testing and Product Management so it’s not uncommon for a Product Manager to have a background in Testing. This is because a good Software Tester is process driven, inquisitive and they think outside the box which are all skills a good Product Manager has. So the transition into Product Management was not a difficult one as I already had these skills.</p><h2>I CAN IMAGINE YOU’VE ALSO LEARNT A LOT OF NEW SKILLS ALONG THE WAY, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IT TAKES TO BE A GREAT PRODUCT MANAGER?</h2><p>To understand the solutions they should build, Product Managers need to use product discovery tools and frameworks, such as using qualitative data analysis to make evidence-based decisions instead of decisions based on personal opinion.</p><p>A great Product Manager is a leader. They get the best out of teams by using good processes, and innovative tools and techniques. They encourage an environment where people feel empowered and can be their most creative. Product Managers also need to be able to work across teams. For example, working with Marketing to create messaging for the product.</p><p>A great Product Manager never stops learning. And that means looking outside of their workplace, picking up tips from others in the industry. They are regularly looking to deepen their knowledge and explore new tools. They also share that knowledge with others.</p><h2>SOMETIMES IT CAN BE DAUNTING TO TAKE THE LEAP AND CHANGE YOUR ROLE, WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE BE TO ANYONE CONSIDERING GOING DOWN A DIFFERENT CAREER PATH?</h2><p>I am thoughtful about my career, looking at how to progress and what next steps to take.</p><p>You need to know yourself, understand your strengths and weaknesses and what you actually enjoy doing. You have to accept that you are going to make mistakes and learn from them. I went into automation testing because I thought that was the next step for me. But it did not play to my strengths and I did not enjoy it.</p><p>Product management is a passion as well as my job. I think it’s important to love what you do. I love challenges and I love to learn.</p><h2>WAS THERE ANYTHING THAT BASEKIT DID TO HELP SUPPORT YOU WITH YOUR CAREER PROGRESSION AND IS THERE ANYTHING YOU THINK COMPANIES CAN BE DOING MORE OF TO HELP WOMEN?</h2><p>I have always been good at identifying gaps in processes and thinking of ways to bridge them. BaseKit’s Development team has always supported me and has been open to my ideas. The team has allowed a lot of experimentation which has really paid off and our team works more efficiently than ever.</p><p>I made it clear to BaseKit when I interviewed for the Software Tester position that my aim was to become a Product Manager. BaseKit hired me with the understanding that I wanted to progress my career and supported me in doing this by allowing me to take on Product Manager responsibilities and implement process changes while I was a Tester. My value was recognised and I was quickly promoted to Product Manager. I think many tech companies still hold on to overly hierarchical forms of management, even small companies like BaseKit struggle with this. This can hinder creativity and makes the business less innovative. This hierarchical approach can shut women out as senior teams are often still very male. For a company to be innovative they must be willing to take risks and experiment with new ways of working. Innovative ideas can come from younger and diverse team members who have had a different experience.</p><h2>YOU’RE QUITE PASSIONATE ABOUT ENCOURAGING MORE FEMALES INTO THE TECH INDUSTRY, WHY DO YOU THINK THERE ARE SO LITTLE IN TECH?</h2><p>I would say the three main causes are problems with gender stereotyping (e.g. boys are better at technology) so that girls do not consider tech as an option for them; a perception of a programming ‘nerd’ culture which can appear male however I have never found it to be like that and finally a lack of female role models in tech.</p><h2>SO, WHAT WAS IT THAT ORIGINALLY GOT YOU INTO TECH?</h2><p>I got into the tech industry because I developed an interest in filmmaking, so I gained skills in camera operating and video editing software. I also learnt to work in teams and organise projects. This helped me get an apprenticeship in Digital Marketing when I was 18 for a software company making assistive technology for people with disabilities. I would visit our customers and record them interacting with our technology and talking about their experiences.</p><p>Seeing how the technology helped our customers in such a significant way made me want to move into software development. My understanding of development teams was limited. I did not know about the many other roles that made up the team, such as Product Managers, Designers, Testers. Once I understood what a Product Manager’s role was, I realised that Product Management was my calling.</p><h2>NOW YOU’RE IN THE TECH WORLD, WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET ACROSS FOR WHAT IT’S LIKE AND WHAT DOORS CAN IT OPEN?</h2><p>I don’t feel like tech is viewed as creative by people outside of the industry. So I want to get across how fun and creative tech is and how you can be more valued in tech than you are in other creative industries. You don’t need a strong background in technology to get in – we all have transferable skills. There are a whole variety of jobs and once you are in, it is easier to move around and learn what you enjoy doing.</p><h2>WHAT MORE DO YOU THINK CAN BE DONE TO GET MORE WOMEN INTO TECH?</h2><p>I think our education system is dated; as a result we rely too much on people discovering technology for themselves. I think we should be offering more apprenticeships in tech and promoting apprenticeships in schools. Companies should look at how they could take on and support apprentices. We need more female role models so companies should focus on retaining their female staff and promote appropriately. When I go for interviews, seeing a diverse senior team is encouraging.</p><h2>THIS YEAR’S IWD THEME WAS BREAK THE BIAS. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT BIAS IT IS THAT YOU’D LIKE TO BREAK AND WHY?</h2><p>I want to break the bias against women requesting a good starting salary and future pay rises. Part of the problem with the pay gap between male and female employees is the ‘ask gap’. Women can often feel uncomfortable asking for a good salary, worrying about coming across as pushy in negotiations and anxious about their work, whilst men are more comfortable in asking for a higher salary and are less fearful of a backlash.</p><p>If women ask for a low starting salary the problem compounds as the starting salary is then used as a measure for future pay rises. There is a lack of understanding about this in senior management who may themselves perceive pay expectations in a gendered way. I would like to encourage tech companies to know the worth of their female employees.</p><h2>AND OF COURSE, LET’S FINISH BY SHARING YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE…</h2><p>“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” Maya Angelou</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Once again you have totally ROCKED Gina! Thanks so much for speaking to us again and we cannot wait to see your next chapter!</p>

“You need to know yourself, understand your strengths and weaknesses and what you actually enjoy doing” Interview with Gina Fielding | Basekit

<p>Want to break the mould? Want to make real change? Want to smash the status quo?</p><p>Jacob spoke to the incredibly gifted and talented&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebony-allison-7a69a3139/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Ebony Allison</a>&nbsp;about her the beginnings of her story in Engineering, her challenges, what we can do to implement real change to an aging industry and a lot more.</p><p>It was both parts insightful and inspiring to hear the almost nonchalant attitude to Ebony making waves in the Engineering world and we cannot wait to see how her story grows through the years as she innovates and inspires the future!</p><p>This one’s definitely worth a read to make you smile through this unfortunately grey and wet summer!</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><img src="https://sr2rec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ebony_wr_insta-300x300.jpg" height="300" width="300">WHAT WAS THE MOMENT YOU REALISED YOU WANTED A CAREER IN TECH?</h2><p>I really didn’t have a plan, I tend to live life on a whim and just go with what I feel like in the moment, I didn’t fully realise that I was classed as tech or stem until already working in it. I chose to study maths and physics at A-level without knowing what careers could come from it, it wasn’t until I met with a careers advisor at college that he told me to consider engineering which I’d never heard of. I then went on a ‘gifted and talented’ trip to Newcastle University where I soldered together a heartbeat monitor – which was my first time soldering! I hadn’t even heard of soldering. From this point onwards I decided to study electronic engineering at university which naturally led me to a career in tech starting with robotics but now I’m in consumer electronics in the R&amp;D team.</p><h2>MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSON/PERSONS IN YOUR EARLY CAREER?</h2><p>I didn’t have any particular role models as I didn’t actually meet any engineers until I was already working in the industry. I just knew in myself what I wanted to study and the fear of failure is what gave me motivation. I just really enjoyed learning about electronics and knew that my best chance at success needs to be in something I enjoy otherwise I’d get bored. Also, being constantly told not to do electronics because I don’t fit in was the cherry on the cake to keep me motivated in low moments.</p><h2>WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES AND FEMALES TO INSPIRE THEM TO PURSUE A CAREER IN TECH/ENGINEERING?</h2><p>I think the one main selling point in engineering/tech is that your skills can do the talking. For example, if your hardware/code works, it works, no one can take that away from you! Being a minority in this old-fashioned industry can be extremely difficult and tiring but I use it as motivation to get better at my skills so no one can complain and say I’m not good at what I do. We can’t control other people’s attitudes so it’s important to not let their negativity dull your shine because you’re the one that will suffer, we have every right to work in an industry that we enjoy and there are so many supportive people; the aim is to not let the loud old-fashioned minority stop you from pursuing your career.</p><h2>WHAT DO YOU THINK WE CAN DO TO REALLY ACCELERATE THESE CHANGES IN IT/ENGINEERING?</h2><p>I think companies should put in effort to show support for change, be vocal about the lack of diversity as a lot of people don’t really understand that there is a problem. Companies need to speak to their minorities employees about how it feels to work in the company as the percentage of women that stay in the industry longer than two years is still very low. I think for the younger generation it is important when running STEM activities to have mixed-gender groups so from early the younger generation are used to working alongside the opposite gender to abolish the notion that boys are better at maths and science.</p><h2>WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR DOWN TIME?</h2><p>In my spare time I like to practice self-care haha.. love a face mask, fruit tea and a Netflix binge and TikTok crawl or the opposite; doing my makeup and going out for food and drinks with friends.</p><p><em>Thanks so much Ebony… you rock! #womenrock</em></p><p><em>Interview by&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-cook-409259b9/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);"><em>Jacob Cook</em></a></p><p><em>A voice for diversity in Tech &amp; Engineering &lt;3</em></p><p><em>I: @</em><a href="https://www.instagram.com/womenrockbristol/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);"><em>womenrockbristol</em></a></p><p><em>T: @</em><a href="https://twitter.com/WomenRockBrstl" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);"><em>womenrockbrstl</em></a></p>

 “Be the change you want to see!” – An interview with Ebony Allison

<h1><br></h1><p>Continuing with our ‘Meet the Women Rock Ambassadors’, founder,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-teagle-93b04692/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Alicia</a>&nbsp;chats with Aoibheann, Jamie, Eleanor and Ben about why they wanted to get involved in this movement, what diversity means to them and how they see the landscape of ED&amp;I changing. Alicia started Women Rock to let folk have a voice and make a positive change in the tech industry by empowering the groups that don’t usually get the recognition they deserve.</p><p>The whole of the Women Rock team feel so passionate about these subjects and we hope you enjoy meeting the gang on a more personal level! Each ambassador has a story to tell and this week we get a peek into the wonderful brains and lives of Aoibheann, Jamie, Eleanor and Ben…</p><p>Keep rocking!</p><h2><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-eadon-57984a14/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AOIBHEANN – SENIOR CONSULTANT</a></h2><h2><img src="https://sr2rec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Aoibheann_1-300x300.jpg" height="300" width="300"></h2><h2>WHAT DOES DIVERSITY MEAN TO YOU?</h2><p>Diversity means that everyone feels represented and comfortable bringing their entire selves to the table.</p><h2>WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO COMPANIES ON HOW TO ATTRACT THE BEST DIVERSE TALENT?</h2><p>As a data recruiter, I’m obviously going to suggest figuring out a user-friendly way of collecting and making sense of diversity data of people already in your company. If you don’t know what groups aren’t represented in your teams, it’ll be super tough to know where to focus your efforts on balancing the scales.</p><h2>IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE WORLD, WHAT WOULD IT BE?</h2><p>The list is long, but based on my walk to work this morning, if cat calling was a thing of the past that would be fabulous.</p><h2>WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS TO DATE &amp; WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO DATE?</h2><p>Making the career switch from radiology to recruitment!</p><p>I still often pinch myself that instead of rolling up to an A&amp;E night shift and grabbing my Xray machine, I get to support awesome tech for good companies scale their teams 😅</p><p>It’s probably my biggest challenge too, but definitely the most rewarding!</p><h2>IF YOU WERE A SONG WHAT SONG WOULD YOU BE?</h2><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/74usZNReO4g4j5aZ0yAmBw?si=273fdaa614574488" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">‘You Can Do It’ – Caribou</a>&nbsp;🕺</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/data-consultant/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">JAMIE – SENIOR CONSULTANT</a></h2><p><img src="https://sr2rec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Jamie_1-300x300.jpg" height="300" width="300"></p><h2>WHAT DOES DIVERSITY MEAN TO YOU?</h2><p>An environment whereby everyone regardless of gender, sexuality or ethnicity gets paid and treated exactly the same (in line with their job and responsibilities obviously). Having views and opinions from people from different backgrounds surely only enriches experiences, which can only be a positive thing.</p><h2>WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO COMPANIES ON HOW TO ATTRACT THE BEST DIVERSE TALENT?</h2><p>Do more than just have a token gesture about D&amp;I on their career page. I’ve seen some amazing websites when searching for people to interview for Women Rock that breakdown the diversity in their teams into gender, ethnicity, and sexuality. Even if it’s not where you want it to be, you can include a target diagram along with it to demonstrate it’s something you genuinely care about.</p><h2>IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE WORLD, WHAT WOULD IT BE?</h2><p>Not D&amp;I related, but it would have to be to stop fu**ing up the planet so much. You can have the most diverse workforce in the world but if there’s no world to enjoy it in, then there’s not much point.</p><h2>WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS TO DATE &amp; WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO DATE?</h2><p>My son.</p><p>My son.</p><p>But in all seriousness, my biggest professional achievement would be my £100k month. For sure.</p><p>My biggest challenge would have been the 14 months I spent as a stay-at-home dad looking after Cooper. It sounds crazy but that sh*! is hard! I’d take a 100 hour work week anytime.</p><h2>IF YOU WERE A SONG, WHAT SONG WOULD YOU BE?</h2><p>This has literally taken me over a week to think about.</p><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6A9mKXlFRPMPem6ygQSt7z?si=3bb7653ea4324913" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Bob Marley – Three Little Birds</a></p><p>Not for any real reason other than it’s the song I used to sing to Cooper to get him to go to sleep. It’s also a kind of a family motto song “don’t worry about a thing, cuz every little thing is gonna be alreet”.</p><h2><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-mccloskey-413619a2/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ELEANOR – CONSULTANT</a></h2><p><img src="https://sr2rec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Eleanor_1-300x300.jpg" height="300" width="300"></p><h2>WHAT DOES DIVERSITY MEAN TO YOU?</h2><p>Diversity to me is all people, regardless of background, race, age, gender, being allowed to thrive and be their best, true self. We are all held back by stereotypes and bias and it’s sad when you think about how much untapped potential and talent is out there because of these arbitrary and pointless structures society has in place! However, things have changed a lot and continue to shift in a positive direction so it’s good to appreciate how far things have come.</p><h2>WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO COMPANIES ON HOW TO ATTRACT THE BEST DIVERSE TALENT?</h2><p>My advice would be to ensure that you are offering benefits such as flexible working so that people from all walks of life can consider your company. I read something that said that the 9-5, 5 days in the office working week came about because men who did that had a wife at home running the household, who took care of all the life admin, freeing men up to work in this way. Things aren’t like that anymore, and people struggle to fit their life in around work, meaning they aren’t 100% on top form in either their personal or work lives. At SR2 we have so much flexibility, the long lunches, late starts and homeworking policy, which has been revolutionary to me and now I can’t imagine working any differently. When a company gives you flexibility and trust in this way it’s an acknowledgement that people have priorities and responsibilities, and that acknowledgement will result in a diverse workforce.</p><h2>IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE WORLD, WHAT WOULD IT BE?</h2><p>The world that we live in is so horrendously unequal, from gender inequality to the hoarding of resources to wealth disparity. There are more than enough resources on earth for every single person to live a healthy, happy and fulfilled life. I would change this inequality but also change people’s attitudes to it, because we don’t have to accept society as it is. I really love this line from a Philip Larkin poem ‘we should be careful of each other, we should be kind, while there is still time’, which sums up how I feel. It doesn’t have to be this way and another world is possible.</p><h2>WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS TO DATE &amp; WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO DATE?</h2><p>My biggest challenge was working in the public sector as it stifled my activism and was making me miserable. You spend most of your time at work so when you’re unhappy in that environment it impacts every other part of your life. Now I’m out of it I can see how unsuited to it I was and how happy I am now in comparison 😊</p><p>My biggest success in life is 100% my friendships! I’ve been friends with the same people all through school and university and even though we all live different lives and are busy in our own way we are still so close. I feel most like myself when I’m in their company. They are my greatest achievement in life, and I feel very lucky 😊</p><h2>IF YOU WERE A SONG, WHAT SONG WOULD YOU BE?</h2><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3uCkIqD0VzQUijbs8WIizs?si=c1c1156962114717" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">These Days by Nico</a>, just because it’s followed me around in life and I always go back to it.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-dennison/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BEN – SENIOR CONSULTANT</a></h2><h2><img src="https://sr2rec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Ben_1-300x300.jpg" height="300" width="300">WHAT DOES DIVERSITY MEAN TO YOU?</h2><p>Having a varied team of people where it doesn’t look like you’ve pressed Ctrl-C &amp; Ctrl-V X 100 times, and then creating an environment where people feel they can be themselves.</p><h2>WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO COMPANIES ON HOW TO ATTRACT THE BEST DIVERSE TALENT?</h2><p>Work out what is essential to you as a business and focus on that. I have heard a lot of companies where they have a great feeling about someone, but they don’t match every criteria on a list of 20 things. I would say it’s better to find someone who smashes your top 3 requirements than scrapes the bottom 17.</p><h2>IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE WORLD, WHAT WOULD IT BE?</h2><p>Forgoing the obvious ones, I think if more people were working for the right companies the world would be a better place. As I walk over Tower Bridge &amp; London Bridge when I walk to / leave work I would say 90% of people are trudging. Thinking about my own journey I am the happiest I have ever been and a big part of that (there are others!) is that I love what I do, I think it’s hard to feel fully content if you hate your job.</p><h2>WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS TO DATE &amp; WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO DATE?</h2><p>Looking at my great friends and family I think they are all the ‘bees’ knees’ which means I must be doing something right as they can’t all be wrong! Imposter Syndrome! Shout out to our own Sophie Eadon for helping me realise what it’s called. Particularly having been at a couple of companies where things maybe haven’t worked out, you do start to doubt yourself when things aren’t going right.</p><h2>IF YOU WERE A SONG, WHAT SONG WOULD YOU BE?</h2><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7tqhbajSfrz2F7E1Z75ASX?si=c44e8fb22b7e4753" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell</a>&nbsp;– No justification just an absolute banger. Could try and spin it as being about overcoming obstacles, but I’d be lying, it’s just a tune.</p>

Meet the Women Rock Ambassadors Part 2

<p>Women Rock Ambassador&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-eadon-57984a14/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Sophie</a>&nbsp;is fascinated with alternative therapy and tech when it comes to mental health and wellbeing so when she chatted with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-palmer-01b63a28/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Kim Palmer</a>, Founder of the&nbsp;<a href="https://clementineapp.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Clementine App</a>, she was in her element!</p><p>Clementine is an app by women, for women who struggle with anxiety and all that it brings – insomnia, low self-esteem or just overwhelmed with the daily grind. The app has amazing tools- all based on a range of hypnotherapy sessions and courses, that help build confidence and reduce anxiety and BOSS life!</p><h2>HEY KIM! SO EXCITED TO MEET YOU AND FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY AND HOW CLEMENTINE CAME ABOUT. CAN YOU START BY TELLING ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOU?<span style="color: rgb(97, 97, 97);"><img src="https://sr2rec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/kim_palmer_clementine-300x300.jpg" height="300" width="300"></span></h2><p>Well first off I’m a kiwi, I moved to England back in 2006 so I’ve been here for yonks but I hold a lot of strong values from growing up in NZ. My husband and I have two young boys – Louis and Kingsley so we have a very chaotic and busy home life – it’s very noisy. Before starting Clementine I spent most of my career working in consumer loyalty marketing – working for some well known household brands like Tesco. To fast forward a little, it was when I was working at a Tesco owned start-up called Blinkbox that I had a rather epic mental health breakdown. I started experiencing panic attacks (whilst I was pregnant) and ended up going into a dark hole for a few years where I totally lost my voice and my confidence. It was when I found hypnotherapy that I started to get better and this became part of my inspiration many years later to start Clementine.</p><h2>SORRY TO HEAR THAT AND ABSOLUTE PROPS TO YOU FOR SEEKING HELP AND USING THIS EXPERIENCE TO CREATE THIS INCREDIBLE PLATFORM. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE CLEMENTINE JOURNEY SO FAR?</h2><p>Sure thing, well it was at the beginning of 2016 that I started to think about taking a different path in my career and one that might lead to me being able to be my own boss and work more flexibly. I also really felt it was time to make some impact in the world and that’s when I decided to start a side hustle. I spent 9 months building Clementine whilst I was still working and launched the app onto iOS in Nov 2017. I absolutely loved having something else to focus on and it was sort of like having another baby. My husband and I fully funded the project and I spent the next two years learning everything I could (making lots of mistakes) about how to build a business. During this time we managed to secure some great support from Apple (we were app of the day twice) and coverage in a lot of press (The Guardian, Telegraph, Stylist etc) and the community started to grow.</p><p>It was in 2019 that I felt that I could no longer keep working, support two children and run Clementine – I was left feeling very burnt out. So it was crunch time to make a decision about whether to go any further with Clementine and well, that’s when I quit my job. I knew the first job to do was to raise some funds (not an easy task) and so it was after months and months of building a business plan and pitching that I secured our first £1m. I’ll fast forward a little. Today we have a team of 4 of us (that includes me) and we are trying to work out a sustainable way to grow our impact. It’s not easy but I do pinch myself every so often as it’s awesome to work on something that genuinely helps people and also a big one for me is to work in a way that suits my family too.</p><h2>AND CAN YOU PLEASE SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT A TYPICAL DAY IS LIKE FOR YOU?</h2><p>We get up just before 7am. We all eat breakfast and sit down at the table together. This is an important ritual for me as it helps me to feel more grounded knowing that I know how everyone in the family is.</p><p>My partner does the school drop off and when they leave I do some form of exercise – either a run or a walk most days. This is another important ritual for me as movement helps me to keep my mind feeling better.</p><p>I start work around 9am – oh I should say that I work from home. During the day I try really hard not to do any housework as I find it really distracting. I almost always stop for lunch for 30minutes – and I’ll eat at our kitchen table away from my work. I do the kids pick up at 3.30pm and I don’t usually get back until after 5pm. En route I will do some homework with my eldest. Back at home either my partner and I will cook. Whilst dinner is getting ready we will do more homework or if it’s nicer weather go outside and throw a ball around with the kids.</p><p>Dinner is early around 5.45pm and we all eat together as a family – again this is another ritual. Finding out how everyone is doing. It’s chaotic but I like it. A couple of nights a week I will have a bath with the kids – another ritual. I’ve found that this is the perfect time for my eldest to share what’s on his mind in a relaxing environment. A couple of nights a week I head to our local gym for boxing and lifting club. On the nights that I’m not at the gym then I do log back into work when the kids are in bed (7pm) and usually work for about 2.5 hours)</p><p>Gosh writing that all seems a bit boring!</p><h2>NOT AT ALL! BUSY, BUT NOT BORING! WHAT DO YOU THINK WOMEN USE THE CLEMENTINE APP FOR MOST?</h2><p>Our most popular sessions are sleep by quite someway. But we know that a lot of women come to the app to help with their anxiety – which impacts sleep. So they start with sleep and then start to move onto our morning and pick me up sessions to build stronger mindsets.</p><h2>WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION ABOUT HYPNOTHERAPY?</h2><p>That you are going to lose control of your thoughts and that you could end up clucking around like a chicken. It’s actually the complete opposite – you become more in control of your thoughts – we help you with the positive suggestions and the space to reconnect with your own thoughts in a super relaxing way, but you won’t lose control.</p><h2>WHY IS IT DO YOU THINK THAT WE HAVE SEEN SUCH A HUGE RISE IN ‘WELLTECH’ COMPANIES IN THE PAST 2-3 YEARS?</h2><p>I think there are a few reasons for this – unfortunately people aren’t turning to their GP’s for support for their mental wellbeing and so look elsewhere for support and because it’s so easy to search these days we have taken matters into our own hands when it comes to finding support. The narrative around mental health has changed dramatically in the past 5 years too. Moving from no one talking about it or even understanding what it was and how important it was to build strong mental health, to everyone talking about it and finally people realising that it’s just as important as our physical health. Then obviously technology has improved so that it’s easy for people like myself to build bespoke solutions without spending millions of dollars.</p><h2>IT’S NO SECRET THAT MANY WOMEN IN THE TECH INDUSTRY HAVE FELT THEIR GENDER HAS AFFECTED THE WAY THAT THEY ARE PERCEIVED OR TREATED. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT? HOW DID YOU HANDLE IT?</h2><p>For me it’s been a lot more obvious when I became a mum. Questions from investors about the age of my children and assuming that perhaps I wouldn’t be able to cope. Questions about my working patterns and assuming that not working 9-5pm meant that I wasn’t fully committed.</p><h2>WHAT ARE YOUR PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENTS BOTH PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY?</h2><p>Hmmmm good question – I do feel quite proud of the way I managed to pivot my entire career and build a business that at it’s heart is trying to solve a massive problem. This makes me feel really proud.</p><p>Personally I’m proud of how I’ve moved away from always striving for things like happiness, success, balance, perfection. Striving was a big part of why I developed such bad anxiety and panic attacks and now I realise that the key to feeling good is to focus on the everyday. Find joy in the small things that happen everyday and it does leave you feeling better.</p><h2>WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?</h2><p>This will sound a bit cheesy but it was a boss who told me to trust my intuition and to not always have to find the words to describe by intuition immediately. Step back and work out what it is that my intuition could be saying and then step back into situations and explain my POV. I always used to get lost for words when I was in situations where I felt overwhelmed by groups. But I would know deep down that I would have something valuable to say or a strong point of view but couldn’t quite speak.</p><h2>I THINK THERE’S A FEW OF US THAT CAN RELATE TO THAT. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE WHO WAS THINKING ABOUT CHANGING A CAREER PATH THEY HAVE BEEN ON FOR MOST OF THEIR WORKING LIFE?</h2><p>Ok so honestly I’m not a huge believer in giving advice to other people. I kind of feel that everyone needs to find their own way, their own learnings and that. I suppose this idea of finding your own way could be deemed as advice. Trying to not compare your life to others can be incredibly freeing.</p><h2>IMPORTANT QUESTIONS: IF YOU WERE A SONG, WHAT WOULD IT BE? (WE’VE HAD EVERYTHING FROM SNOOP DOG TO CHAKA KHAN!)</h2><p>Oh that’s a super hard question. I do love Bohemian Rhapsody – I love how it has so many different parts to it like it’s made of so many different genres. I guess I feel like I’m a bit like that.</p><h2>FINALLY – ONE TOP TIP FOR THE WOMEN AT WOMEN ROCK ON HOW TO BOSS LIFE?!</h2><p>Don’t strive to boss life! Focus on what makes you feel good everyday and do more of that stuff and less of the stuff that makes you feel like shit.</p><p>Amazing! Thanks Kim – you rock! And so does Clementine!</p><p>If you think you would benefit from the Clementine App, you can download it from both the&nbsp;<a href="https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/clementine/id1310736764" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">App Store</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.clementine.clementineapp&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;gl=US" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Goggle Play&nbsp;</a></p>

 “Trying to not compare your life to others can be incredibly freeing” Interview with Kim Palmer | Clementine

<h1><br></h1><p>I started Women Rock to create a movement, I wanted to let folk have a voice, I wanted to make a real change when it came to ED&amp;I. I wanted Women Rock to have a positive change on our industry and for us all to share stories about careers, challenges and successes. Also to celebrate the awesome things companies are doing to attract, retain and promote diverse talent. Almost 4 years on Women Rock is doing everything it was set out to do but we’re not slowing down.</p><p>I’m super proud of the Women Rock ambassador team who share the same passion as myself and who are out to make a change in the tech industry by supporting underrepresented folk. In 2021 our diversity placements were an awesome 46.3% which is well above industry standard. This year we want to increase this to over 50% and expand our reach, meet new folk, hear and share new stories + so much more, did someone say a festival……</p><p>This is a group effort and would love to introduce the Women Rock ambassadors.</p><p>I have to say, my favorite quote when chatting to the team came from Mr Steve Dalley, when asked ‘If you could change one thing about the world what would it be? ‘’<em>Any confectionery item produced with chocolate and orange should be made a crime.’’</em>&nbsp;We were talking about ED&amp;I but each to their own you orange hater! Lol! And in the spirit of ED&amp;I we celebrate all varieties of chocolate – even coffee Revels…</p><p>Keep rocking!</p><h2><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-eadon-57984a14/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SOPHIE – MARKETING AND COMMUNITY MANAGER</a></h2><h2><img src="https://sr2rec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/sophie-300x300.jpg" height="300" width="300"></h2><h2>WHAT DOES DIVERSITY MEAN TO YOU?</h2><p>Variety is the spice of life – an oldie but a goodie! But to me, diversity is exactly that – the spice of life, exciting and interesting. I love to learn from people of all walks of life and from a variety of backgrounds. I feel like diversity is something of a buzzword at the moment, and those companies that look at diversity as a trend will only miss out on the depth and value that a true diverse organisation brings.</p><h2>WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO COMPANIES ON HOW TO ATTRACT THE BEST DIVERSE TALENT?</h2><p>I may be biased as a content creator…but content is key when companies are trying to attract a more diverse work force. Think about the audience you are trying to engage with and then look at the topics that effect/ interest them – different cultural events and celebrations for example – then create content, for your blog, social channels etc that is still authentic to your brand (you don’t want this to look like a tick box exercise) but a lot more inclusive.</p><h2>IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE WORLD, WHAT WOULD IT BE?</h2><p>Not to sound like a pageant princess or anything…but peace! No more war, a peaceful world where we can all just live our lives how we want, without judgement, hate, jealously and greed.</p><h2>WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS TO DATE &amp; WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO DATE?</h2><p>Biggest success to date is proving to myself and others I can work for amazing brands all around the world without a uni degree!! I’ve moved a lot in my career – Leamington to Sydney, Sydney to London, London to Bristol and hustled HARD. Biggest challenge is similar to my biggest success, in that I have not only rocked up in a new city, knowing no-one, but also had to wrap my head around a recruitment brand to market! But so far so good (I think)</p><h2>IF YOU WERE A SONG WHAT SONG WOULD YOU BE?</h2><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/75FEaRjZTKLhTrFGsfMUXR?si=258dc54d2e4e4023" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Kate Bush – Running Up That Hill</a>&nbsp;– To me it’s about overcoming fears by being vulnerable and that’s something I’m working on…also, Kate Bush is a vibe.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-hazell-9b7810103/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ANDY HAZEL – PRINCIPLE CONSULTANT</a></h2><p><img src="https://sr2rec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Andy-300x300.jpg" height="300" width="300"></p><h2>WHAT DOES DIVERSITY MEAN TO YOU?</h2><p>For me, Diversity is the openness to accept different backgrounds, beliefs and values without question or judgement.</p><h2>WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO COMPANIES ON HOW TO ATTRACT THE BEST DIVERSE TALENT?</h2><p>Think about what you can do to help attract diverse talent at entry level, to help address the long-term issue rather than solving a short-term fix.</p><h2>IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE WORLD, WHAT WOULD IT BE?</h2><p>War. Human beings should be battling to co-exist for the longevity of our planet and all species on earth, rather than fighting each other because of different beliefs and desires.</p><h2>WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS TO DATE &amp; WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO DATE?</h2><p>Success: being consistently recognised by friends, family, and colleagues as someone who goes out of their way to help people.</p><p>Challenge: Being consistently confident in the person I am, and not changing my personality to make others happy.</p><h2>IF YOU WERE A SONG, WHAT SONG WOULD YOU BE?</h2><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3z8h0TU7ReDPLIbEnYhWZb?si=a307ba6ee0094698" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen.</a>&nbsp;There are lots of different parts to me that can often be a surprise!</p><h2><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlottepbbaker/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CHARLOTTE BAKER – SENIOR CONSULTANT</a></h2><p><img src="https://sr2rec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Char-300x300.jpg" height="300" width="300"></p><h2>WHAT DOES DIVERSITY MEAN TO YOU?</h2><p>To me, diversity means zero judgement. You can be who you want, wear what you want, look how you want, say what you want (within reason lol) and not feel judged, worried, or stereotyped. A world where you can fully embrace and appreciate others ❤</p><h2>WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO COMPANIES ON HOW TO ATTRACT THE BEST DIVERSE TALENT?</h2><p>Be open minded, especially when reviewing CVs! Just because a candidate doesn’t have X number of years, or skills with a certain technology doesn’t mean they can’t do the job. If you’re on the fence, then set up an initial chat. You never know, they may really impress you and end up being one of the best hires you’ve ever made!</p><h2>IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE WORLD, WHAT WOULD IT BE?</h2><p>Get rid of social media.</p><h2>WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS TO DATE &amp; WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO DATE?</h2><p>My biggest success is currently happening right now. I have been through a lot at SR2 and have faced loads of challenges, but I think my biggest success is being able to turn these negative experiences into a positive one. I’m now doing the best I’ve ever done, and soon going to be promoted to Principal and I wouldn’t have got here if I didn’t have the strength to push through. Recruitment isn’t easy, everyone knows that – so I’m super proud that I’ve got to where I am. Without sounding big-headed 😂</p><p>The biggest challenge for me was a life experience one when I lost a family member very close to me. I’m super open about speaking about this because there might be someone out there experiencing something similar. It was an extremely difficult time for me, but it’s made me stronger and is probably played a part in getting to where I am right now.</p><h2>IF YOU WERE A SONG, WHAT SONG WOULD YOU BE?</h2><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3Fzlg5r1IjhLk2qRw667od?si=f61e438380e34f3a" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Dancing in the Moonlight – Toploader</a>&nbsp;(tune)</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/devopsdalley/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">STEVE DALLEY – SENIOR CONSULTANT</a></h2><h2><img src="https://sr2rec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Steve-300x300.jpg" height="300" width="300">WHAT DOES DIVERSITY MEAN TO YOU?</h2><p>Diversity is about not only addressing the imbalance we see in the industry but also is about breeding fresh ideas and innovation with stems from those with varied and mixed backgrounds.</p><h2>WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO COMPANIES ON HOW TO ATTRACT THE BEST DIVERSE TALENT?</h2><p>There are multiple ways to attract diverse talent but can start from the initial advert about a particular role or opportunity. Companies need to consider the language being used and how requirements are portrayed in the advert. Portraying and creating an inclusive company culture is key to bringing in and retaining a diverse talent pool. Recommendations and referrals will occur naturally if this is created helping grow and increase diversity. Finally, companies can look to participate in particular events and initiatives such as ‘Women Rock’ as these are pushed and published to underrepresented groups and therefore, creates an opportunity for companies to portray their values and get their name out there driving engagement from these particular groups.</p><h2>IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE WORLD, WHAT WOULD IT BE?</h2><p>Any confectionery item produced with chocolate and orange should be made a crime.</p><h2>WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS TO DATE &amp; WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO DATE?</h2><p>Outside of work, my biggest success has been obtaining a 1st class degree at university. Inside of work, I would say reaching a recruitment milestone of £10k per week.</p><p>My biggest challenge has probably been completing the Bristol half marathon with virtually no training. This was slightly harder than expected!</p><h2>IF YOU WERE A SONG, WHAT SONG WOULD YOU BE?</h2><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3ZFTkvIE7kyPt6Nu3PEa7V?si=c548f1c86c0441af" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Hips don’t lie – Shakira</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlin-sweny/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CAITLIN SWENY – HEAD OF CULTURE OPS &amp; PEOPLE</a></h2><h2><img src="https://sr2rec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/caitlin-300x300.jpg" height="300" width="300"></h2><h2>WHAT DOES DIVERSITY MEAN TO YOU?</h2><p>Diversity to me is having variety in every sense of the word – thoughts, actions, personalities, experiences &amp; backgrounds. Celebrating being different and not being held back by those differences.</p><h2>WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO COMPANIES ON HOW TO ATTRACT THE BEST DIVERSE TALENT?</h2><p>Not treating diversity as a tick boxing exercise. Being open and honest about where you are currently, and the challenges faced in the past with attracting diverse talent. Really understanding and educating others on what a diverse workforce will bring to their teams. Make sure ED&amp;I runs through their company culture and not just recruitment processes.</p><h2>IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE WORLD, WHAT WOULD IT BE?</h2><p>Time. Can you imagine time not existing and everything being free of having a limit or end?!</p><h2>WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS TO DATE &amp; WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO DATE?</h2><p>Success: Discovering SR2, the purpose it has given me, and the incredible opportunities &amp; experiences it has unfolded for me 💙.</p><p>Challenge: Getting to grips with believing and understanding the above 👆</p><h2>IF YOU WERE A SONG, WHAT SONG WOULD YOU BE?</h2><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1fDsrQ23eTAVFElUMaf38X?si=858d60569fc845a8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">American Pie – Don McLean.</a>&nbsp;Long-winded, organised chaos 😅.</p>

Meet the Women Rock Ambassadors

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellectian/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Michelle Tian</a>&nbsp;is the Co-Founder and CTO of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/get-passionfroot/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Passionfroot</a>&nbsp;– a Berlin-based start-up that aims to unlock the full potential of the creator economy and help pave the way for a more equitable future.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-mccloskey-413619a2/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Eleanor</a>&nbsp;from Team Germany at SR2 sat down&nbsp;with her to find out what makes her tick, what she thinks Millennials can learn from Gen Z, and what companies can do to ensure diversity and inclusion aren’t just buzzwords.</p><h2>HI MICHELLE! IT’S SO GREAT TO MEET YOU – TO START WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR STORY SO FAR?</h2><p>I grew up near Silicon Valley and was always surrounded by technology growing up. I ended up studying Computer Science at UC Berkley and ended up working for Apple as an intern and then Airbnb. There I was working on payments processing and honestly really enjoyed it – I think that Airbnb gave me a lot of opportunities to learn about things outside of the engineering side of the business, so I worked alongside the accountants and legal team, I had great mentors and managers there too. Then I wanted to relocate to Berlin, so I moved in March 2020 right at the beginning of the pandemic. I worked for Shopify here, and it was during that time that Jen (Passionfroot’s cofounder) reached out to me. At the time I wasn’t really expecting to start a company with someone that I didn’t know but Jens and I were all very aligned on wanting to build a company that’s very diverse and inclusive. We wanted to build a company that empowered creators or any person to work on their own terms. I started working on Passionfroot full time from Dec 2021 and now working on getting the product off the ground.</p><h2>CAN YOU SUM UP WHAT PASSIONFROOT IS IN 30 SECONDS?</h2><p>Our vision for Passionfroot is to build a business management platform for creators. We basically want to help anyone who is creating content online, whether that’s writing newsletters, making podcasts, vlogging, posting educational content on twitter – we basically want to help them run their business more smoothly, and manage the ‘back office’ and the administrative workflows of content creation.</p><h2>WHY IS BERLIN THE BEST PLACE TO WORK IN TECH/ FOUND A START-UP?</h2><p>Interesting! I don’t know if it’s the best place as I’ve never tried to do it somewhere else but if I compare Berlin and San Francisco, I think the cost of living in SF is extremely high and in Berlin it’s much lower so there’s a lot more creative people there and more diversity, so I feel like having that around me is more inspirational. I’m looking forward to hiring people from all different walks of life with different perspectives. I think in the creator industry as well it’s cool because a lot of people who work in tech in Berlin are creative themselves so they can bring a creative perspective into the product.</p><h2>WHO INSPIRES YOU MOST IN A PROFESSIONAL/PERSONAL SENSE?</h2><p>I think in general I can be inspired by anyone, so I feel like it’s hard to pinpoint one person who inspires me the most. Different people inspire me in different ways!</p><h2>2021 WAS A RECORD YEAR FOR FEMALE FOUNDED START-UPS IN EUROPE BUT YOU SEE PEOPLE TALKING PARTICULARLY ON LINKEDIN ABOUT FEMALE FOUNDERS BEING ‘OVER MENTORED AND UNDERFUNDED’ – DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT AND WHAT DO YOU THINK CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT?</h2><p>There’s been data published that shows that female founders find it harder to get funding, and I’ve read articles how when a female founder is in a meeting with an investor, she will tend to ask questions that would ‘lift’ male founders up, so I think there probably is still a long way to go. We got lucky with our funding round, but I think it’s also because Jen my co-founder came from VC and knew how to ‘play the game’ and we wouldn’t have got the funding that we did without that network. I don’t know how to fix the problem; we have to help people out by making connections but that’s a small part of a systemic problem.</p><h2>HALF OF YOUR ANGEL INVESTORS ARE WOMEN OR PEOPLE FROM UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS – WHICH IS AN AMAZING STATISTIC. DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IS AT THE CORE OF WHAT YOU DO, SO WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER, MORE ESTABLISHED, COMPANIES TO ENSURE THESE AREN’T JUST BUZZWORDS AND ARE INTEGRAL TO THEIR ECOSYSTEMS AS WELL?</h2><p>One of the biggest problems in bigger companies is the number of women in technical roles, so just making an active effort to hire more diversely, whether that’s making the job descriptions more inclusive, or having diverse pipelines, and there are recruitment companies (like SR2!) that can help with that if they can’t do that themselves. I think one thing is that with women and minorities, many people don’t want to be the first one. It’s a topic I could talk about for hours and hours! There are no quick solutions – it will take time and a lot of effort for companies to become diverse, and it’s also about making sure that when those people are hired that they aren’t just statistics but rather that they have the career paths to grow and move up the ladder.</p><h2>WHAT CAN MILLENNIALS LEARN FROM GEN Z?</h2><p>I am the millennial that needs to learn from Gen Z! the most interesting thing I think is that for a lot of people growing up today, they don’t see themselves going into traditional roles and industries, and they would rather follow their passion and become a creator. I think that learning that you can and should try to work on your own terms rather than follow someone else’s dream, I think just the fact that it’s possible, is something we can all learn. Maybe if I’d grown up in the Gen Z world, I wouldn’t have ended up working for big tech companies myself!</p><h2>DREAM DINNER PARTY GUESTS, WHAT’S ON THE MENU AND WHAT’S ON THE SPEAKER?</h2><p>I’m a person who thinks that every person I meet or run into has something to offer and something I can learn, and I love meeting people with new perspectives, I would be happy to find random people off the street and invite them to my dinner party so they can teach me something interesting! Food-wise I would make Chinese food as you can have a bunch of different plates and there’s different options for everyone. I really enjoy cooking, but it would depend on what my mood is that day. For music, myself and the other founders have created a Passionfroot playlist, so we could have that in the background, but I really like listening to albums which makes me not a great party DJ!</p><h2>BECAUSE OF THE ROLE THAT SOCIAL MEDIA PLAYS IN OUR LIVES ARE WE ALL CREATORS NOW?</h2><p>I think to some extent yes. There’s this concept of the creator economy, which is big in the tech world, but we are targeting the passion economy, which is anyone who has a passion that they want to somehow market and monetise online, so we would say that Passionfroot is part of this passion economy. Some of our customers are people who are like tax consultants making TikTok’s to teach people about taxes for example! Anyone who is building an audience by sharing what they care about and finding their niche on the internet is most definitely a creator and that’s why we also think this opportunity to support creators is really huge, because in the future people from traditional industries are going to quit their jobs and then just become creators.</p><h2>2021 WAS A HUGE YEAR FOR PASSIONFROOT BUT WHAT IS ON THE CARDS FOR 2022 AND BEYOND?</h2><p>2021 was all about research and groundwork for us, and when we got our funding. In 2022 its about shipping our product and starting to deliver value to the creators, because we have a lot of ambition, but the first step is building something that creators love and need, and slowly adding more and more functionality so we can support every part of their business.</p><h2>ANY ADVICE TO YOUNG WOMEN WHO ARE INTERESTED IN A CAREER IN TECH?</h2><p>This is an interesting question for me because I grew up in an environment where a career in tech was a no-brainer as I was always surrounded by it. When I was at university, I saw that students who didn’t have a computer science background in high school struggled a lot to programme. And it’s not because they were less capable, its rather that the more exposure you have to it the better you’re going to be. Don’t look at how much better people are doing than you, it’s likely they had more time, exposure and privileges that allowed them to get to where they are. I believe that anyone can programme, everyone should be able to work in tech, so don’t be afraid to try!</p><h2>WHAT IS THE MANTRA THAT YOU LIVE BY?</h2><p>Be kind to other people and don’t worry so much about what other people think.</p><p>Thanks so much for speaking to us Michelle, you rock! #womenrock</p><p>An interview by Eleanor McCloskey</p><p>A voice for diversity in Tech and Engineering</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

 “I believe that anyone can programme, everyone should be able to work in tech, so don’t be afraid to try” Interview with Michelle Tian | Passionfroot

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/zuzakopacka2195/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Zuza Kopacka</a>&nbsp;came to the UK when she was only 16, speaking only a little English, without really knowing anyone over here. Facing the usual life challenges and a tricky language barrier, her drive and, what she calls her ‘stubbornness’ helped her get through some tough early years and land her a dream role at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/basekit/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Basekit</a>.</p><p>Here,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-sidwick-5a4195104/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Natalie</a>&nbsp;speaks to Zuza about the challenges she had to overcome – how working at Costa Coffee created transferable skills for a career in tech and what it means to not being able to jump higher than your own bum! Read on and all will be revealed…</p><h2>ZUZA, I’D LOVE YOU TO START BY TELLING US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR STORY SO FAR…</h2><p>I grew up in Warsaw, Poland where I was raised by two amazing women, my mum and my grandma. They gave me a lot of freedom and trust which allowed me to always follow my dreams but also learn from my own mistakes. I did well at school and had a good group of close friends, however I always felt a little sceptic when thinking about my future over there. At the age of 15 I met my half brother and his family who invited me to spend the summer with them here in Bristol. I fell in love with the city and started to consider moving, unfortunately the following year my nan passed away and this made the decision to move an easier one.</p><h2>YOU CAME TO THE UK WHEN YOU WERE ONLY 16, SPEAKING ONLY A LITTLE ENGLISH (I WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOWN SPEAKING TO YOU NOW), ALSO WITHOUT REALLY KNOWING ANYONE OVER HERE – A VERY BRAVE THING TO DO! CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THAT WAS LIKE AND WHETHER THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT HELPED YOU SETTLE?</h2><p>The beginning was tough, I was now facing usual life challenges and also struggled with breaking the language barrier. I remember putting on my headphones only to take a break from hearing English which I wanted to understand so much but couldn’t . There were times I wanted to fly back but my stubbornness, the thought of the life I wanted here and above all the support from my brother and his wonderful partner helped me get through that period.</p><h2>YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU WORKED AT COSTA COFFEE FOR 10 YEARS BEFORE PLUCKING UP THE COURAGE TO CHANGE CAREERS AND GO INTO TECH. IS THERE ANY ADVICE YOU’D GIVE TO SOMEONE WHO’D LIKE TO GET INTO TECH BUT MAY THINK THEY DON’T HAVE THE SKILLS?</h2><p>Think outside the box! Working at costa was my first ever job, and I didn’t think that the skills I gained there could help me get a job anywhere else but hospitality. I was wrong. We all have transferable skills, with the customer service experience, film degree and one extra language I landed a Support Agent role at Baskit, where I currently work. The process of finding a job and getting an interview can be very difficult. Like you mentioned I worked in a coffee shop for 10 years, feeling stuck and helpless at times, so I get it! It might not be obvious where your skills, whether gained from uni course, a job, books or life experience, can take you but it can be further than you currently think. I understand it might not be easy to see that yourself – people say I don’t always give myself enough credit. If you’re finding it hard my advice would be to reach out to others, career advisers, friends, whoever you can and don’t just think of your set of skills as something that restricts your career choices, think of your skills as possibilities and explore them. Skills you thought didn’t count, might.</p><p>My current role isn’t highly technical. As a Quality Assurance Tester at BaseKit I don’t test the code per-se, I test the functionality of the software we build, mainly from a user perspective. I have definitely learnt a lot over the past year, I even tried my strength at coding a basic website, but I started without that knowledge. BaseKit trusted me with the skills I had to offer at the time and I’ve just built on it since.</p><h2>4. IT’S QUITE THE CHANGE OF CAREER! WHERE DID YOU HEAR ABOUT TECH AND WHAT WAS IT THAT ATTRACTED YOU TO IT?</h2><p>Since I was a child I enjoyed spending time on the computer and with my camera. Back then I thought nothing of it, I was just a kid who liked playing games and taking portraits of people but looking back I believe that that’s when my interests started developing.</p><p>After I moved to England I picked my camera back up. I did a media course at college and after that I got accepted into uni to do a Film course. I found that I enjoyed specialising in more technical roles where I practised using a variety of cameras and editing software.</p><p>Recently I learnt that creativity plays a big part in tech and in being a QA Tester. I often have to think outside the box and put myself into the user’s shoes. I test various ways in which the app could be used taking into consideration the functionality but also the look and the feel of the software.</p><p>Also my maternal uncle was a computer specialist, maybe you can inherit it 😉</p><h2>ONE OF YOUR MANY ACHIEVEMENTS WAS GETTING A 1ST CLASS HONOURS AT UWE FOR FILM, WITH YOUR FINAL FILM SHOWN AT MAJOR FESTIVALS AROUND THE WORLD! (AMAZING!). AS THE DIRECTOR YOU WERE THE ONLY FEMALE IN THE TEAM, HOW DID YOU FIND THAT AND WAS THERE ANYTHING THAT HELPED YOU WITH MANAGING THAT PARTICULAR TEAM?</h2><p>I couldn’t have asked for a better team. I got to work with very talented film students from my year and they happened to be male. My uni year was pretty diverse so there was no obvious reason why. Of course I had some doubts about whether I could manage the team by myself, especially with the project being my final one. However, with all the help and support I received from my amazing tutor and all round great woman, Freya Billington, I believed I could do it. The team liked my idea, we had a similar vision and the same goal so we did our best to make it happen.</p><p>I think what helped in the end was not treating it differently than any other project.</p><h2>YOU SAY THAT A BIG HELP IN GETTING WHERE YOU ARE TODAY HAS BEEN DOWN TO HAVING SEVERAL FEMALE MENTORS THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE. WHO HAS HELPED YOU THE MOST AND WHY DO YOU THINK IT IS IMPORTANT IN TECH ESPECIALLY?</h2><p>I’ve been extremely lucky to have met some amazing females throughout my life to whom I still look up to and turn to when in need. My mum, my brother’s partner Karolina, Elisha who was my tutor at college, Freya and many more, they all showed me how important it is to have a mentor, someone who has faced similar challenges, who believes in you and wants to see you succeed.</p><p>After finishing ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages), I got accepted to do a Creative Media course at college. I was still afraid to speak in front of people and struggled to understand group conversations. Gina, who was one of the first classmates I got to know, always made sure I wasn’t alone. We spent lunch breaks together, she always tried to include me in the conversations, explain anything I struggled to understand and wasn’t afraid to correct me when needed. We are still very good friends and also currently working for the same company. She’s the one who helped me realise I had the skills to go into tech and told me about the available position at Basekit.</p><p>Tech is a male-dominated industry and as a woman who only just started her journey here I doubt myself at times, I lack the confidence to speak up and share my opinions. Having female mentors has given me a sense of security and their support and faith in myself has given me the courage to keep going and the confidence that one day I can be like them.</p><h2>YOU’RE STILL EARLY ON IN YOUR TECH CAREER AS A QA WITH BASEKIT, HOW’S IT BEEN GOING SO FAR AND WHAT’S IT LIKE TO WORK IN TECH?</h2><p>It’s been going good so far. There have been a lot of challenges but with everyone being friendly and always open to help it’s easy to settle in and feel like a part of the team.</p><p>Something I love about BaseKit is that everyone, besides their sole duties, also holds knowledge about other specific areas of the business or the software. We come together well as a company and a team to support each other, share the knowledge and teach/ learn new skills.</p><p>Since working in tech I don’t feel stuck anymore. There are plenty of career paths and opportunities for further development. I’m currently taking a ISTQB Software Testing Foundation course and Basekit has been very supportive with the tools and flexible with the time I need to study and to pass the end exam.</p><h2>INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY TOOK PLACE LAST MONTH AND THE THEME WAS #BREAKTHEBIAS, I’D LOVE TO KNOW WHAT BIAS YOU’D LIKE TO BREAK…</h2><p>Over the years that I worked at costa my colleagues and I were made to feel belittled on a number of occasions. Directly, unconsciously, jokingly or not people working in hospitality and any other working sector are in no way, or should be treated differently. Working in hospitality doesn’t have to mean that you weren’t good at school or that you do not have an ambition. It can be someone’s career of choice, it could be one of the stops whilst travelling the world, a side hustle, or just an in between place whilst figuring out what to do next – just like me.</p><p>I also know that I’d love to be a mum one day, and I hate the fact that it makes women less employable. I know a lot of mums who kick ass every day. It’s a full time job requiring multitasking, planning, organising, managing and leading. When you can be a mum, you can be anything. It’s one of the biggest challenges in life.</p><h2>LASTLY, DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE QUOTE THAT YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE BY…</h2><p>My mum used to say “wyżej dupy nie podskoczysz” which means you can’t jump higher than your own bum. I found it funny of course, but as I’ve gotten older I started realising that what she meant was that you can’t do better than your best. I believe the ambition should be to always better yourself, not just to be better than others. Nothing wrong with a bit of competitiveness of course but as long as I feel like I’ve done enough and I’m satisfied with my own progress if I fail to get the position or if I fail to pass this exam but I have done as much as I could I didn’t fail myself. I still became better than I was before. Don’t get me wrong, I’m only just learning how to live by it, I still happen to be too hard on myself, at times ignoring all the work I’ve done to achieve everything I have so far but then I try to remember that we are the only person we’ll always be with so it is important that we are proud of ourselves, recognize every little success and take away the lesson from every speed bump on the road.</p><p><br></p>

 “The ambition should be to always better yourself, not just to be better than others” – Interview with Zuza Kopacka

<p>Steve Dalley recently spoke with some of the incredible team at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/and_digital/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">AND Digital</a>&nbsp;to chat about their beginnings, struggles &amp; successes and what we can all be doing to encourage more women and underrepresented groups into the wonderful world of tech.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-h-2986855/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Tina Howell</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-samnewman/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Charlie Newman</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-cosgrove-98ab01196/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Sophie Cosgrove</a>&nbsp;all had very interesting and insightful stories when it came to increasing diversity in technology.</p><p>All three of them had a different path into IT proving there is no right or wrong way to enter the world of tech.</p><p>AND Digital pose a fantastic opportunity for those entering the industry with their graduate/apprenticeship programme as well as those career tech professionals looking to further their career.</p><h2>THANK YOU TINA, SOPHIE AND CHARLIE FOR YOUR TIME AND SHARING YOUR STORIES WITH US. TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR AND DIGITAL JOURNEY SO FAR.</h2><p>Tina – I have worked for AND Digital for coming up to four years now and am the Exec for Cloud Engineering in the North. I look after a lot of Engineers such as Sophie and also have a team of Engagement Leads like Charlie. We help clients build Cloud platforms and move their applications in AWS, GCP and Azure</p><p>Charlie – I’m the Engagement Lead and Disco Diva for Cloud Engineering in the North. I’ve been with AND Digital for just over four years. My role is all about enabling our clients to achieve their goals through digital transformation within cloud infrastructure. I also support our Cloud Engineers on collaborating with the client teams.</p><p>Sophie – My title is Associate Cloud Engineer and bookworm. I am a Cloud Engineer that came through the Cloud Academy which is set up to help juniors get into the industry. I specialise in Amazon Web Services so I help clients with a focus on that but whilst also looking into other platforms as well and integrating that into DevOps technologies</p><h2>HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE INDUSTRY?</h2><p>Sophie – I actually did Psychology at University and I came out of it not really knowing exactly what I wanted to do but gathered after doing some work experiences that a psychology role wasn’t what I wanted. During University I was a Maths and English tutor and I really liked the problem-solving side of Maths so I wanted something similar to that but had never been exposed to tech so it took a while to figure out coding was really similar to this and what I enjoyed. I got into Python, learning it myself, then did a DevOps boot camp that featured Cloud. I later came across AND Digital and it was exactly what I wanted to do in my career so joined AND in Cloud Engineer role.</p><p>Tina – I got a degree from Huddersfield University in Computing and was the only female on the course. I joined as the only female technical person at Compaq Computers which was taken over by HP. I then moved on to Vodafone and now have years of experience in many different roles gaining experience in a lot of areas. However, my main area of love has always been infrastructure and operations as I’ve always loved building stuff and problem-solving. My key element is that I can take what customers see as a big issue and convert that into what they actually need. My end goal was always to build a cloud practice at AND Digital so it’s certainly been a demanding four years to build the Cloud business in the North.</p><p>Charlie – I have quite a varied career as I had nothing to do with Tech before AND. My background is human resources specialising in learning and development and that’s how I joined AND Digital. When I joined there were only 300 in the business and four years later we’re at over 1000 so my role was to go around and set-up the new clubs and business units helping the teams understand what we deliver to our clients and embed that culture. After three and a half years I was looking for something to push me out of my comfort zone and something that really challenges me. I was on a walk with Tina one day and she mentioned about joining the cloud practice which led me to take on the role of Engagement Lead within the Cloud Engineering team.</p><h2>DO YOU THINK DEGREES ARE ESSENTIAL TO HELP YOU GET INTO IT?</h2><p>Tina – I don’t think you need a degree to get into IT anymore. 10/15 years ago it was set on a precipitous but I think employers need to change that and use apprenticeships and building your own training programmes like Cloud Academy to bring more people in to be more inclusive and diverse. Looking back on it, I would have preferred this route rather than getting into debt and going down the university route to give more flexibility and not worry about a degree</p><p>Sophie – I think university degrees help provide you with a structure and encourages you to do a lot of learning on your own. I think with tech there are so many things you aren’t going to know so you need to be comfortable to go and research to find out those things by yourself. Thankfully there are companies like AND that don’t require a specific degree and help get people into the industry who otherwise wouldn’t necessarily have the opportunity.</p><p>Charlie – I think this comes down to how you learn best and your learning style. I have a number of qualifications but didn’t go to university because my learning style is much more hands-on and sitting in a classroom or researching on my own doesn’t always bring the best out of me. I think it’s important to reflect on your learning styles and then look into what might be the best thing for you whether that is university or apprenticeships. This comes down to having determination and a desire to learn and I believe these are the main things that helps to get into an IT role.</p><h2>WHAT DO YOU THINK CAN BE DONE AT BOTH PERSONAL AND BUSINESS LEVELS TO ATTRACT UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS INTO TECH?</h2><p>Tina – I think the key to think about going to those areas that you wouldn’t normally think about going. For example, you could look at going to schools in slightly less privileged areas to have the chat that IT isn’t just about developing code but showcasing the number of different paths you can take and I think this is something really important we need to demonstrate more of. We can look at introducing the different types of tech being used at a school level whilst also focusing on implementing newer and more widely used technologies in universities and stopping teaching outdated and unused technologies that have moved on. Don’t be afraid to take away the bias of it being a man’s world and target those underrepresented groups, whether it is certain minorities or women.</p><p>Sophie – AND are big advocates for women and minorities in tech which I felt took a lot of pressure off me as there was a company advocating and supporting these groups which is a big thing more companies can be doing. In hindsight, I would have liked to have done a computer science degree and although it wouldn’t be directly related to what I’m doing right now, it would have given me a good foundation in technology.</p><p>Charlie – One of the biggest ones is social media. If we are really pushing that social media presence, that will help people be more interested and want to find out more. AND Digital are looking into how we use platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and how these platforms can be used to showcase what technology is all about.</p><p>Another big thing is partnering with charities that are centred around helping underrepresented groups and finding out how you can support these to help attract more people into tech.</p><h2>WHAT BARRIERS HAVE YOU FACED TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?</h2><p>Tina – At university, I suffered with really low confidence and didn’t like standing up in front of people doing presentations and actually suffered from panic attacks as I always felt like I was being judged. In my early career, I was bullied by various organisations due to my different thoughts and feelings, and the way I spoke – back then I have a thick Irish accent. I was regularly told I shouldn’t be in tech and should just look to get married and have children because that’s what women should do. There were different extremes from being stalked to being judged in the workplace by having a break and thinking they can get away with it. When I turned 30, I changed and took a no-tolerance approach to this as it isn’t acceptable because I think work is about collaborating to achieve something and having experienced that in my early days, I wouldn’t want anyone around me to go through that. I now have a great community around me that is really supportive.</p><p>Sophie – I think one of the biggest barriers is around the stereotyping and when I say I’m in tech people straight away assume I mean sales and not what I actually do. I think we have come really far getting more women into tech but until we see more of an uptake of women in senior roles people will assume you are more junior. I also feel when you ask questions, quite often people overexplain things thinking you have less knowledge about the topic but I do think we are on the way to getting rid of that.</p><p>Charlie – I think I have been quite lucky and haven’t received any direct discrimination. We are very big on treating everyone equally and it’s not about who you are, where you come from or your gender but about whether you do a good job. Having said that, I have seen bias against females within tech sales, for example, being questioned on their knowledge. I’ve had such a good support network around me so thankfully I haven’t been exposed to this.</p><h2>PROUDEST PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT?</h2><p>Charlie – My proudest professional achievement was initially not being afraid to take a step into Cloud by achieving my cloud accreditations and I’m currently working towards my Cloud Practitioner having achieved two accreditations so far. My proudest personal achievement is definitely doing a skydive.</p><p>Tina – This was actually my third attempt at becoming an Exec and having been told at other companies I wasn’t successful, to finally achieve what my career ambition has always been with AND was a big moment. Personally, I’ve done quite a bit from travelling the world and doing a lot of extreme things, but when I receive messages on LinkedIn from women saying they are IT because of me, that’s when I’ve known personally I’ve made a difference. The give back is a big requirement and if I can incorporate more women into tech and give them the career I’ve had, without the same problems I’ve faced, I can say I have achieved my life goal of making men and women equal.</p><p>Sophie – I’ve always wanted to publish a blog post because when I first started out learning new things, I was always very appreciative that someone had taken the time to write it, their knowledge and their way of conveying it. This is something I have always wanted to do so being able to do that this year has been one of my most cherished achievements, especially putting it out on Medium as that has been a go to for me. Personally, finishing university and achieving a First was a big one for me as I did struggle during that time as at one time I thought I would have to take a year out or even drop out to then turn that around break through my own limitations and overachieve what I thought was possible, was a bit achievement.</p><h2>IN ONE SENTENCE, CAN YOU SUM UP YOUR CAREER SO FAR?</h2><p>Tina – It’s been a bumpy ride but I got there in the end but feel very fortunate and lucky and for anyone on the same journey, I hope they have a better start.</p><p>Charlie – It’s been an adrenaline-filled rollercoaster, it’s had lots of up, some down and a lot of twists.</p><p>Sophie – My ambition to learn overcame my fears about not following the traditional career path.</p><h2>WHAT ONE PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHERS</h2><p>Sophie – If you have a question, that is always a good start as it shows your interested. I think it’s important to not be afraid to ask questions because you’ll come away from that experience knowing more and having more confidence in yourself. It doesn’t matter what people think and if they think it is a basic question or not, you will end up not caring as you’ll know within yourself you’re capable.</p><p>Tina – Research, research, research. There is so many things to help you get into tech now from Tech Returners, to things like Code Nation and Code Your Future. There are so many available training places now that doing your research is important to find the right fit for you and not to worry about it as everyone starts at a different point in their career. Organisations like AND Digital are a great place to start so don’t be afraid to just go for it.</p><p>Charlie – Embrace your imposter syndrome and take time to reflect and then just do it. What you don’t want to do is regret anything later down the line.</p><h2>DO YOU HAVE ONE QUOTE YOU LIVE OR WORK BY AND WHAT IS THAT QUOTE?</h2><p>Charlie – Learn from yesterday, live for today and hope for tomorrow.</p><p>Tina – Karma is a bitch. Treat people the way you would expect to be treated.</p><p>Sophie – It’s not a silly question if you can’t answer it.</p><p>Thanks so much! You three rock!</p>

 “Learn from yesterday, live for today and hope for tomorrow” – Interview with the AND Digital Team

<p>Meet&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dulciejackson/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Dulcie</a>&nbsp;– She’s a Bristol based full stack developer working for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gravitywell.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Gravitywell</a>, who are currently on a journey to gain their B Corp certification. Dulcie &amp; I have been chatting over LinkedIn for quite some time now, discussing all things tech for good and B Corps. As we are currently in March, which is B Corp month – I thought, what a perfect time to get Dulcie involved with Women Rock and discuss her passions around these things. We had a lot to chat about, due to her passions around ethical &amp; sustainable tech and wanting to make the technology field all the more diverse, inclusive and empowering.</p><p>You are going to absolutely love reading this interview, before we get started here are some things you might not have known about Dulcie before reading this…</p><p>When she’s not working on building tech for the greater good… she can be found visiting one of her favourite spots in Bristol – the Riverside Garden Centre in Clifton, full of glorious plants… or you could catch her munching on a veggie breakfast down in the Bristolian café in Stokes croft! (it totally sold her on moving to Bristol when she first tried it) 😊 Dulcie’s biggest inspo is her Brother, they’ve always been super close and he has helped to install confidence in herself seeing how he has had the courage to do what feels right to him in life, such as deciding to leave &amp; re-join Uni to do a course that really mattered to him. On top of that, Dulcie loves to listen to Rock &amp; Metal music – perhaps not what you’d expect from her but she’s looking forward to discovering the Bristol music scene more!</p><p>Ok, now that we know her a bit better… let’s get straight to it! Throughout this interview, Dulcie touches on topics such as the process of becoming a B Corp, working at Gravity well, how she first got into software development and what true equality means to her! She even gives us the scoop on her top 3 favourite B Corp brands 😍</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>HI DULCIE! ALL OF US HERE AT WOMEN ROCK ARE SUPER EXCITED TO HAVE YOU INVOLVED WITH OUR INITIATIVE. AFTER CHATTING TOGETHER YOU COME ACROSS AS SOMEONE WHO IS PASSIONATE ABOUT THE ETHICAL SIDE OF TECHNOLOGY AND TECH FOR THE GREATER GOOD – COULD YOU TELL US WHAT FIRST SPARKED THAT INTEREST FOR YOU?</h2><p>I’ve always wanted to live as ethically as possible – for example, I’ve been vegetarian from a very young age and always apply sustainability principles to my day to day life. Ethical technology and tech for the greater good is just an extension of my ongoing passion for making the world a better place!</p><h2>YOU CURRENTLY WORK FOR GRAVITYWELL, COULD YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT THE COMPANY AND WHAT FIRST ATTRACTED YOU TO JOIN THEIR TEAM?</h2><p>Sure! We’re a small software development company, specialising in innovative tech for start-ups and new ideas. We do a bit of everything, from helping with initial brand creation, discovery and design right through to web and mobile development. Because our projects all start with new concepts, we’re really able to think outside the box and use the newest, most exciting tools and technologies on every project – which is both loads of fun and great for our clients!</p><p>I was mainly attracted to Gravitywell because of the diverse projects – I’ve always loved the problem solving and creativity of building something new from scratch! I was also looking to join a smaller company – I think it offers more freedom and is generally more rewarding. Throughout my application process to Gravitywell, I got the feeling that it was a team where people are friends and not just colleagues. I’m glad to say that my hopes have been met, and exceeded! In fact, we have a team holiday and a festival lined up this summer!</p><h2>GRAVITYWELL ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF BECOMING A B CORP WHICH IS SO EXCITING! AS YOU KNOW, MARCH IS B-CORP MONTH. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS SO IMPORTANT ABOUT B CORPS AND WHY DO WE NEED THEM?</h2><p>The B-Corp process offers a framework to get conversations going about the topics that really matter. There are plenty of companies out there that are already doing great things for their employees, community and the environment without being B-Corps, but it’s a great badge of recognition and also an incentive for companies to uphold those standards. The process to certification offers a roadmap to continuous improvement of all things ethical, but also helps to spread the word with wider audiences and turn it into a movement. Small changes multiplied many times make a huge difference.</p><h2>WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU PERSONALLY TO BE WORKING FOR A COMPANY THAT WILL BECOME A B CORP SOON?</h2><p>When I was changing jobs, I actively looked for B-Corps because I wanted to work for a business with values I believed in.</p><p>I feel a great deal of pride in Gravitywell for our steps towards B Corp certification. We’re all responsible for maintaining and improving the planet and society, and certification is tangible evidence that we can make a difference. It’s a rewarding process and comes with a very supportive community.</p><h2>WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON RECRUITMENT AGENCIES LIKE SR2 GAINING A B CORP CERTIFICATION?</h2><p>I think it’s great! If I were to talk to a recruiter then two things would matter to me: that they understand my industry and they respect and share my ethics when looking for new work. I’ve had tons of recruiters get in touch in the past trying to place me in roles in industries that I’d never be comfortable working in – so B Corp status is a great reassurance!</p><h2>LOOKING BACK ON YOUR CAREER AND JOURNEY THROUGH EDUCATION, DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS THAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INTO TECHNOLOGY AND MORE SPECIFICALLY SOFTWARE ENGINEERING? TELL US HOW IT ALL STARTED FOR YOU!</h2><p>I wouldn’t say that my path into tech was clear-cut – I certainly wasn’t one of those teenagers who spent hours coding or building computers!</p><p>I’ve always had a lot of pretty diverse interests, and when I first started thinking about potential careers I was looking for something that let me combine my enjoyment of both analytical and creative subjects. I went through a lot of phases, considering architecture, law, orthodontistry and graphic design within a year or so – and I really could have gone in any of those directions!</p><p>The big decision that eventually led me towards a Computer Science degree and a career in Software Engineering was probably picking my A Levels. I’d done equally well in arts and science subjects, so I found it tough to choose a direction and commit to one or the other. I think being pushed to make that choice made me realise that I didn’t want to pick just one, and so I chose to study Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Computing and Fine Art. I had to argue with my school that it was a sensible combination of subjects! At that point, I definitely wasn’t planning to study tech, but I wasn’t willing to give up art and felt I could find a way to tie it all together.</p><p>During my A Level years I interned at 3 Sided Cube, a tech-for-good agency in Bournemouth. Seeing the work environment there is what sold me on tech as a career. I loved the laid-back vibe, but also the great combination of technical knowledge with creativity and problem solving. So when it came to applying to universities, I looked for courses where I could learn the fundamental theory, but also apply it to real world problems. Royal Holloway was absolutely amazing, and set me up brilliantly for the work I do now!</p><h2>I CAN SEE YOU WERE A WOMEN’S AMBASSADOR DURING UNIVERSITY, COULD YOU TELL US WHAT IT WAS LIKE BEING A FEMALE WITHIN A RELATIVELY MALE DOMINATED SUBJECT AND HOW HAS THAT MOULDED YOU AS A PERSON?</h2><p>I’ve actually always enjoyed standing out in this industry! I think it’s a great opportunity to surprise people, and to challenge myself to achieve what I’m aiming for.</p><p>Obviously, it’s not always plain-sailing to be in the minority, but I think the mindset you bring to it is more important than any inherent bias. People will have preconceived ideas and expect certain things of you, but what you do about it is always in your control – whether that means working hard to prove them wrong, increasing public awareness, or having the strength to walk away from a company that doesn’t value you.</p><p>In a way, I don’t like to think of myself as a “woman in tech” – I’m a woman who works in tech, but day-to-day I don’t think that should make any difference to my experience or contributions to the field. I ended up in the role of Women’s Ambassador of the Computing Society almost by accident, but the main benefit for me was being part of a diverse committee where we were all able to bring our skills and opinions to the table. I was voted in as President the next year, and the whole experience really proved to me that it was better to be part of the group and immerse myself in the field than to view myself as a minority.</p><h2>WHAT DOES EQUALITY MEAN TO YOU? AND, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER TECH COMPANIES TO ENSURE THEY ARE PROVIDING A EQUAL WORKING ENVIRONMENT?</h2><p>I think equality is hugely multi-faceted. Firstly, it’s obviously about things like equal pay and equal expectations when it comes to reviews and promotions. It’s about understanding that the ways we express ourselves vary, and encouraging everyone to ask for the things that they want and need. It’s about working together as individuals, not forcing everyone into a box that fits a business decision or profit margin.</p><p>I also think that equality is about treating everyone and everything – people, animals, the environment – with respect. There’s so much good that can come from decisions made with care and appreciation for the world around us, and one of the best things we can do is ask how our actions might affect other people or things. Often by just listening we can solve problems that sound bizarre or unrelatable to those of us who aren’t impacted in the same way.</p><h2>AS A WOMAN IN TECH, THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOME BARRIERS &amp; STEREOTYPES THAT YOU’VE FACED. IF SO, COULD YOU TELL US ABOUT ONE OF THEM?</h2><p>Honestly, the thing that I’ve struggled with most about being a woman in tech is the positive discrimination associated with companies aiming for a 50:50 gender balance. Taking steps to remove biases from hiring, reviews and promotions is obviously very necessary, and I absolutely support businesses in doing this – I’ve certainly been on the receiving end of negative stereotypes in the past.</p><p>But I would be offended if I was offered a job in preference to someone else just because I’m female, or if the main incentive was to boost a company’s diversity stats. I believe that true equality comes from me being able to stand alongside whoever else applies, and be chosen for my personality and experience, irrespective of gender.</p><h2>AS IT’S B CORP MONTH, WHO ARE SOME OTHER B CORP COMPANIES YOU FOLLOW THAT YOU THINK ARE AWESOME?</h2><p>I think&nbsp;<a href="https://wearedame.co/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">DAME</a>&nbsp;are great – they make environmentally friendly period products and aim to reduce erase single use plastic from the industry as well as the stigma around discussing periods! Everything from their products to advertising drives positive change on a subject that is often seen as taboo.</p><p>I’m also a big fan of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.triodos.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Triodos</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tonyschocolonely.com/uk/en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Tony’s Chocolonely</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/home/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Patagonia</a>, who are really leading the drive for change in industries with traditionally negative environmental and ethical impacts.</p><h2>IF YOU COULD GIVE ADVICE TO OTHER WOMEN ABOUT GETTING INTO A CAREER WITH TECH, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THEM?</h2><p>Don’t be afraid to aim high.</p><p>Figure out what it is that you want, and stay aligned to those goals – even if they’re not what other people might expect of you.</p><p>Call out discrimination, even when it works in your favour.</p><p>Imposter syndrome is totally normal – just remember to look back at how far you’ve come and pat yourself on the back from time to time!</p><h2>LASTLY, WHAT IS A MANTRA YOU LIVE BY OR YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE?</h2><p>“The mind is everything. What you think you become.”</p><p>What a great note to end on!</p><p>Cheers Dulcie you rock! #womenrock</p><p>An interview by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/javajackson/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Steph Jackson</a></p><p>A voice for diversity in Tech and Engineering</p><p><br></p>

 “The mind is everything. What you think you become.” – Interview with Dulcie Jackson

<p>‘Culture’ is a word thrown around a lot by companies at the moment to try and attract new talent. However, culture is more than a early finish and free coffee as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/peopletalentculture/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Elle Chappell</a>&nbsp;from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-energy-global/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Best Energy</a>&nbsp;explains.</p><p>Elle is one of the most passionate people I have met when it comes to ED&amp;I. She leads from the front, always learning about best practices, has a heart of gold and here shares some valuable insights on what companies should be doing when attracting underrepresented talent to their teams…</p><h2>HEY ELLE, WE’RE REALLY EXCITED TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT ALL THINGS PEOPLE AND CULTURE AND YOUR PASSION FOR ED&amp;I.</h2><h2>CAN YOU TELL ME A BIT ABOUT YOUR JOB AND WHAT YOUR DAY USUALLY LOOKS LIKE?</h2><p>I’m in a stand alone People &amp; Culture role and have a responsibility for talent acquisition, day to day people operations, L&amp;D, supporting line managers and the senior team, benefits…the list is quite endless actually! There often isn’t a typical day but I could go from interviewing to training to preparing to onboard new joiners, for example. When I joined the business, there was no People function so I’ve pretty much built everything from scratch including implementing 2 x pieces of people ops and hiring software, introducing Annual Talent Reviews, creating hiring processes, rolled out engagement surveys etc.</p><h2>PEOPLE AND CULTURE IS A RELATIVELY NEW ROLE WITHIN COMPANIES. WHAT DOES A GREAT CULTURE LOOK LIKE TO YOU?</h2><p>Personally, I think a great culture is somewhere people can show up as themselves and not feel they have to hide their true selves away. Somewhere people feel trusted and empowered to do the right thing (otherwise why have you hired them?), and somewhere that values and supports people as individuals, as people that have lives and families. Trust, autonomy and respect.</p><h2>WHO DO YOU THINK SHOULD OWN CULTURE WITHIN AN ORGANISATION?</h2><p>100% every single person within a business from the person who vacuums the offices to the CEO. It’s not up to one person, or a group of directors, it’s got to be people owned and driven. I use the phrase ‘moments that matter’ a lot. The moments that you have with your colleagues, suppliers, partners, customers, the behaviours you exhibit on a daily basis. The interactions, the behaviours – these all working together and occurring each day result in your culture.</p><h2>YOU SHARE THE SAME PASSION AS US FOR ED&amp;I – WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO COMPANIES WHEN ATTRACTING UNDERREPRESENTED TALENT TO THEIR TEAMS?</h2><p>Assess your job descriptions: when we write job specs, language has a huge impact on the end reader. For example, women are much less likely to apply for a role if they don’t hit all the listed criteria than men are. Instead, take a look internally at people who are performing and consider things that matter the most. Do you really need someone to have a Masters, for example? It’s also really important to ensure candidates can see into your business. A job description is a bunch of words, it’s not your culture. People need to be able to see into your business (your careers page/LinkedIn/social media and see that they would be supported to thrive in your community. For example, if your company is predominately white, how do you ensure any new joiners who are black or Asian for example, are supported, or people with a disability? If they can’t see you supporting them, they’re less likely to apply. Have a great hiring process in place and ensure your teams are trained properly when it comes to interviewing too are really key.</p><h2>WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED IN YOUR CAREER BOTH BEING SELF-EMPLOYED AND AN EMPLOYEE?</h2><p>Wow, good question. Being employed was tough, I just wanted to deliver, I didn’t want to be a finance manager and a sales manager and a marketing manager too. I think in hindsight, I might have liked it better if I started something with friends or someone else in my field, who knows.</p><h2>WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR PROUDEST MOMENT TO DATE, BOTH PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY?</h2><p>Proudest moment professionally on reflection, is making the decision to close my business. It turned out having a business isn’t what I wanted and taking that decision changed my life but it wasn’t an easy one to make. At the time, I was worried about the word ‘fail’ and what people would think, which I still haven’t figured out why that was even an issue for me. I remember being sat on a boat near the Isle of Arran and just said to my husband ‘I’m closing the business when we get home and I’ve decided on the role I want.’ His face was a picture! I didn’t even know if the role was out there, and it had to be in sustainability or something similar. A month later, I had an offer so it all worked out in the end. Personally, my 250km ultra marathon in the Wadi Rum desert, Jordan. I completed the race, flew home and the day after I landed started my new job! 2021 was an interesting year…</p><h2>IT’S INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY THIS MONTH AND SOMETHING WE SHOULD CELEBRATE EVERYDAY. WHO ARE THE MOST INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN YOU FOLLOW AND INSPIRED BY?</h2><p>Blimey, my friend Andreea Wilmott is up there for so many reasons, she’s a power house of a woman. Jane Goodall, Dr Jess French (someone I know personally again), Leena Nair, Malala Yousafzai, Jacinda Ardern…the list goes on!</p><h2>WORKING MUMS AND SUPPORTING THEM IS ALSO SOMETHING YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT, WHAT CAN COMPANIES DO FOR EXPECTING PARENTS AND THEN MUMS OR DADS RETURNING TO WORK?</h2><p>First of all, enhanced maternity/paternity pay and/or shared parental leave. If having a baby isn’t stressful enough with the physical, mental and emotional changes a woman goes through, the financial pressure of being on statutory MAT leave must be unbearable. Don’t get me started on this! Flexible hours, childcare vouchers, understand that new parents are going to be sleep deprived, offer mental health support (many men don’t disclose to their employers that they’re suffering with perinatal mental health issues as they think it will harm their career), create new parents meet ups/groups within the business to share stories and experiences, celebrate family. So many women have to sacrifice their career when they have a baby after years of hard work. The best businesses will embrace multiple ways to truly support parents and they will reap the rewards for doing so.</p><h2>IF YOU WE’RE A SONG WHAT SONG WOULD YOU BE?</h2><p>Probably Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen.</p><h2>WHAT IS THE SAYING OR MANTRA YOU LIVE BY?</h2><p>Don’t be a dick! Am I allowed to say that?!</p><p>Course you are – sterling advice!</p><p>Thanks so much for speaking to us Elle.</p><p>You rock! #womenrock</p><p>An interview by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-teagle-%F0%9F%92%99-93b04692/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Alicia Teagle</a></p><p>A voice for diversity in Tech and Engineering</p><p><br></p>

 “Don’t be a dick!” – An Interview with Elle Chappell

<p>Women Rock founder, Alicia chats to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-traversari/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Marina Traversari</a>&nbsp;who recently joined&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spherics.io/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Spherics</a>&nbsp;as COO.</p><p>The insights that Marina shares are testament to her amazing accomplishments in the tech industry, including representing Oracle at House of Lords events, fireside chats and chairing panels at local and international events to drive cultural change through thought leadership and most recently her role as COO at Spherics where ED&amp;I are top of her priorities as she scales the team.</p><p>She also lists Chaka Khan as her song, displaying impeccable taste in music.</p><p>But we could sit and fangirl over Marina all day 💙</p><p>Probably best if you hear it from her! So without further ado…</p><h2>MARINA, THANKS SO MUCH FOR SPEAKING TO US. KICKING US OFF, YOU HAVE RECENTLY JOINED SPHERICS AS COO, CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR DAY TO DAY?</h2><p>We are preparing for Series A, so there are lots to do in preparation for that! Ensuring we are on point for due diligence, keeping on top of finances-P&amp;L, working with CFO &amp; CEO, preparing for scaling the team – interviewing, looking at premises, ensuring we are compliant and legal, HR, whilst also looking after the team we already have. We are a people first organisation, and we truly believe in creating the right culture for everyone to thrive.</p><h2>SPHERICS SOUNDS AWESOME, WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR THE BUSINESS THIS YEAR?</h2><p>We are scaling and fast! As I mentioned we are raising a Series A this year, currently we are a team of 15. Priority now is scaling our tech and customer services teams to meet the additional priorities from our customers, but we are also recruiting a variety of other roles, so if anyone is interested, please get in touch! By the end of the year, we forecast to be a team of 50.</p><h2>HOW ARE YOU GOING TO ENSURE YOU BUILD AN INCLUSIVE AND DIVERSE TEAM FROM THE START?</h2><p>This is very important to the founders and myself, we have equal parity of male female in our team, and the majority of our dev team are women, which I am incredibly proud of.</p><p>However, we have to ensure our team is representative of our city region. We are using software to ensure our job descriptions are not biased in terms of language, and we also protect against unconscious bias influencing our recruitment process by conducting blind selections.</p><p>We are also working with D&amp;I specialists and organisations across the city region to maximise reach into diverse communities.</p><h2>YOU SHARE THE SAME PASSION AS US FOR ED&amp;I – WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO COMPANIES TO ATTRACT UNDERREPRESENTED TALENT TO THEIR TEAMS?</h2><p>There are various ways to tackle Equality, Diversity &amp; Inclusion in terms of blind selections and unconscious bias, working with female coding orgs to reach talent that is underrepresented. I don’t think we have it cracked yet unfortunately, which is why we have started working with other local organisations to identify individuals with protected characteristics that have a passion for working with us.</p><p>We have also just completed our B Corp assessment thanks to the tenacity of Rebecca Burgess, our former Chief Engagement Officer, which we will hopefully hear from this month, fingers crossed! B Corp Certification is a great process to fully understand how you implement the passion to be a ‘people first’ organisation.</p><h2>HOW WOULD YOU MEASURE SUCCESS WHEN IT COMES TO ED&amp;I?</h2><p>Great question! Measuring inclusion is vital, we measure and make it a priority for the company, and it is driven by our Board – what is valued is measured, and those measurements drive action. We are tailoring our business goals to be both meaningful and truly effective within our organisational strategy.</p><p>We are a remote first team but our beating heart is in Bristol, and I want our team to scale and reflect the city we live in. We also have quarterly pulse surveys/360 reviews and team away days to ensure we are hearing from all our team, as we want our team to feel confident and empowered to offer different opinions, to bring innovation and meaningful change.</p><h2>WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED IN YOUR CAREER?</h2><p>There have been a few! I was a single mother when I moved to Bristol, this made completing my degree more challenging and commence my career however I had incredible support from UWE and this assisted my development.</p><p>I worked for an awesome organisation straight out of university, Calling the Shots, who were fully supportive and inclusive and shared their knowledge which has stayed with me as I have developed.</p><p>I have had male managers remove my name from Board reports and add theirs, if this ever happens to you my advice is to challenge immediately! Be assertive and direct, whilst remaining calm and professional.</p><h2>GROWING UP YOU TOLD ME YOU WENT TO A SCHOOL WHERE YOU WE’RE DIFFERENT AND DIDN’T FIT INTO THE NORM OF OTHER CHILDREN AROUND YOU. I WOULD LOVE TO DO MORE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION ESPECIALLY IN TECH. WHAT DO YOU THINK SCHOOLS AND EVEN LOCAL COMPANIES CAN DO TO ENCOURAGE THE NEXT GENERATION INTO TECH AND DIGITAL CAREERS?</h2><p>Wow, I’d forgotten I’d told you this! Yes, we were a working class, immigrant family – Irish/Italian and I remember people crossing the street, so they didn’t have to speak to my mum – that was hard but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right!</p><p>In all seriousness, I would advise the next generation to speak to as many people as possible, take on as much work experience as you can, go to career events, network. Schools and Local Authorities are working together to ensure initiatives, such as the one led by the Career Enterprise Company – advisors work with schools on curriculum planning and bringing in companies to deliver talks.</p><p>Roles are changing with such a pace, there are jobs now that didn’t exist when I was leaving school. If young people are not aware of the scope of employment, then they can’t apply themselves and their skills.</p><p>I would also advise young people to take risks, be brave and push themselves out of their comfort zone-it’s ok to fail as a lot of learning stems from failure.</p><p>Look at alternative routes other than university, as it’s not for everyone. Apprenticeships, for example are a great way to earn and learn through hands on experience. I feel there is too much focus put on uni degrees, which leaves young adults feeling they are substandard if they don’t have one and I want to see this change.</p><h2>WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR PROUDEST MOMENT TO DATE, BOTH PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY?</h2><p>Personally, there have been a few – no 1 is my amazing son, Leon who is now 22 and a wonderfully caring and considerate young man, whom I am immensely proud of!</p><p>In addition, completing my degree and exhibiting at BETT at ExCel, taking part in NESTA Futurelab Design Challenge and exhibiting my work at Submerge, an audio-visual tech/arts expo, with a 3-year-old at the time!</p><p>Professionally, Representing Bristol, Facebook, Oracle and the West of England at International events and delivered keynotes, fireside chats and chairing panels at local and international conferences/events to drive cultural change through thought leadership.</p><p>Seeing through as Chair of BoD for Gapsquare’s acquisition to FTSE 100 company and representing Oracle at House of Lords events due to Women in Tech advocacy.</p><p>Winning the SW Mentoring Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award for demonstrable value to the UK SW Tech scene, and achieving #27 on the TT50 list!</p><h2>IT’S INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY THIS MONTH AND SOMETHING WE SHOULD CELEBRATE EVERY DAY. HAVE YOU DRAWN INSPIRATION FROM OTHER WOMEN BOTH PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY AND WHO ARE THEY?</h2><p>Absolutely, personally of course my mother was such a source of inspiration, she taught me the importance of compassion and inclusion.</p><p>My best friend Jodie aka wiffles, who is a kick arse Production Manager working in TV and has worked with the likes of Attenborough and Obama, she is the kindest and most inclusive individual and keeps me constantly in check.</p><p>Professionally, there are a few however top of mind are Dr Zara Nanu and Mel Rodrigues, who are, and continue to be my vanguards. Their positivity and drive provide such inspiration, and professionally they are two of the most incredible, ambitious individuals I have ever met, and I am also honoured to call them friends.</p><h2>WE SPOKE ABOUT DISABILITIES IN THE WORKPLACE AND WHILST WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO ON ALL FRONTS OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION, I BELIEVE A LOT OF EMPLOYERS ARE THINKING ABOUT DISABILITIES BOTH PHYSICALLY OR HIDDEN. LIKE MYSELF FOR EXAMPLE, I HAVE SEVERE DYSLEXIA AND IT WAS ONLY PICKED UP 5 YEARS AGO AND MY PREVIOUS EMPLOYERS DIDN’T SUPPORT ME WITH THIS OR OFFER ANY SUPPORT WHEN I FAILED TESTS FOR EXAMPLE. WHAT CAN WE ALL DO TO SUPPORT DISABILITIES IN THE WORKPLACE?</h2><p>It is so important to support disabilities in the workplace, both physical and psychological, however as you say sometimes neurodiversity can go undiagnosed, unnoticed, or mis-interpreted.</p><p>Employee assistance programmes and building supportive company cultures helps, whilst also embedding accessibility into every part of your recruitment process.</p><p>Make sure you spend time myth busting with managers, modify your working arrangements to support individuals, provide unconscious bias training for all employees and obviously pay workers with disabilities equally.</p><p>I have had the pleasure to have had a career in TV, Film, and Technology, these industries tend to have a high percentage of neuro-diverse creatives/individuals – learning how to bring out the best in people is key, provide different software and hardware, be conscious of large team events as some people will struggle – take the time to get to know your team and how best to support everyone, as individuals.</p><h2>IF YOU WERE A SONG WHAT SONG WOULD YOU BE?</h2><p>Chaka Khan, Ain’t Nobody!</p><h2>WHAT IS THE SAYING OR MANTRA YOU LIVE BY?</h2><p>Work hard, play hard, be kind – always.</p><p><em>Great note to end on – thanks so much Marina!&nbsp;Keep rocking #womenrock</em></p><p><em>An interview with&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-teagle-%F0%9F%92%99-93b04692/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);"><em>Alicia Teagle</em></a><em>&nbsp;</em></p><p><em>I: @</em><a href="https://www.instagram.com/womenrockbristol/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);"><em>womenrockbristol</em></a></p><p><em>T: @</em><a href="https://twitter.com/WomenRockBrstl" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);"><em>womenrockbrstl</em></a></p>

 “Work hard, play hard, be kind – always.” – An interview with Marina Traversari

<p>This week Ellen Cain brings you a WR interview with a twist, venturing out of the realms of Tech &amp; Engineering, this interview dives into the healthcare world (on the other side of the world!) 🌏.</p><p>Ellen recently spoke to a close friend of hers and an absolute wonder woman, Cat Houlihan. Their conversation covered everything and inbetween moving to Australia, being a new mum and setting up the first of its kind, a residential treatment centre for people with eating disorders 💙.</p><p><em>“I believe we are all humans with a range of experiences on offer to us. For whatever reason some of us respond to the world’s challenges in this way or that.”</em></p><p>So here it is, take 5 and immerse yourself in this incredibly insightful and refreshing interview with Cat Houlihan, Clinical Director and Clinical Psychologist at&nbsp;<a href="https://wandinerida.org.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">Wandi Nerida</a>.</p><p>Thank you for letting us pick your brains Cat, you are such an inspiration 🙌.</p><h2>PLEASE CAN YOU SUMMARISE WANDI NERIDA FOR ME?</h2><p>Wandi Nerida is Australia’s first residential treatment centre for people with eating disorders. Wandi Nerida means “gather together to blossom” and is a name gifted to us by the local Aboriginal community.</p><h2>TELL ME A BIT ABOUT YOUR JOB AND WHAT A DAY IN THE LIFE LOOKS LIKE FOR YOU AND YOUR SON, THE GORGEOUS REX?</h2><p>Wandi Nerida was built to be a home-like setting on 25 acres of beautiful bushland on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. As the Clinical Director I am responsible for the clinical program, the groups and therapies that our “participants” (clients) will engage in as part of their recovery journey. I’m lucky that no two days look the same! Some days I’ll be busy with meetings, talking to families and other services around Australia, other days I’ll be running groups, eating meals with participants and supervising staff. Sometimes I’ll be taking a mindful 5 minutes by the dam or walking down by the horses. Other times I’ll be in the office having a cry because I’m feeling overwhelmed by the intense nature of the job and balancing work and life responsibilities. On the odd occasion I have barricaded myself in the office because I’ve heard that Stan the carpet Python who lives under the staff building is on the loose!</p><p>A day in the life with Rex is go, go, go, from breakfast to bedtime. We eat, play, go for walks, to the park and to the beach and that can sometimes be before lunchtime! Rex is lots of fun, a very busy bee, and once he has fully figured out what we’re doing he’s ready for the next thing. It’s enjoyable and energising and exhausting and challenging all at the same time.</p><h2>THE BUSINESS YOU WORK FOR IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN AUSTRALIA, WHAT HAVE BEEN THE MAJOR CHALLENGES FOR YOU?</h2><p>Moving to Australia has been quite a big culture shift, especially working in healthcare. I didn’t understand how different it would be until I was in it, and it can feel quite lonely working in a team with different training backgrounds and ways of thinking. It’s been good learning too, but some days I find myself missing my old teams and the good old NHS! Having a baby and then taking on such a big role after maternity leave has been as challenging as you’d expect and doing this without my usual support network of friends and family around me has made the tough times extra tough. Being a new service with a new team meant the first few months were extremely busy and chaotic with unexpected problems that were my responsibility to solve. I’d often have to stay late, miss nursery pick up or seeing Rex at all that night – which still happens sometimes – and I feel incredibly guilty for.</p><h2>MUM GUILT IS THE WORST AND YOU ARE JUGGLING SO MUCH MORE THAN A NORMAL 9-5 AND BEING A PARENT. KUDOS TO YOU! BAR THE SOUNDS OF A TODDLER CRYING, WHAT GETS YOU UP IN THE MORNING?</h2><p>Haha, that’s pretty much it! I’ve just started walking once or twice per week in the mornings when I can which I love. I used to jog on the beach and trying to build this back up after a couple of years off. I also strangely enjoy my drive to work, it’s just under an hour and if I have a good coffee and podcast, it’s a nice peaceful moment in my day.</p><h2>HOW HAVE YOU FOUND BEING A FEMALE LEADER IN YOUR INDUSTRY?</h2><p>Working in healthcare in an eating disorders service means that I work with mainly females including other leaders which I’ve found helpful especially when coming into the role from maternity leave and having other mothers supporting me. Due to the nature of eating disorder treatment around 90% of our participants are female too, so as a leader I have felt quite comfortable in that sense. I still feel like an imposter most days, but that’s because I have an underlying sense that someone’s made a mistake hiring me generally, not because I’m female!</p><h2>I AM SURE YOU ARE MORE THAN QUALIFIED TO DO YOUR JOB! I GUESS WE ALL FEEL LIKE WE’RE FAKING IT AT TIMES. DO YOU OR HAVE YOU FACED ANY STIGMAS OR MALE/FEMALE INEQUALITY IN YOUR ROLE OR PREVIOUS ROLES?</h2><p>I can’t say that I’ve faced any stigmas beyond the typical cultural norms relating to gender stereotypes that can also be expressed in the workplace. There is inequality in my workplace with a larger female-male ratio of colleagues which means valuable experience and perspectives can be lost in the service development and decision-making. That said, the males we do have typically occupy more senior roles.</p><h2>YOU’VE HAD SOME MAJOR LIFE CHANGES OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS; MOVE TO AUSTRALIA, HAD A BABY, OFFERED A CHUNKY JOB AND ALL WITHOUT YOUR FRIENDS OR FAMILY. WHAT HAS REALITY BEEN LIKE FOR YOU?</h2><p>I’ve tried to give a real perspective in previous answers and not paint a fantasy picture of Australian life. I miss home every day, especially in winter (yes, I love the cold!) Covid has of course made things harder, though I’m very excited to be returning home with the family for Christmas 2022.</p><p>Otherwise, life really has its ups and downs! Being a mum is one area that can feel both wonderful and challenging, so is being a clinical director, so is being in a relationship. I’m proud of how many challenges I have overcome and try to remember this when I feel the inner critic piping up. I’ve always been drawn to excitement and chaos to a certain extent, despite longing for predictability and order once I’m in it. I have high expectations for myself which have been both a blessing and a curse. My reality is probably quite ‘normal’ in that I am a typical human being with complex emotions and thoughts that I can’t always make sense of, and it doesn’t matter where you are or what you do when you have these experiences.</p><h2>YOU HAVE SO MUCH ON YOUR PLATE, I IMAGINE BEING OVERWHELMED IS JUST PART OF YOUR BREAD AND BUTTER NOW. ARE YOU ABLE TO SELF SOOTHE YOURSELF BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE AS A CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST OR DOES YOUR MENTAL HEALTH, AND THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUR PATIENTS FALL IN TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WORLDS?</h2><p>It definitely improved through my clinical training. Learning about psychology and mental health helped me understand myself much more, the suffering I’d experienced and how it was expressing itself in my daily life. I’ve learnt strategies for self-soothing but can’t always apply them effectively! It’s a lot easier for me to provide support to others but I don’t see myself as different in any way. Like I was saying before, I believe we are all humans with a range of experiences on offer to us. For whatever reason some of us respond to the world’s challenges in this way or that, I am lucky that I’ve had the training, therapy, and support for personal growth, but I’ve also definitely experienced mental health issues particularly anxiety and depression which I was not able to easily recover from without help.</p><h2>HOW DID YOU FIND THE FIRST YEAR OF MOTHERHOOD AND WHAT ARE THE BEST THINGS ABOUT YOUR LIFE DOWN UNDER?</h2><p>The first year of motherhood was really hard! Looking back, I recognise postnatal anxiety and depression but didn’t seek support for this at the time. The early months are a bit of a blur to be honest, I felt lonely and stressed and exhausted. I’m glad to see the back of it haha! You helped me get through the really tough times and helped me learn it’s ok not to look back. I’m happy to say I’m enjoying the toddler stage a lot more now, but I was really unprepared for the physical and emotional demands of motherhood especially in those first few months.</p><p>The best thing about life down under is the exposure to nature, I live in a beach town with nice beaches and walks in the National Park. It’s a slower pace, early to rise and early to bed which suits me, and less of the daily stressors that come with city life (like traffic!). It’s normal to see dolphins in the sea and parrots in the back garden, and it’s so vast there’s lots of exploring left to do.</p><h2>SOUNDS DREAMY! HOPEFULLY THIS YEAR YOU WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO BRING YOUR BABE HOME TO MEET YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. HAVE YOU GOOGLED ‘HOW TO SURVIVE A 12-HOUR FLIGHT WITH A 2-YEAR-OLD?’ YET?</h2><p>Yes I have. There were some good tips but also many parenting blog posts simply saying, “don’t do it!”</p><p>I’ll never forget the conversation we had about the flight, you managed to convince me that it was only a day and would all be worth it, and then when we were hanging up you said “but yeah I’d never do it with my toddler”. Haha thanks for the words of encouragement! And thanks for inviting me to this interview, its been an honour and a pleasure and I think you’re doing a wonderful thing</p><p><em>Thank you so much Cat! Keep rocking #womenrock</em></p><p><em>An interview by&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellen-cain-17680528/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);"><em>Ellen Cain</em></a><em>.</em></p><p>A voice for diversity in Tech &amp; Engineering &lt;3</p><p>I: @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/womenrockbristol/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">womenrockbristol</a></p><p>T: @<a href="https://twitter.com/WomenRockBrstl" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(20, 192, 216);">womenrockbrstl</a></p><p><br></p>

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