Black women in tech: Meet Hauwau Sonia Bello
Hear from some incredible black women at different stages of their tech career.
Highlighting women who are underrepresented and sharing their stories so that you have new role models and peers goes a long way in fulfilling our mission to create a more diverse tech industry. You can’t be what you can’t see.
As part of our Black History Month celebrations, we wanted to highlight three incredible black women at different stages of their tech career and speak to them about how they’ve found their journey so far. We’re kicking off our series with Sonia Bello who graduated in Computer Science this summer.
How did you start learning to code?
Funnily enough, I started coding through Tumblr. I would spend hours on end editing the HTML to make my page look as sleek as possible! I would constantly be trying out new ideas and designs. I had no idea that this would lead to me being a woman in tech!
What’s your favourite thing about tech?
My favourite thing about tech is how broad it is, there is something for everyone! It’s also so incredibly fast-paced so I enjoy being on my toes. I also love the #Womenintech community- I feel so privileged to be supported by such fantastic women. Whilst at university, I helped set up a Women in STEM society to help create a community of like-minded women who could support one another.
Where are you currently working?
Currently, I am freelancing as a designer while I prepare to start my career in UI/UX (User Interface and User Experience). UI / UX are design roles which focus on the user. UI usually revolves around the graphical interface or layout of an application. Whereas UX revolves around how users interact and experience an application.
How do you keep learning about coding and keep your knowledge up to date?
I have been working on passion projects to keep up to date with the practical side of tech. Constantly working on projects really pushes me forward in my skills. To stay up to date with the tech world I read a lot: from tech twitter, news, newsletters to blogs on Medium. In June, I also spent a week in LA on Color in Tech’s Tech Immersion scheme and got to attend workshops with companies such as Toms, Headspace and Snapchat — which was amazing!
What do you hope to be doing in 5 years time?
I hope to have made my mark in the UI/UX community. I also hope to have helped other Women in STEM on their journey by creating a new community or organisation.
How can we contact you?
Follow me on Twitter:
@hebelloo
Here are some places to keep learning about Black History Month:
