Mar 27, 2019The PhD PuzzleOne of my aims when I started my PhD in October 2017 was to write about it through semi-regular blogs. I recognise that I’m in a privileged position where I am essentially paid (a small but very welcome bursary) to read and think. I thought it might be interesting to…4 min read4 min read
Mar 8, 2019Challenging unconscious and conscious bias in tech (and elsewhere)It’s a well known fact that all of us, no matter how open-minded we are, show a degree of unconscious bias. This plays out in the friends we make, the events we go to, the cultural activities we partake in. In the tech sector, we see it play out in…Women In Tech5 min readWomen In Tech5 min read
Published inCode Like A Girl·Aug 1, 2017“Now I know what an engineer does, I want to be one!”In my previous blog post I described the challenge set by Tracey and how my rumination on the topic brought me to the decision to design a programme that would teach Design Thinking. Tracey paired me up with her colleague at Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Helen Valentine (Young People, Enterprise…Education8 min readEducation8 min read
Published inCode Like A Girl·Jul 20, 2017Teaching “Design Thinking” for a career in tech & digitalInspiring the next generation in tech & digital In mid-July, I wrapped up delivery on my latest freelance project, which was to design a programme to inspire 11–14 year olds to pursue a career in tech. Dreamt up by the inimitable Tracey Johnson at Barnsley Digital Media Centre, this was a pilot project under the TechTown banner to…Education6 min readEducation6 min read
Jun 2, 2017Introducing MakerHubSupporting ambitious entrepreneurs in Sheffield — We’ve got a good thing going on in Sheffield I’ve written before about the entrepreneur ecosystem here: about how friendly everyone is and how introductions are readily made. My friend Elizabeth Shassere echoes this, writing about her first forays into entrepreneurship in this city. I was commissioned in January to write a report on the Creative Digital scene in…Startup6 min readStartup6 min read
May 30, 2017Startup Weekend SheffieldContributing to a vibrant tech ecosystem in my home town — Next weekend (2nd — 4th June) marks the 10th edition of Startup Weekend Sheffield, and I am delighted to be returning as a coach & mentor for the weekend. Back in 2013, Samantha Deakin Hill had the ambition to bring the global phenomenon of TechStars’ Startup Weekend to Sheffield, and…Startup4 min readStartup4 min read
May 23, 2017What does a “perfect” entrepreneurship ecosystem look like?…… here’s how 11 European clusters tackled this challenge — My first gig as a freelancer saw me fly to Estonia for a couple of days in May. I was there to lead a workshop on Ecosystem Development for participants in “TechTown”, a two-year URBACT project funded by the EU. URBACT programmes bring together towns and cities from across Europe…Entrepreneurship5 min readEntrepreneurship5 min read
Sep 6, 2016Gaza Sky Geeks bootcamp: Day FiveDay Five… AKA our last full day in Gaza! In the morning we headed to the Gaza Sky Geeks office, where the GSG team work from, alongside the startups in their programmes. They have only been in this new office a few months, but they’ve very much made it their…Startup6 min readStartup6 min read
Sep 4, 2016Gaza Sky Geeks bootcamp: Day FourThis morning, Sabine, Elizabeth and I were invited to a Gaza Geekettes meetup. Sabine gave an excellent talk about how she had overcome obstacles as a woman engineer in 1960s USA; Elizabeth described how she has dealt with some of the challenges she has faced as a female non-technical founder…Startup6 min readStartup6 min read
Sep 3, 2016Gaza Sky Geeks bootcamp: Day TwoThis morning it was my turn to be the teacher. I had an hour long slot to talk about Customer Development. Moving away from the buzzwords, this basically means finding people who will buy your product, ideally before you even launch. It’s about getting feedback on people’s habits, i.e. how…Startup5 min readStartup5 min read
