The Woman who DARE IT
“Technology changes and will change the way the world works. We want to encourage more women to be a part of this change”.
- Aleksandra Bis & Natalie Pilling, Founders, DARE I.T.
What began as a “self-dare” became a dare for others: DARE IT, a program for women who aspire toward careers in Information Technology. Created by Aleksandra Bis and Natalie Pilling, DARE IT has inspired many experienced professionals who have joined in the effort to grow this incredible woman-to-woman mentoring initiative that seeks to nurture and develop new generations of female professionals who aspire to work in IT.
How did it begin? Seven years ago, Aleksandra was employed in the technology sector as a User Experience Designer. To her, this was a dream-come-true; she was making use of her skills and interests in business, design, and psychology, and felt fortunate for the opportunity.
The years passed, and Aleksandra progressed along her career path. As she climbed higher, she noticed fewer and fewer women holding positions of leadership. Certainly, this wasn’t because of a lack of desire or talent; after all, throughout her career, Aleksandra served as a mentor to several women and helped many of them grow into their professions. Why weren’t there more women holding these positions? Maybe there weren’t enough resources? She began to wonder if there was anything she could do to help change this.
Enter Natalie, at the time the CEO of EL Passion, a software development company. Together with Aleksandra, they created DARE IT. Their vision: create a program where women who aspire to work in the tech industry would partner with an experienced female mentor.
What began as a grassroots Facebook event amongst friends and colleagues quickly exploded into 800 applicants vying for 11 positions. Aleksandra and Natalie were clearly onto something.
Three years later, DARE IT unites more than 6,000 women within a community of networking, support and knowledge sharing.
Through DARE IT, applicants will receive assistance drafting a CV, portfolio/skills assessment, and most importantly — coaching, inspiration and moral support from an experienced female professional currently working in IT. Additionally, all mentees will gain access to social support via networking, career fairs, and up to twelve live-webinars and Q&A sessions with other IT experts.
Magda Faszczewska, a Senior Product Designer at Brainly, has over 15 years of design knowledge and skills. She wanted to share her experience with others and thought DARE IT was a perfect way to do so. Magda wanted to offer advice not often found in technical lectures or online courses such as building your design portfolio, presenting yourself confidently during an interview, and perhaps most importantly — managing a work/life balance.
However, she had initial self-doubts about the responsibilities of becoming a mentor. Would she be up to the challenge? Magda decided to give it a try and was soon partnered with Joanna. Over the course of the program, not only did Magda succeed with helping her mentee find a job in UX (User Experience), but she also gained confidence and learned that she had the skills to be a leader and a mentor.
Ewa Bugajska is a Senior Lead Data Analyst at Brainly and began her journey as a mentor at the Tischner European University, where she shared her knowledge and passion for technology with junior students. Ewa feels strongly about the need to create a customized session for her mentee where they can discuss everything from the complexities of data analysis to the subtle soft-skills required to communicate effectively with colleagues. Like Magda, Ewa believes that serving as a mentor will also empower her with confidence that her knowledge and experiences are valuable leadership qualities.
Perhaps a living embodiment of what it means to “take a dare”, Agnieszka Stanisławska, a Product Manager at Brainly, began her career not in technology, but as an account manager for an advertising agency. One day, she decided to take a chance and took a position in IT.
“100%, I would choose IT again”, she says. “It is challenging, dynamic, ever-changing.” That was 8 years ago! Today, Agnieszka feels an urgent desire to “pay it forward”, and share with women looking to start a career in tech all of the support and positive energy she received when she made the jump. To Agnieszka, the door of working in the IT industry is NOT closed to women, despite the stereotype. With proper guidance, anyone can enter and succeed.
To learn more, please visit the DARE IT website.
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