Women of Web3: Blockchain by Everyone, for Everyone
Alice Henshaw shares her story from walking to the boys' school for Computer Sci to becoming a blockchain software engineer.
“Web 2.0 was designed almost entirely by men, and if we are trying to build a system that changes the future; Web 3.0 needs diverse architects.”
How did you get involved in tech?
Growing up, I always loved maths. In the final years of high school in England, we choose four subjects to deep dive into, and I chose Computer Science as one of them. Unfortunately, there were no Computer Science classes offered at the girls’ school, so every day I walked to the boys’ school to take my Computer Science classes. I immediately loved it. From there, I applied to five universities to study computer science. I ended up completing a degree in Computer Science at Oxford — the first girl from my school to do so.
Wow. The gender roles were firmly cemented at your high school!
Yes. If boys wanted to do theater and drama as one of their A level subjects, they had to come to the girls’ school. If a girl wanted to learn computing, they had to go to the boys’ school. They hired a computer science teacher for the girls’ school after I left though, so I’m hoping that they make computing more accessible and more appealing to girls.
When did you discover blockchain technology?
I discovered blockchain between my second and third years at Oxford. Before then, a few of my favorite topics were cryptography and security — the maths behind cryptography really interested me. In the summer before my final year, I had a three-month internship at Hewlett-Packard’s security research labs. I got to take a deep dive into researching blockchain technology, and I produced a paper for them.
I remember phoning my mum saying, “You’re probably not going to get this, but I just discovered something called blockchain, and it’s the best thing ever.” There are a lot of social implications around blockchain, but what interested me the most was studying it from a technological point of view, and how blockchain technology combines all of these elements of cryptography and networks to be able to create trustworthy and decentralized systems.
What are you working on now?
I’ve been building out a smart contract framework with the aim to create a “fully-functional” security token. These contracts concentrate on translating the way that securities work in the real world into executing this on-chain. They decrease centralization, whilst simultaneously reinforcing trust and increasing efficiency. I have also been speaking at a few conferences and ran a workshop in Manhattan to teach devs and how to reduce their gas costs by utilizing cryptographic signatures.
Tips and Tools for Web3 Devs?
Tools: I use Truffle: Blockchain Dev Tools almost every day, it makes development and deployment of smart contracts so much easier. I also regularly use Remix, which is an online Solidity tool.
Tips: For new devs, Google any error messages that you get stuck on. You’ll almost certainly find that someone’s faced that problem before you and that there’s a solution online. Writing code that doesn’t work can feel quite daunting, but you’re almost certainly not the first person who has met that problem. Also never be afraid to ask another developer for help — they’re normally very willing to help out if they know the answer.
Which projects are you excited about in the mesh?
It’s not a project, per se, but I think what Diligence: Smart Contract Audits does is incredibly important. Contract auditing is a crucial stage of development. Many people believe that they can write perfect smart contracts that are secure, and skip over the auditing step to save money. However if there’s a hole in your smart contract, and someone starts hacking it, there’s often nothing you can do except watch it happen.
I’m also really excited about Alpine and what they’re up to. They’re gonna go far… watch this space.
How can we attract, retain, and support women in tech?
First, accessibility. Especially from a young age. Until recently it was incredibly unusual to get the chance to learn computer science at school — so by the age people come across it, they’ve already decided what they are going to study. Making it easily accessible encourages more women to try it out. Having to walk to another school was enough to put 99% of girls in my school off even considering the subject. Computer science is so key in how this world functions — it should be taught in all schools!
Second, some aspects of the current tech space put women off joining — and a large number of those that do join then leave. The stereotype of “a person in tech” needs to change. Tech is often thought of as a “boys’ subject” and that it’s uncool or too hard to do as a girl. In any event that a woman does join a tech company, sadly they leave at a 45% higher rate.
Working in teams comprised of almost entirely men, unfortunately, may breed some very uninviting situations for women. I’m in no way saying that this is true of all men or all teams, nor am I saying it never occurs the other way around, but I know a surprising number of women who have been made to feel incredibly uncomfortable working in such a male-dominated space. That needs to change.
Thankfully ConsenSys is very good at creating a welcoming atmosphere — it’s certainly the place I have felt most welcomed. There are so many strong and intelligent women working here.
What do you wish that more people knew about Ethereum and the ecosystem?
This is improving, but many people still think that blockchain technology is synonymous with cryptocurrencies, which isn’t true. It is essential to understand that it is so much more than that. The potential that Ethereum has to build vital apps and address significant use cases is unmatched.
Additionally, the impact that it can have on so many outdated systems and overlooked communities around the world is enormous. But, many people still think that bitcoin and blockchain are synonymous, and their main purpose is for buying drugs and ordering assassinations online. Education eradicates this issue. When we show people in affected communities what Ethereum is capable of, and how it can change their lives for the good, they will understand the importance.
What was the biggest lesson that you’ve learned in your role?
Never stop reading about what is happening in the space. There are new updates every single day about new technologies, new smart contracts, new companies in the space that solve current issues and that can help you with your role. Updates that have come out even within the last year alone have changed how my role works.
How was your transition to Solidity?
I started programming with QBasic, which I haven’t used or thought about since then. At university, I learned an array of different languages, including Java, which is similar to Solidity in many ways. I found the jump from Java to Solidity was reasonably painless. However, there are certain features that are particular to Solidity. The way it runs on Ethereum is unlike traditional languages. It not only compiles down to run on a distributed network, but it has to interact with users’ accounts, other smart contracts, and ETH.
Should developers shifting from Web2 to Web3 have Java as a base?
You can enter the space from anywhere as long as you are motivated to learn and to give it some time and effort, anyone can do it. I know people who have picked up Solidity as their first ever programming language. If you’re a proficient programmer in another language or two picking up Solidity will be even easier.
What are your goals for Web3?
I want to see more women in this space. I want to see them at blockchain events. I want them to see Web3 as a place that women are welcome, and where they can have an influence. If you have this system that you want to be used by everyone in the world, it cannot be designed by a homogenous group. Web 2.0 was designed almost entirely by men, and if we are trying to build a system that changes the future; Web 3.0 needs diverse architects. Not just gender, but all sorts of diversity is important to ensure that you’ve considered every single instance of how the system might be used. You don’t want to design a system that’s only attractive to men because only men will use it.
Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author above do not necessarily represent the views of Consensys AG. ConsenSys is a decentralized community with ConsenSys Media being a platform for members to freely express their diverse ideas and perspectives. To learn more about ConsenSys and Ethereum, please visit our website.
