Women in Technology — From Calgary to Melbourne
Women have been spreading their creativity and industry know-how into the technology sector for quite some time — but a gap in the industry still exists. This year in Melbourne, I — a Calgary girl — attended the Tech-Formation conference. The event was hosted by The League of Extraordinary Women and was all about bringing real stories to the table and inspiring the women in the room to “run the world”. The conference included speakers Jess Hatzis, co-founder and creative director of frank body as well as the more tech-savvy Nicole Kersh, founder of The Content Folk. Entrepreneurship and authenticity spearheaded the day’s themes, yet discussions weren’t without the overshadowing topic of inclusivity and the hope of diversifying a somewhat male-dominated industry.
Nicole Kersh first brought the topic of inclusivity to the table as she shared her story of building her first business, 4Cabling, within a male-dominated industry. OpenPay, an attendee of the event, shares their surprise of Nicole’s story stating, “Nicole Kersh from The Content Folk pretended to be a middle-aged man to be taken seriously in starting her first business and this is exactly why we need The League of Extraordinary Women”.
Hearing about Nicole’s journey of building 4Cabling was both humbling and disheartening. Her story revealed that being vulnerable is a key factor in reaching your authentic “Mr. Whippy Moment”, but it also affirms the assumption that women in technology and other male-dominated industries are still struggling for support, even in Australia. Furthermore, Kevin Abosch, a visual artist, has taken the plunge towards bringing women in technology to the forefront, unveiling his latest photographs of the highest-ranking women in tech. Abosch explains his inspiration for this series stating,
“[I was] looking at the data and you had all these kids — it was 50/50 boys and girls — until age 11. And then, 99% of the girls drop off. It was so freaky, it was shocking, I never looked at my portraits of women in technology the same way after that.” Business Insider
All over the world, the topic of women in technology is beginning to emerge, and with it bring discussions of diversity, inclusion, authenticity, and the fight for a more welcoming working landscape. Shahirah Gardner, a speaker on the startup panel at Tech-Formation, responded to the question “What does success look like to you?” with an interesting statement — to her, success was “Willing to give up everything ordinary to do something extraordinary”, but would a man say the same thing? Probably not, and that is what women are fighting to change.
Being a woman should not be something individuals have to hide in order to become successful, but rather something to embrace and be proud of. The Tech-Formation conference touched on this quite expertly as they offered cupcakes during a mid-day break stating, “You can’t have an entirely female event without having cupcakes”. This simple statement demonstrated their support for women in technology, and their hope to empower those in the room to understand what they represent and be proud of it.
Being proud of your own diversity is a difficult task, yet it is time that women take the chance and embrace what makes them different. The Tech-Formation conference was a day filled with realizations — it was an exploration of the diverse nature of each and every individual’s ventures and the power of inclusion. Nicki Curtis finished her industry panel with an inspiring message to the industry,
“Diversity is being asked to the party, inclusion is being asked to dance” Nicki Curtis, 2018 Tech-Formation
Yes, women have been part of the technology industry for quite some time, but how many of them really feel as though they are part of the team? Organization’s like The League of Extraordinary Women and Chic Geek all have the goal of breaking this cycle — to create an environment where women no longer have to hide behind fake identities or be hindered by the label of their gender. Are you ready to take the first step and ask for what you deserve? Because, as Jess Hatzis expertly stated in her ending remarks, “If you never ask, the answer will always be no.” Check out Chic Geek’s latest opportunities and you too could be part of the change!
