With the Roller Commercial Team becoming some of Women In Tech's most recent attendees, we're only just uncovering just how powerful and immense the Nottingham technology event scene is. So when we got the chance to sit down with one of its forefront leads, Emma Seward - one of the minds behind Tech on Toast, Tech Nottingham, Women In Tech, Hack24 and many other projects - we couldn't resist finding out what inspired her to champion women in technology!
What made you choose Nottingham as your home for Women in Technology?
I think the main reason we chose to set one up in Nottingham was because we’d seen other ones around the country. It showed fantastic initiative, and it was really promising to see something fighting again the gender disparity in technology. If we could meet up in Nottingham, then it would help women in technology to feel elevated and highlighted, and encourage more technology companies to hire them. Another great side effect of setting it up in Nottingham is that we have the advantage of letting local women and technology professionals meet each other, and help friendships blossom.
How did Women in Tech begin? What’s its origin story?
So Women in Tech started in 2016, with Jessica White - who now works at Unidays. Tech Nottingham took it on and it serves at the umbrella organisation behind it and Tech on Toast. Our mission statement for Women in Tech is that we want to make Nottingham a better place to work and live in technology, which encourages us to keep it going successfully.
Tech Nottingham itself is definitely the longest running meetup organisation we work with, as it’s been going for 6 years now. Beginning with 7 or 8 people in a pub, after work, including my husband Andrew, it began to grow and grow until it needed more support and management. I joined a couple of years ago and took up the reigns, leading me to start Women in Technology. Monthly, it attracts 90 - 100 people, which is a huge achievement for a local meetup event. I think some of the key differences between the three events that we run i.e. Tech on Toast, Tech Nottingham and Women in Tech, is also the audience we reach - with Tech on Toast and Tech Nottingham being entirely open to everyone. Women in Tech is women specific, yet we always invite every gender to approach us and attend as well.
One of our most successful events is definitely our Student Outreach Programme, where we work with universities, and tech societies in particular. Going straight with the students of HackSoc at UoN, and DevSoc at Nottingham Trent, the main aim of our programme is to keep students in Nottingham after graduating. Every year we start afresh, and work with a new leadership team, as we try to reinforce that this is what’s happening in Nottingham, you are part of that tech community. Let’s meet together, come in a group, and engage.
So you created Women in Tech to give women a voice. Why do you think women are still marginalised in technology?
Historically, technology has been an all boys club, and we believe that this status quo needs to be challenged. Whether it comes down to confidence, or just learned behaviours, women in technology have always been forgotten in the fields of technology. I think changing that routine starts really young, as teachers need to do be educating young women and students on technology and on all available routes for them - not just coding, but in all areas of technology. We need to stop limiting women in tech and we need to, instead, shout about the successful women in technology that inspire us.
Who inspires you as a woman in technology?
Honestly, until recently I never considered myself a women in technology, because I don't have a background in tech. But I’ve been teaching myself recently to stop excluding myself from this category and to admit to myself that yes, I am a woman, and I work in technology.
But in terms of women who inspire me, it has to be the people I’ve met through the meetups. They’re also so inspirational, and they always have their own story of how they succeeded in this field. Jess White is another inspiration to me - I think she’s phenomenal. She started off doing neuroscience, then switched to computer science, and now she’s on all of the one to watch lists, she’s a real rising star in Nottingham. Jessica Rose is another fantastic person to keep an eye on, as she’s very supportive of the Nottingham tech groups. I also trust her as a friend, and I know that if I have a problem, I can always go to her for great advice.
What is your greatest achievement from Women in Technology?
Well this one is a little bit more recent, but I’ve just been included as a Person of Influence at TechNation. Up until a couple of years ago, Nottingham wasn’t mentioned in the TechNation documents. So this year we made an effort to get technation surveys out there, had a big spread coverage and we were determined to highlight the right people in the city. Somehow that led to myself being included in their list (which can be found here) which has to be a pretty big achievement!
Where do you plan to go next with the meet ups?
I think that someday it would be nice if Women in Tech didn’t need to exist. If women felt comfortable going to all of the events, and that we didn’t need a seperate platform for them to succeed. We could then wind it down and just support everyone together. But even if that did happen, I would be very sad to see it go - it’s my favourite event.
If I could do anything at all though, I would love to have a premise. A physical space in Nottingham with a coffee bar, a coworking space, meeting room - something that was solely for Tech Nottingham to exist in.
I also want us to begin introducing more training, to groups that don’t have access to that kind of technological environment. It would be great to reach out to even more people and to get them excited in technology.
So for you personally, in 10 years, where do you want to be?
On a personal level, I would love for us to own our own house, with a big garden where I could look after my bee hives with a cup of coffee in the mornings. I also want to do one more talk, as I did one talk on community and value of community last year, and although I swore never to do it again, I think it’s good to challenge myself sometimes.
I think my other goals might be a bit more manageable:
I want to like stilton. I feel like I'm missing out on a whole other level of cheese experience, and I want to train my palate to like stilton. So far it's an upward battle but I'm working on it. And it's gross. I also want to make a book about bees in the average suburban garden. I have tentative plans of working with a well known wildlife author/journalist (she's keen, she'll do the words, I'll provide the photography) so ten years gives us plenty of time!
If you want to find out more about Emma or any of her meet up events, then please don't hesitate to follow her at @MrsEmma on Twitter, or to email her at: emma@technottingham.com! Also, if you would like to be featured in one of our interviews, drop us an email about your innovative project or idea at nikki@rolleragency.co.uk!
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://rolleragency.co.uk/blog/interview-emma-seward-women-in-tech/