Closing the gender gap in tech: what we can do

Join us at Leeds Digital Festival as we hear from female developers at AND on their journey into tech, the challenges they faced, and what we can do as a community to build more inclusive and diverse organisations where women can thrive. We’ll also discuss some of the fantastic initiatives that are helping to encourage young women and girls into tech, such as AND’s work with Ahead Partnership. We’ll also spotlight our AND She Can series, which is an integral part of our work in building a diverse company and tech industry by empowering and enabling female talent.

Agenda

• Welcome & intro - Diane Erskine
• Celebrating female Developers in tech - Sabira Damji
• Diversity & Inclusion - AND’s women in tech - Julie Goodinsonkinder
• Ahead partnership: working with young women in tech - Gareth Bel
• AND She Can - Mihir Badiani
• Gender initiatives in recruitment - Sophie Hallam
• Q&A.

Speakers

Julie Goodinson-Kinder

Chief for Technology AND Electronic Musician

Julie is a Squad Lead working as part of Club Murray and also works as a delivery lead on Client engagements. Julie has over 15 years experience in working in IT and is passionate about improving the accessibility of Tech for Women and under-represented groups. She leads the Women in Tech group within Club Murray

Mihir Badiani

Senior Product Analyst AND Curry Connoisseur

Mihir is an experienced Product Manager with a history of working with leaders in Finance, e-commerce and real estate. He is passionate about ensuring equal opportunities for everyone and Tech for Good. He has been an active member of AND She Can, working towards breaking myths and encouraging more women to share his passion for Tech.

Sabira Damji

Product developer AND foodie

After studying Computer Engineering at York University in Toronto, Canada, Sabira has accrued over ten years of international experience working across various sectors and with different technology stacks. She is a full-stack developer who thrives on learning new languages and keeping up with the latest innovations. In her downtime, Sabira enjoys reading, food, and travelling.

Ruta Baltiejute

Product Developer AND Old Lady

Ruta is a developer that came into the industry through non-traditional means. She has worked on projects ranging from social media startups to Insurance as a Service. Ruta is passionate about supporting women in tech and has founded Equal Tech within AND to provide a free pathway into the industry for individuals who want it.

Gareth Bell

Product Analyst AND Allotmenteer

Gareth Bell is a product analyst with a passion for human-centred design. As a member of AND's Social, Ethics and Inclusion Committee, he is equally driven by AND's strong sense of social purpose and works with local community groups and charities to help maximise AND's impact in this area.

We look forward to seeing you there!