“There is not just a place for you and your story in tech, but value all that you bring to the table.” – Lindsay Rootare
A fantastic day at the Women in Business NI Tech conference at Titanic Belfast today. It was a jam-packed day where speakers and panellists focussed on ‘Transforming Tech Together’!
Hosted by the inspiring Emer Maguire, Lindsay Rootare of Slice, kicked off the first session of the day sharing how her path led her into Tech. During the session, Lindsay explained why she believes that anyone can work in tech and how their stories can translate into a place in the industry. Lindsay’s session was followed by a panel discussion where speakers, Collette Kidd of Kainos, Moira Watson of Queens University and Sapphire Duffy of Women Who Code, discussed what can be done to change the stereotype in the industry.
Dr Nidhi Simmons, a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow at the Centre for Wireless Innovation, also led an inspiring session where she discussed promoting women in STEM. The panel discussion following Dr Nidhi Simmon’s session was just as inspiring. Emma Lidgett of Kainos, Adriana Morvaiova and Valentina Videva of Sensata Technologies, Nicola Neils of AllState NI and Lorrain Acheson from Women in Business, spoke about authenticity in the workplace where they encouraged attendees to ‘just be yourself'.
The final session with speaker, Caroline Bedford (Chief Executive at EDII), focussed on ‘The Rise of the Generalist in the Tech Specialist World. Caroline spoke about how skill and tech culture has evolved over the years and shared her experiences from her 30+ years in the industry.
The event proved to be truly empowering and thought-provoking for all attendees both in-person and online – it was fantastic to hear from and be in the room with so many passionate and inspiring women.
