As an addition to our Women Rock platform, and as a socially responsible business, one of our focuses this year is to break down stigmas and to be more open and honest, so we asked our wonderful team to share stories of times in their lives where they have been ‘Rocked’.Any subject. Any content. No barriers.Every month we will post a story in the hope to reach out to others in similar or challenging situations to let them know that they are not alone, we all have difficulties in our lives and our stories will tell you how we dealt with and overcame them or simply learned to live with them.We all struggle. We all hurt. You are not alone. WHAT’S ROCKED YOU?This may be cringey and super blatant, but also relevant for so many. The craziest thing that’s happened to me, possibly in my life, has been covid; starting a new job and then lockdown straight away, seeing friends less, breaking up with my partner of 5+ years and generally changing my whole way of living.HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH IT?There were lots of ways which helped through this. I was probably one of few people who managed to cut down drinking a lot and got around 5-10 workouts a week done, this really helped me in the initial stages of lockdown. I was also fortunate enough to have a very amicable breakup which, although it wasn’t great, it could’ve been much worse and I had supportive friends around me to help. (for the record I gave up on that healthy lifestyle and I’m back to playing squash 2/3 times per week) but still very much doing my bit to keep pubs alive across Bristol.WHAT DID YOU LEARN?It’s good to take a step back sometimes and analyse a situation before jumping into either drinking too much or other destructive behaviour. Covid was/is no one’s fault (although there is controversy around that subject) so you need to try your very best to adapt to situations as best you can and to learn from them. If you have the right mindset you can find positives in any negative situation.WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OTHERS IN A SIMILAR SITUATION?Speak to friends/ family about your feelings on certain topics. I know it can be the hardest thing to do sometimes but being open is great and although ‘people’ get a bad reputation sometimes, there are loads of people out there who love to help and spread joy in the world. Lean on those people ❤ A voice for diversity in Tech & Engineering <3I: @womenrockbristolT: @womenrockbrstl

As an addition to our Women Rock platform, and as a socially responsible business, one of our focuses this year is to break down stigmas and to be more open and honest, so we asked our wonderful team to share stories of times in their lives where they have been ‘Rocked’.Any subject. Any content. No barriers.Every month we will post a story in the hope to reach out to others in similar or challenging situations to let them know that they are not alone, we all have difficulties in our lives and our stories will tell you how we dealt with and overcame them or simply learned to live with them.We all struggle. We all hurt. You are not alone. WHAT’S ROCKED YOU?From the age of about 6 till I was 14 my mum was very poorly with bowel cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. I had 4 older brothers, a dad who was at uni in London 4 days a week and my mum was primarily in hospitals which meant a lot of the time I spent with her growing up was in hospital.HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH IT?I was lucky enough that my mum was never a quitter! Regardless of her health she always stayed incredibly positive and confident she would get better and get home. This resonated with my brothers and myself massively and at times it was almost like we knew she would get better. I also had two teachers at primary school who were also wonder women for helping me to process emotions, understanding why I used to get so angry and upset and why I could be so disruptive and dealing with this behaviour in a supportive way. My brothers also played a huge role in looking after me when my dad was away, and mum was in hospital which I will always be grateful for!WHAT DID YOU LEARN?It sounds weird but in a way, I learned life isn’t easy. I also learned that life isn’t easy for everyone and that every single person wakes up with their own problems and their own stresses. It taught me to be grateful for all the good things I have in my life and to never focus on the negatives because that will only ever get you down! If you tackle a day by saying I will stop and recognise all the good things that happen to me today and not dwell on the bad things I have no control over, eventually you will find yourself going through every day in the most positive mindset possible. If in life you feel unlucky and hard done by you will spend every day only recognising those things you associate with your luck but if you force positive thoughts the power of the mind will surprise you.WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE PEOPLE IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS?I would say the best advice is to exude positivity at every turn and appreciate where you are lucky in life. I was very bad for feeling like all these things were only happening to me and I was completely alone in it all amongst my friends until I met someone who is one of my closest friends to this day. The friend I am talking abouts’ mum was also ill with bowel cancer at the same time as my mum but unfortunately wasn’t so lucky to win her fight. Over the years I have learnt that you are never alone, there is always someone out there who is going through more and you can either feel like the world is against you and be negative in life or you can appreciate all the good around you and believe in better days! If you believe they will come, they will ? A voice for diversity in Tech & Engineering <3I: @womenrockbristolT: @womenrockbrstl

As part of pride month we look back at some of our favourite Women Rock interviews and share the thoughts and advice from the incredible the ED&I entrepreneurs, founders and advocates that we have had the pleasure of meeting in our journey so far.Here’s what they have to say about what ED&I means to them, tips on how to build an inclusive workplace and why diversity is so important!❤️???????? ERIOL FOXhttps://sr2rec.co.uk/non-binaryrock/Turns out there are a whole lot of us non-binary folk and trans-gender folk in tech and we really need a platform to help cis-gendered people understand how to interact with us (hint: like you would any other person, with respect and kindness) just don’t ask us what genitals we have or who we’re attracted to and we’ll get along fine.Blind CV’s and hiring people for diversity of thought and experience are the way forward.Let’s remove the name, education & the origin and focus on the life experience, dedication and attitude that people can bring to the table!BRUCE HUGHEShttps://sr2rec.co.uk/bruce/Accountability: you need it. Someone or something has to be accountable for the goals, and there needs to be a clear and transparent plan for reaching them. We came up with some definitions for diversity and inclusion, made sure that everyone was onboard with the reasons it’s important and understood that D&I benefits everyone, and then we built the roadmap together.FRANCES BURTONhttps://sr2rec.co.uk/francesjisc/We’re taking steps to cast our net more widely to attract talent from the widest possible pool. That means, for example, placing job ads in different media, wording them differently and being less prescriptive about the skills we’re looking for. Technical skills can always be taught to promising candidates who have aptitude and a range of other useful skills that transfer into this environment. Their different perspectives may well give us fresh ways of looking at problems.SIMONE BARTLEYhttps://sr2rec.co.uk/jisc/Diversity is not about quotas, it is exciting. Gaining true representation creates more rounded, innovative, dynamic and impactful products, actions and solutions. That benefits everyone.PAUL FORSTERhttps://sr2rec.co.uk/paulforster/The most challenging part of any EDI work is patience. It’s not necessarily challenging to bring people round to understanding why more inclusive teams good business sense are, however it’s a continuous long term process and nothing happens overnight.LISA MATTHEWShttps://sr2rec.co.uk/lisamatthews/We need to fix the inherent structural reasons that make the landscape of opportunity disproportionately favourable or difficult to one gender or another. We need to fix decision making. We need to fix bias, conscious or otherwise, in systems and processes. And for me this comes down to better diversity right from the top down.LEESA KINGMANhttps://sr2rec.co.uk/leesa/If companies understand that D&I has a positive impact on the bottom line rather than it just being a tick box exercise. Diverse teams come up with the best solutions.SUSAN BARNEhttps://sr2rec.co.uk/susanbarne/Companies need to be aware of the diverse needs of all their employees and adapt their Company culture and work environment to ensure the longevity of the employee-employer relationship.KATIE ANDREWShttps://sr2rec.co.uk/katie-a/In an ideal world, a truly diverse and inclusive workplace should be a melting pot of cultures, ethnicity, socio-economic backgrounds, religion, language, gender, orientation, age. Everything that makes humans unique, under one accessible roof. So far in my career, I’ve never really worked anywhere truly like that, but some places have been better than others. There will always be work to do.TIFF DAWSONhttps://sr2rec.co.uk/tiffdawson/If we can get more people working in different industries to visit schools and tell them about what their days look like, school aged humans will be better equipped to decide amongst a wider range of jobs. The problem with STEM jobs is that it’s so hard for children to imagine what their future would be like, as opposed to doctors, teachers and other professions they’ve interacted with first hand.SARAH BEHARRYhttps://sr2rec.co.uk/sarahbeharry/Workplaces should make it clear that all of the ways people can be different are expected and accepted. They can do this by demonstrating quietly, but constantly, that people are accommodated for what they need without it being a big deal. Things like flexible working, and varied social groups can help, but there are lots of things (big and small) that can be doneGILL LOVEhttps://sr2rec.co.uk/gilllove/I don’t think any of this is easy, it is extremely hard for anyone not to have some degree of unconscious bias, but this is where we need to be really honest with ourselves and ensure that we question ourselves when dealing with others.CARLY BRITTONhttps://sr2rec.co.uk/carlybritton1/Look at the pictures and language that you use on your website, jobs ads and social media. Would working for you be attractive to all candidates? If I am applying for a job at your organisation, I want to see diversity represented; different genders, race, sexualities, ages and disabilities. Avoid using masculine-oriented words like Ambitious, Dominant, Ninja and Rock Star.OLLIE SHARPEhttps://sr2rec.co.uk/olliesharpe/We want a diverse team because that breeds good results, it’s about taking the best person for the job, but also realising that the best person isn’t always the one that looks, thinks, or behaves like you. A voice for diversity in Tech & Engineering <3I: @womenrockbristolT: @womenrockbrstl

As an addition to our Women Rock platform, and as a socially responsible business, one of our focuses this year is to break down stigmas and to be more open and honest, so we asked our wonderful team to share stories of times in their lives where they have been ‘Rocked’.Any subject. Any content. No barriers.Every month we will post a story in the hope to reach out to others in similar or challenging situations to let them know that they are not alone, we all have difficulties in our lives and our stories will tell you how we dealt with and overcame them or simply learned to live with them.We all struggle. We all hurt. You are not alone. WHAT’S ROCKED YOU?Having a baby. I wasn’t prepared for the emotional and physical toll it would have on me. I struggled massively in the first year, especially in the first 6 months. I was terrified that I was getting PND and the guilt was unbearable as I had this gorgeous little boy but I felt so unhappy for chunks of time.HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH IT?I was lucky to have a big support network around me. I was very open with my NCT group and kept speaking to people about it. I enjoyed the small wins like getting out for a walk, seeing a friend, eating a meal in peace and that cute smile ?.WHAT DID YOU LEARN?I wasn’t alone and it was better to be open and cry if I needed to cry. I learned that I need a break sometimes, to re-charge however I still struggle to follow that lesson.WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OTHERS IN A SIMILAR SITUATION?Reach out to other parents, it’s not spoken about enough but if you are open then others will be open with the problems that they are experiencing. Ask for help, there is a lot about. It WILL pass, one day you will just realise that you feel happy and content in your crazy new world. A voice for diversity in Tech & Engineering <3I: @womenrockbristolT: @womenrockbrstl

A few weeks ago, we came across the brilliant Leesa Kingman, who was talking at a “Girls Into Coding” event.With an already impressive outreach into Diversity in Tech and being someone who has climbed to the top of her career ladder, having held senior positions in the world of Electronics & Software Engineering, there was no one better to have part of our blog.Leesa believes in approaching D&I in the right way, including all and excluding none. Read her insight into the world of Engineering below…SO INTRODUCE US TO YOU…I am an Embedded Team Lead, I work for a company called Arralis in Swindon. I have spent 20 years in industry after studying Computer Systems Engineering at the University Of Sussex. I grew up in a small town of Midsomer Norton near Bath. I never realised I was unusual until I got to university to discover I was 1 of 4 engineers in a cohort of 200! Engineering has been a rewarding and interesting career. No two days are the same and there is always something new learn. I like to spent my time supporting STEM by talking to girls about engineering, supporting activities in school and generally promoting what a great career choice it is.WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO APPROACH PEOPLE ABOUT DIVERSITY TO GET THEM ON BOARD?Open a conversation and engage who you are talking to. Don’t lecture but ask for opinions so you can have a discussion on the topic. Taking your time to understand where someone else is coming from is so important. How can I expect someone to listen to me if I don’t give that person the same courtesy? Do not exclude men from the conversation is so important. There are so many groups that see men as the issue and create a group just for women. You are not going to solve anything by excluding people.HOW HAVE YOU NAVIGATED COVID AND BEING A WORKING MUM?There has been highs and lows! Being able to work from home was a great advantage. Trying to juggle meetings and helping with home schooling was difficult at times but finding times of the day where I could focus on work or focus on home schooling definitely helped. Realising you cannot do everything at once and finding a balance allowed me to do both effectively rather than feeling I was failing at both!TO DATE, WE’VE FOUND THAT YOUR MORE TRADITIONAL ENGINEERING ENVIRONMENTS ARE SLOWER TO EMBRACE D&I THAN YOUR STANDARD TECH. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?I think some of this is down to linking the reason why. If companies understand that D&I has a positive impact on the bottom line rather than it just being a tick box exercise. Diverse teams come up with the best solutions. There are less females in traditional engineering environments so less champions in management positions.EDUCATION HAS A HUGE IMPACT ON HOW DIVERSE SUBJECTS ARE. DO YOU THINK ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS COULD BE DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY TO HAVE A BETTER IMPACT?I don’t think schools understand what engineering is, careers advice is limited to what is understood. Teaching the curriculum with real world applications will not only inspire, but allow children and young people to learn better. If you can relate what is being taught to something in real life, it is remembered and understood so much more easily. My daughter understands what an engineer is and that it isn’t a male profession. We are limiting our future generations by having male/female jobs.ANY ADVICE FOR YOUNG ASPIRING ENGINEERS?Believe in yourself, get as much information as you can via people in industry, work experience, internet research, attend course/eventsTOP TIPS FOR STAYING SANE THROUGHOUT LOCKDOWNS?Finding some me time, getting out and exercising.QUOTE OF THE DAY?Don’t let anyone make you lose your voice and listen to others… You have valid thoughts and opinions. It took me a long time to find mine but now I won’t allow anyone to quieten it. Thank you Leesa for sharing your thoughts and story with us… you rock! #womenrockInterview by Charles HoskinsA voice for diversity in Tech & Engineering <3I: @womenrockbristolT: @womenrockbrstl

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Establishing equality is a top challenge that the entire human society is facing at the moment. Businesses, managers and individuals – actually anyone can play a significant role in this regard by working on D&I strategies in life and in the workplace.In the workplace, equality is making sure people are given equal opportunities, equal pay and are well accepted for their differences. It is about fostering a safe, secure and inclusive environments where people with diverse backgrounds can thrive.WE WANTED TO ASK FOLK, WHAT DOES DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION MEAN TO YOU?”D&I is more than just filling a quota or to be used as a CSR bragging piece. Your company, organisation or team should make people know they belong here and are valued — not that they are allowed to be here because they have permission, which maybe be withdrawn at any moment. Empower the historically underrepresented by giving them power — real power! No mentoring, just paid positions. Trust them, give them room to fail and they will succeed.” Jay Smith – Legal Engineer @ Stephenson Law  ”Diversity is getting to work alongside and learn from people of all different backgrounds and experiences – and inclusion is celebrating this! It’s allowing people to bring their whole self to the table, whether it be their culture, work experience, personality type or just uniqueness, and feel like they belong. Then using this to come up with some amazing ideas together and do some pretty cool things!!”Amy Vitoria – Talent Partner @ OVO Energy  ”To me, diversity and inclusion means being able to build technology that works for everyone. A diverse team is able to draw from a more varied experience when evaluating how a service can be used and abused. This impacts how services are designed and built, who they serve and it makes them more resilient to external changes and challenges.”Bruno Girin – CTO & Cofounder @ imby.bio ”To understand diversity is to be open minded to the different realities that affect people every day all over the world. Inclusivity is realising that one size does not fit all. Recognising diversity can be difficult at times, even when you know the headlines (gender, sexual orientation, disability etc), unless you become exposed to it. And to gain exposure we need to create meaningful human connections with others. When we then care for each other we become ready to be inclusive, recognising the needs, challenges and joys of each other and adapting our environment and behaviours to create a better place to share together.”Borja Lazaro Toralles – Software Engineer  “Diversity is recognising the value of bringing together voices representing a wide range of experiences and perspectives. Inclusion is striving to continuously improve our workplace so that these diverse voices arrive and thrive.”Mark Wood – Software Development Manager @ Brightpearl  “Diversity & Inclusion is everything, both in the workplace, in our communities and in our everyday lives. It is ensuring that we create the right environment for everyone, where everybody feels safe, both physically and psychologically, and can be their true selves. It’s where everyone feels included, heard, seen and valued. It’s about valuing everyone as an individual, celebrating our differences and the things that make us unique.”  Emily Perrett – HR Manager @ NMI  ”For me, D&I is about breaking down the barriers for entry into software as a profession, and ensuring that our colleagues are never made to feel like they don’t belong. I’m thinking about this a lot at the moment, as I’m currently building up a new software team at Context. I want to make sure we get the right people for the job, and ensure they feel welcome and are able to do their best work. We’re taking practical steps like not requiring candidates to have a degree, and checking the language used in our job adverts for gender bias, but this is just the start. We sadly still hear many examples of inappropriate behaviours across our industry, and I’m not naïve enough to think that we will never encounter these in our company. I think the most important thing here is creating a culture where people are able to call out negative behaviours when they see them, and where people can share their experiences openly and without fear of repercussion. I’m in no doubt that building and maintaining such a culture will require constant work, but I’m sure it will be worth it.” Andrew Briggs – Software Architect @ Context  ”Diversity is what makes my hometown the greatest city in the world (New York). It’s what breaks down barriers and opens our minds. It’s what dismantles racism, sexism, and xenophobia. Embracing diversity shouldn’t begin and end out there in the world. It should inform how we view every interaction, especially in the workplace. This leads to different though perspectives, which in turn can lead to ground breaking products and businesses. At Deed, this is at the core of our hiring process and I have to say it’s not easy. But when you are deliberate about it, it is definitely possible.” Deevee Kashi – CEO @ Deed #womenrockThank you all for sharing your thoughts, more to come next week.By Alicia TeagleA voice for diversity in Tech & Engineering <3I: @womenrockbristolT: @womenrockbrstl

IT’S FATE ?I first came across Kate Maunsell and Sam Chamberlen at Sotic through an article exactly this time last year for International Women’s Day 2020. To say it resonated with me is an understatement. Kate provided purposeful insight around ‘bro’ culture and provided the world with encouragement and guidance on what it’s like to be a woman within the tech industry.And then we saw Kate’s rock band, so… OF COUSE Women Rock just HAD to reach out ?And by her side has been Sam. Sam’s has been with Sotic for close to 9 years and has been at the front-line regarding hiring, HR and other workplace-background admin. She has witnessed the cultural change experienced by the business and the industry over the years, before and since the pandemic.This interview gives you a wedge of encouragement and knowledge with a side of Cher.KATE, LET’S START WITH HOW YOU STARTED A CAREER IN TECH? I took a bit of a messy route to my current role! Graduating with a MA in History of Sexuality, then moving through roles as an archivist, publican, musician, project manager and finally an accountant! It was this latter experience that led me into tech as a Head of Finance. At first it was a huge culture shock, I felt totally out of my depth. However, I took the time to listen and learn and quite quickly I began to understand and appreciate the joy and power of digital technology. It’s important that young women realise that tech isn’t just about developers, there are many rewarding positions that require a host of transferable skills. My diverse background has been a strength, in that it allows me to step out of the narrow view and think more objectively. I ask the silly questions and, more often than not, find they’re actually sensible! The tech sector attracts innovative, exciting people and I feel very lucky to be working with them.SAM, BEING IN THE FRONT-LINE AS SOTIC’S HR MANAGER HOW ARE YOU ENCOURAGING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION ACROSS THE BUSINESS?Obviously, we must avoid the legal pitfalls of positive discrimination so it’s hard to attract a diverse candidate pool in a traditionally male-dominated industry. However, we consider every CV speaks for itself: gender, socio-economic position or religion play no part in the decision-making process. What we can do is visibly and vocally change the traditional culture and subvert expectations of working in tech. A ground-up approach may be long-term but it’s a solid solution.KATE, YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR ARTICLE LAST YEAR THAT YOU WERE ASKED TO “PLAY THE DUMB BLONDE” BY A SENIOR MANAGER – HOW DID THIS EFFECT YOU/DID IT MAKE YOU STRONGER/HOW DID THIS MAKE YOU FEEL?At the time I had achieved significant success in improving company performance and to be reduced so summarily was both insulting and infuriating. I was livid at the implication that my male colleagues, people I felt admired and respected me, would buy the ‘dumb’ act! However, perhaps the most gallingly ignorant remark I’ve had levelled at me is the insidiously misogynistic ‘basically, you’re a man’. This ‘compliment’ is bestowed upon me with the expectation that I will be hugely flattered at the comparison! The suggestion being that any femaleness would preclude me from being an effective leader.We have a responsibility to challenge this careless language, whilst reminding ourselves that these words are rarely spoken with malice. I think by demonstrating that strength is gained not through fear and dominance but through humility and empathy (Jacinda Ardern is a perfect example of this!) female leaders are contesting the outdated perception that authority and leadership is the exclusive preserve of the masculine.SAM, WHY DO YOU FEEL THERE’S A LACK OF FEMALES IN LEADERSHIP ROLES ACROSS THE TECH INDUSTRY?Referring to my previous answer, I believe that historically women have not been attracted to the industry per se. Allow me to give you a brief history lesson: the 1960s counter-culture [hippie] scene of San Francisco bore the seeds that grew into Silicon Valley, and the exploitative prevailing mindset did not change: that women were subordinate to men and mainly considered a supply of uncommitted sexual gratification. Tech’s roots are therefore androcentric, placing men at the centre of the world-view; the industry has had a long way to come. It’s important to say that feminism was another off-shoot of the counter-culture and as in the field of technology, we’re making great progress. I hope now is the time that the two dovetail – great advances in technology led by people with vision and clarity of communication, irrespective of gender.KATE, DO YOU FEEL AS THOUGH THE PANDEMIC HAS CREATED MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN WHO HAVE HAD CHILDREN DUE TO HOME WORKING, REMOTE WORKING ETC?I think it has both created opportunities and exposed gender bias. The pandemic has proved that flexible and remote working is both possible and effective and I hope this will open up greater opportunities for women with childcare commitments. I’m proud that the tech sector has pioneered this, with remote working a common contractual offering. However, in the families of some of my network there has been an expectation that the women, even where they’re the higher earner, should manage the lion’s share of the childcare. Male friends of mine have been less supported by their employers when it comes to flexible working and childcare commitments. We’re getting there, but in some sectors there still exists the assumption that ‘the woman’ should and will take care of the children.SAM, IF YOU HAD 30 SECONDS TO ADVISE ALL YOUNG WOMEN ACROSS THE GLOBE AROUND A CAREER IN TECH – WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?I’d say, carefully consider where you want to be – front-end, back-end or architecture. Each favours its own particular skillset and personality type and delivers its own reward. If you want to be a designer, what better validation than to have your work seen by millions? If you’re more of a programmer, you could be the author of the next global scripting language. Once you’ve decided where you’re going, constantly apply yourself to learning – this is a fast-paced world. And finally, don’t doubt that you can do it. You can!KATE, WHO’S YOUR INSPIRATION?I’m inspired by those women who have challenged expectations of femininity. Loud, brave, angry women like AOC, and pioneering women like Bessie Coleman and Valentina Tereshkova.A perhaps less lofty aspiration, but something that struck me as a teenager; I remember seeing Cher interviewed, bemoaning the fact that her mother wanted her to marry a rich man. Cher replies by saying ‘mother, I AM a rich man’!SAM – WHAT’S BEEN GETTING YOU THROUGH THIS THIRD LOCKDOWN?I hesitate to answer because I know this will sound disingenuous but it’s the truth – my friendship with Kate is helping massively. I consider this a time to strengthen the bonds that mean most to us, even though we have to do that remotely. I like to think that Kate and I have a very open, communicative relationship and having her in my life as my friend, boss and collaborator makes work, and life, sweeter.Kate – I’d echo that!AND BOTH – SHARE YOUR WISDOM! PLEASE PROVIDE A MANTRA OR QUOTE THAT YOU LIVE BY, OR JUST LIKE FOR THE SAKE OF IT.Sam – Marcus Aurelius: You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.Kate – When I first entered the business world, I thought I had to be a man to beat a man. Much like the women referenced in Ariel Levy’s Female Chauvinist Pigs, I felt I had to pull on a power suit, join in with the bro culture and, essentially, hide my femaleness. However, I’m pleased to say I’ve witnessed huge changes in the corporate sector over the last 20 years, and I see that companies are recognising that diversity is, in fact, a strength. We’ve all felt the pull to fit in, but your authenticity and uniqueness is your power. In tech, where we’re creating products for hugely diverse demographics, only those business that recognise this, will succeed.Thank you both for sharing this with us, keep rocking!#womenrockBy Char Baker A voice for diversity in Tech & Engineering <3I: @womenrockbristolT: @womenrockbrstl

I had the pleasure of speaking with Dalgis Diaz Leon, who is an inspiring woman working in tech and also a female leader. She tells us the funny story of how she used to sneak into her parents Object Orientated Programming lectures they taught at University when they were back in Cuba, which is how she first fell in love with programming and computers! She also opens up about her struggles with taming her curly hair (which is fabulous by the way!) and gives some brilliant advice to women everywhere that you don’t have to compromise on your professional goals and becoming a mother – she says “you don’t have to compromise, you have the duty and the right to look after yourself!”. Get ready to smile, laugh and nod along whilst reading this interview with Dalgis, who is truly an inspiration for women in technology everywhere.HEY DALGIS, THANKS SO MUCH FOR TAKING PART IN A WOMEN ROCK INTERVIEW – COULD YOU TELL US HOW YOU FIRST GOT STARTED IN TECHNOLOGY?Thank you for having me! Well, both my parents used to teach Object Oriented Programming in university when we lived in Cuba, so in that sense, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. I started sneaking into their lectures when I was fourteen and -in addition to getting an exclusive peak of mum and dad in work mode- I became rather fascinated with programming and computers.IT’S GREAT TO SEE A FEMALE IN A LEADERSHIP POSITION, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR MANAGEMENT/LEADERSHIP STYLE AND WHAT WOULD YOU SAY YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT THE JOB?I guess my style is largely relaxed and supportive, but firm. I encourage my teammates to be as self-sufficient as possible while working at their own speed in their own style. I’m always happy to provide support if they need it and they know they can come to me if they want my assistance when dealing with situations that fall out of their comfort zone. And this is one of the things I enjoy most: lending my voice in circumstances that make others uncomfortable and that would’ve otherwise gone unaddressed. It is also somewhat self-serving as it puts my rebellious streak to good use. In exchange for all that freedom and support, I hold them to high standards as individuals and as engineers.IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME AND GIVE YOUR 13-YEAR-OLD SELF SOME ADVICE, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL HER?To be honest, my 13-year-old self was doing pretty well at school and life in general. I’d definitely tell her to learn how to handle curly hair though; that was a mess.YOU’VE BEEN WORKING AS A SOFTWARE ENGINEER FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU ENJOY SO MUCH ABOUT CODING?I love the mental puzzle and the logical thinking aspect of it. The capacity for abstraction that it demands sort of taps into parts of my personality that don’t get as stimulated with other tasks. I was very into maths as a child so programming came as a natural transition, and if I’m honest, I truly hope I’m still writing code when I retire.From a more practical sense, I also like the concept of being able to communicate with a machine and engineer solutions to my own problems. And I do find debugging errors quite thrilling. Even with memory issues. Even if I pretend I don’t.I FIND THAT THERE ARE MANY WOMEN WHO FEEL AS THOUGH THEY MUST CHOOSE BETWEEN THEIR ROLE AS A MOTHER OR THEIR CAREER – WHY DO YOU THINK THIS IS AND WHAT WOULD YOU TELL PEOPLE IN THAT POSITION?I think as a society we make women feel like children are their main responsibility and mainly their responsibility. Having children doesn’t suddenly negate your value as a person or your individuality. You are more than someone’s mum, and as such, you have the right, and almost the duty, to look after yourself. Whether that means nurturing your career, being a mother, or both, you don’t have to compromise, and no one has the right to make you feel inadequate for having ambitions.AT SR2, WE HAVE AN AMBITION/GOAL TO MAKE BRISTOL KNOWN AS THE ‘MOST DIVERSE CITY FOR TECH BY 2025’ – DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR US AND OTHER TECH COMPANIES ON HOW THEY CAN ACHIEVE THIS?Bristol is a pretty awesome city, so if anyone can do it’s us!There is great value in looking inwards for answers. Consider the language your company uses during the recruitment process. Is there an opportunity there where bias can be removed and gendered words that might be putting women off from applying?Start community programs to encourage young girls to pursue technical degrees. We are limited in what we can do to significantly impact the diversity of the workforce as is, but we can encourage the younger generation to widen their horizons. That paradigm shift needs to come at a young age.Consider hosting technical events like meetups, hackathons or workshops, targeted at women and non-binary folk to provide the community with a safe space where they can nurture their technical skills.IF THERE WAS ONE THING YOU COULD CHANGE ABOUT THE INDUSTRY WHAT WOULD IT BE?Specifically to the software industry, it’d be good to shift away from the perception that developers are always sweaty guys in t-shirts who spend all their free time playing video games. Only half of my developer friends do that ;).HAVE YOU EVER FELT LIKE YOU’VE COME UP AGAINST SOME BARRIERS IN YOUR CAREER BECAUSE YOU’RE A WOMAN, AND WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE WHO MIGHT BE FACING THE SAME THING RIGHT NOW?I’ve come across my fair share of inappropriate behaviour and “vanilla” discrimination, ranging from objectification to sexual harassment to the perception that I’m not geeky enough to be a real developer. It took me a moment to shift from the de facto accommodating, almost fearful-of-consequences attitude to a more assertive mindset, but when I did, the right and wrong of each of those situations became much clearer. We’re conditioned to be non-challenging crowd-pleasers, and that’s just another form of suppression. So, be fearless, be strong. Be entitled to your own space and voice, it is yours by right, it is not a favour being done to you.IS THERE SOMEONE IN YOUR LIFE OR EVEN WITHIN THE TECH INDUSTRY THAT YOU LOOK UP TO AND TAKE INSPIRATION FROM?I tend to focus on individual traits that I admire, rather than revering the person itself. I find it leads to less disappointment! But there are some people…My mother is an Automation Engineer and got her Master’s degree while raising two children and looking after the house in a country with limited resources, as was the expectation in a very patriarchal society. My father carried the weight of the family on his shoulders when we moved from Cuba to Spain, with all the stress and uncertainty that entailed, to give my brother and me a better chance at achieving our dreams.There are also a couple of women in my current company -one fierce, one calm- of whom I admire their ability to push back on drama, assert themselves, and carve their space in what is a very male dominated field.WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD BE THE BIGGEST THING TECH COMPANIES COULD DO TO ATTRACT MORE WOMEN? AND I GUESS, IF IT WAS YOU LOOKING – WHAT WOULD ATTRACT YOU TO A COMPANY?A big one for this is to advertise the perks that would allow women to remain part of the workforce after motherhood e.g. enhanced maternity pay, flexible hours, parental leave, etc. While this is something that will benefit everyone with children, childcare more often falls under women’s responsibilities, and anything that can be done to make it easier for them to not have to choose between their careers and motherhood will ultimately keep more valuable professionals in the market.Give more visibility to the women in your environment. Reconsider the images and other marketing material your company uses. It is not about misrepresenting the truth, but about giving potential candidates someone they can identify with, and a way to assess whether they’re likely to feel included and understood when they join.FINALLY, COULD YOU LEAVE US WITH YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE?“Power is not given to you. You have to take it.” I think Beyoncé said that, but this applies to everything: pay rises, promotions, opportunities; don’t assume they’ll be given to you just because you deserve it, you have to ask for it, you have to take it.Thanks so much for sharing this with us Dalgis, keep rocking!#womenrockBy Steph Jackson A voice for diversity in Tech & Engineering <3I: @womenrockbristolT: @womenrockbrstl