{"id":10937,"date":"2026-01-06T12:40:52","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T12:40:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/?post_type=womenrock&#038;p=10937"},"modified":"2026-01-20T12:44:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T12:44:13","slug":"welcome-to-2026-a-note-from-alicia","status":"publish","type":"womenrock","link":"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/en\/womenrock\/welcome-to-2026-a-note-from-alicia\/","title":{"rendered":"Welcome to 2026: A note from Alicia&#8230;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>This time two years ago, I had just been invited to join a panel hosted by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/vanessain\/in\">Vanessa In <\/a>on the topic: <em>\u201cI work in tech, but I\u2019m not technical.\u201d\u00a0<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the time, one stat really stuck with me &#8211; around 43% of jobs in tech aren\u2019t technical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fast forward to today&#8230;. with rapid advances in AI, the rise of no-code and low-code tools, and the success of platforms like Lovable, that number is only going to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tech is no longer just for coders &#8211; and this is a really good thing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because widening the ways people enter tech is one of the most powerful levers we have to improve equity, diversity and inclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few stats that matter:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>43% of roles in tech are non-technical<\/strong>\u00a0&#8211; spanning product, delivery, growth, partnerships, ops, sales, marketing and people<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Women currently make up\u00a0<strong>~26% of the tech workforce<\/strong>, but are significantly more represented in non-technical and hybrid roles<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Teams with greater gender and ethnic diversity are\u00a0<strong>25\u201336% more likely to outperform<\/strong>\u00a0their peers financially<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>As AI and no-code tools accelerate, long-standing barriers like \u201cyou must code\u201d are falling &#8211; opening tech careers to people from more diverse socioeconomic, educational and career backgrounds<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When tech stops gatekeeping who belongs, we unlock:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More women<br>More career-switchers<br>More neurodiverse talent<br>More lived experience<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And ultimately: better products, better decisions and better outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>ED&amp;I in tech isn\u2019t just about hiring different people. It\u2019s about valuing different perspectives, and non-technical roles are a critical part of that shift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s why I\u2019m <em>so<\/em> excited to kick off <strong>Women Rock 2026<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/womenrock\/you-dont-need-to-be-technical-to-lead-in-tech-stacey-vickers\/?utm_source=linkedin&amp;utm_medium=social\">starting with <strong>Stacey Vickers<\/strong>.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not every career in tech starts with code, and Stacey is a powerful example of why that matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Head of Growth &amp; Strategic Partnerships at Transform, Stacey plays a pivotal role in bringing people, ideas and capabilities together to solve complex challenges across the public sector. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With a background far removed from technology, she\u2019s built a career grounded in curiosity, trust and connection, working side-by-side with highly technical teams without needing to be the technical expert herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In our interview, Stacey shares:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Her unconventional path into tech consultancy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How she\u2019s built credibility in male-dominated environments<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Why non-technical perspectives aren\u2019t just welcome in tech &#8211; they\u2019re essential<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve ever thought <em>\u201cI don\u2019t belong in tech because I don\u2019t code\u201d<\/em> &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/womenrock\/you-dont-need-to-be-technical-to-lead-in-tech-stacey-vickers\/?utm_source=linkedin&amp;utm_medium=social\">this one\u2019s for you.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Join the community<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ve already showcased over 200+ incredible stories around ED&amp;I in tech \u2013&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/sr2rec.com\/women-rock\/\"><strong>check them out.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have a story to share, we want to hear it!&nbsp;<strong>Drop us an email at&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:hello@womenrock.tech\">hello@womenrock.tech<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":10944,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false},"womenrock-category":[],"womenrock-tag":[173],"class_list":{"0":"post-10937","1":"womenrock","2":"type-womenrock","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"womenrock-tag-womenrock"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - 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