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Get Inspired Series: There are 100 Sexy Roles Women can take in the Tech Industry
The debate on Women & Technology is on, again! In 1986 on the European Conference on Women, Natural Sciences &Technology, a series of books was produced on the topic of Women Challenge Technology. And still in 2009, the debate is continuing, not less inflammatory and provoking.
The ‘Women in Tech’ panel at Techcrunch UK’s action packed Geek ‘ Rolla was the start of lively debate offline and online, between women bloggers, as Cate Sevilla of Bitch Buzz , entrepreneur Paul Walsh and the incendiary Telegraph journalist Milo Yiannopoulos. He even stated: men_perform_better_in_many_technology_jobs_must_we_apologise_for_that?
In order to change the debate from a “yes, we can” and “no, you cannot”- debate into a “yes, we do”, The NextWomen is starting a series of stories of women in tech, explaining what inspired them to work in the industry. The first woman to tell her story is Founder, CEO and serial entrepreneur Wendy White of Moonfruit.com and Gandi.net.
Who inspired you to get into TECH?
My mum has worked in IT for 30 yrs. She still does at 64. I got a glimpse of how exciting the industry can be and supportive of women’s careers even those with kids. My grandfather wouldn’t send my mother to university, there was limited money and only her brothers were sent. My mum became a nurse. My mother did it because it was the career path she was expected to take as a woman and the only thing my grandfather supported. Eventually she did an IT degree with 2 kids,working full time supported by my dad also a ‘geek’!
How were you educated in TECH?
I had an extremely enthusiastic maths/IT teacher at school, who encouraged me to study computer science at uni rather than natural sciences or something deemed more traditional for girls to study. Perhaps it was the one good thing about being at a girls school, we all believed there was nothing we shouldn’t or couldn’t do. My friends still thought I was a little crazy wanting to study computer science, ‘Isn’t it dull?’
How is your experience in the TECH world?
I’ve worked in manufacturing, finance and tech businesses and I’ve personally found the tech industry the most supportive. I’ve been equally supported by men and women and I love the fast pace, appetite for change and can do attitude of it’s communities.
It would be great to hear the stories that inspired other women to get into tech? Let’s get them out there for young women and men to read and change perception! There are 100’s of sexy roles women can take in the tech industry, the supposedly polar roles of developer and PR manager being only two of them.
@wendytanwhite
(Once upon a time developer, analyst, manager, head of marketing, CEO and now entrepreneur and mother)
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Extras
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See my blog article on “One women in tech and how to attract more” prompted by the Geek n’ Rolla controversy.
http://ciara-byrne.typepad.com/ceo_seeks_startup/2009/04/one-woman-in-tech-and-why-we-need-more-.html
The next stop on your blog map should be…..
We’re finding loads of good sites that we can all find use for, notably The Next Women. James got me the info on this, and it’s a fascinating read. Also worth a look is CEO Seeks Startup. Fellow ladygeeks, where……
[...] a series of stories of women in tech, explaining what inspired them to work in the industry. Wendy Tan White, CEO of Moonfruit gave the wicket to Liz Benison, who went from Manufacturing Engineer to consultant in IT and SAP [...]