Michelle discusses how you can create your own opportunities in the industry, offers top tips for managing a technical team with no technical background and highlights required skills needed to succeed in a managerial role.

You can listen to the full interview as part of our podcast series!

W.I.T. Republic (WR): To start, could you tell us a bit about your career journey leading into tech and how you got to where you are today?

Michelle Szaraz (MS): My career path into tech was quite non-linear, surprising and somewhat accidental. Following my inclination towards humanities and aspirations to change the world for better, I chose to study Politics, International Relations and EU Studies for my undergrad with International Peace and Security (War Studies) for my postgrad.

Aspiring to work in a highly competitive field, I struggled to find a job in international development straightaway after my studies. While taking on unpaid internships for women’s rights charities, I worked as a Sales and Operations Supervisor at Ralph Lauren. Eventually, I secured my first role in international development. I joined a small consultancy delivering research, policy and advocacy projects promoting access to regular social protection payments as a way of helping people escape poverty.

Quickly progressing from Programme Officer to Programme Manager and Senior Programme Manager, I managed 60+ projects across Africa and Asia. I collaborated closely with the United Nations agencies, charities and governments – visiting Kenya, Angola and Uganda – alongside building a team of 7+ project management professionals and designing various business operations and policies.

While this work aligned with my interests and background, it didn’t match my personality. I’m a dynamic person that needs flexibility to innovate and make things better fast. That’s why after a bad burnout (and during a quarter life crisis), I decided to quit my job without a backup plan. Few months later, I applied for an interesting role via a recruitment agency, though not knowing what company I might be joining. To cut the long story short, I got hired to manage the UK’s flagship programme accelerating the growth of AI and ML startups.

As an Innovation Delivery Manager at Digital Catapult, I got a chance to collaborate with diverse organisations across the tech industry, from startups to corporates, and with the most advanced digital technologies (AI, IoT, 5G, immersive technologies). This experience motivated me to bring together my work in the public sector with technology, which is why I decided to join dxw – the UK’s leading agency that designs, builds and hosts digital public services. Starting as a Delivery Lead, I recently became a Strategy Lead and now I work closely with public sector organisations, helping them shape their digital strategy and supporting them in delivering their digital services.

My non-linear career path helped me develop knowledge and skills in many different areas. I decided to put them to use alongside my daily job by being a mentor and adviser across several business, career and tech programmes. I’m also soon-to-be a founder of a ‘careers in tech’ blog seeking to increase the diversity and inclusion in the tech industry while motivating people to get a successful and fulfilling career in tech. 

WR: In your opinion, what are the required skills needed to succeed in a management role in the tech industry?

MS: There are a variety of skills needed when it comes to management in general and within the tech industry specifically. These include flexibility, fast learning, working with ambiguity and effective communication. But for me, the key ones are the ones that relate to managing people, not just processes or projects. These include:

• Ability to listen to and empathise with diverse people
• Openness to being challenged by people and situations
• Leading by example
• Ability to adapt ways of working to different audiences and situations, and
• Confidence, which sometimes (or often) means faking it till you make it

WR: What are your top tips for managing a technical team with no technical background?

MS: A starting point for me is being clear, with yourself and with others, about where your expertise is (and where it is not). This links to being aware and clear about the value you can add to the team, company or the industry with your existing skills and experience.

I’ve learnt the hard way how important it is to not underestimate and undersell your non-technical background, skills and experiences. They’re essential to the success of teams, projects and companies within the tech industry. We should all consider them a crucial component for success in tech and an advantage, not a setback.

The next set of tips links to managing a team. I recommend spending the time and energy needed on getting to know the team members, both individually and the team dynamics. It’s also key to focus on what the team requires to do their work and seeing how you can add value to help them remove potential obstacles. And seeking to have regular, open and honest communication with the team and wider stakeholders to identify potential issues and deal with them as early as possible.

WR: What do you think will be the biggest challenge for the next generation of female tech leaders?

MS: Finding their own place within an industry that, albeit becoming more diverse, is still (like many other industries, workplaces and the world in general) set up around male experiences. The challenge will be how women can not only find or create opportunities within the tech industry that allow them to be leaders, but also make sure these are in the areas they are interested in, rather than just made available to them. And then there is a key challenge of how to balance demanding jobs with personal life priorities if women are to have truly fulfilling careers in tech … A lot of work for us all to do!

WR: How do you think businesses can ensure their tech and leadership teams are diverse and inclusive?

MS: There are many steps businesses can take, starting with having a buy-in from the management and key stakeholders to invest effort, time and resources in seeking increased diversity and inclusion. Another core element to focus on is having the right recruitment process in place. I would recommend checking how dxw recruits new staff (using blind recruitment) as it is one of the best recruitment processes I have gone through so far. 

Businesses, in tech and beyond, need to also catch up with the changing values and needs of today’s workforce if they want to attract and retain skilled and diverse staff. They need to offer as much flexibility as possible, including (and not limited to) remote working and working from abroad, flexible working arrangements and benefits that cater to different needs people have based on their individual circumstances. And businesses need to work on building a culture that has inclusion and diversity at its core in as many business activities as possible (in particular company socials and teambuilding).

WR: What advice would you give to someone who is looking to create their own opportunities in the tech industry?

MS: Don’t wait for the right time to come by – just go for it now and see where the journey takes you. Use your existing experience and skills to transition to the tech industry, whether by doing the role you do currently but within the tech industry, doing something completely different with transferable skills, or starting your own business (venture).

I’d also encourage others to not underestimate or undersell their experience and background! And to keep an open mind in trying various roles, companies and areas of tech until the right fit comes by to have a role at a company where you are and feel valued and do interesting work. Nowadays people really don’t have to compromise or go against themselves to have a successful career in tech because there are endless opportunities. Even if many people still don’t realise just yet that that’s the case.

WR: As a startup advisor, do you have any top tips for women who are looking to start their own venture in tech?

MS: Starting and running one’s own business is challenging, but it’s possible regardless of the individual’s background or experience. Just like being employed, being a founder has its positives and down sides. So if you’re interested in setting up a business, don’t let the challenges stall you and give it a go. This doesn’t have to be a huge life changing, job quitting and investing all savings kind of effort. It can mean starting small for a couple of hours a week alongside stable employment until you are ready to scale up and focus on running a business full time.

Also, try not to let the Imposter Syndrome stop you. There are now tons of initiatives to support women in setting up and running their own businesses so the best time is today! Plus very few founders know what they are doing at first – and even if they do, they have to pivot as they go. You can and will learn along the way, not by seeking perfection before even starting. And you can always leverage your existing experience and skills and partnering up with others to fill in the gaps instead of trying to be everything and everyone. This way you can not only start, but also run a business successfully and sustainably.

WR: What advice would you give women navigating a career in this male-dominated industry?

MS: To start by acknowledging that being a woman in tech still comes with a lot of challenges. It can be tough at times, so it is important to not be overly hard on yourself (which women often do). I would also advise to get clear with yourself and others about individual strengths, experiences and value, as well as aspirations, needs and boundaries. And respect those. Sometimes that means leaving jobs or teams behind and moving on which is difficult… But we can all do hard things.

It’s also key to always seek to be yourself as much as possible, and find opportunities that fit with who you are, not the other way around. And lastly, working on building confidence in self – it is crucial to know your own value, be able to ask for what you want and need (even if you might not get it), and not compromise on your values.

WR: Finally, what’s the best piece of advice you’ve received throughout your career?

MS: To share my career journey with others because even though it might seem ‘not worth talking about’ to me, hearing my story can in fact help people in shaping theirs. This altered my thinking more broadly. Instead of fighting my non-linear career path and diverse background or perceiving it as a lack of expertise and disadvantage, I started to see it as a unique blend which no one else can offer. Something that allows me to make my own contribution. It prompted me to stop dismissing my background, skills and experiences and rather to see them as the value I can add to my team, work and driving change in the world. And now, I get to use my story to help others which is credibly rewarding.

If you would like to join Michelle as part of our Q&A series, get in touch today!

The post Michelle Szaraz, Strategy Lead at dxw appeared first on W.I.T. Republic.

Mio discusses how we can enable more women to become tech entrepreneurs. She also offers her advice to other women in the industry who are looking to start their own business, and highlights the biggest challenge ahead for the next generation of female tech founders.

W.I.T. Republic (WR): Could you tell us a bit about your journey in tech and what inspired you to start your own company?

Mio Akasako (MA): I took a very non-linear path into tech. I try not to explicitly classify myself as someone in tech, but rather a multidisciplinarian who uses the tech field to drive innovation for the greater good.

I began my career in the neuroscience field, doing research at academic institutions. Although I was enamored with neuroscience — it was thrilling to do cutting-edge work — I also had an interest in design and technology, so I started looking for ways to incorporate design into the science I was doing.

I worked at a computational neuroscience lab headed by Sebastian Seung at the Princeton Neuroscience Institute after graduating from Brown University. There, I was able to glimpse the intersection of neuroscience, tech, and design. I was then recruited to a biotech startup, Kallyope, where I researched how we could modulate the gut-brain axis to affect various behavioral functions. After several years at a fast-growing biotech company, I decided it was time to apply for my PhD in neuroscience.

Cue a quarter life crisis. I knew that if I went down the path of a PhD, I would be doing exclusively research for another 4-6 years. On a whim, I instead applied to grad school programs in design.

For the next two years, I studied Data Visualization at Parsons School of Design, while keeping my biotech job. Every day I would go into work to do my experiments, stuff my mouth with granola bars, and run to class — a 20 minute subway ride away. I wouldn’t get home until 11pm. I did schoolwork through the night, only to get up early to go to work the next day. It was some of the more intense years of my life, but without them, I wouldn’t have found the role I am in today.

Parsons had a joint program with Cornell Tech, a grad school institution that largely attracts folks who are interested in the tech field. In this program, we were encouraged to pursue our own startup ideas and build on it. I knew I wanted to explore a way to make access to sexual health and wellness education more convenient for people through new tools. I met my co-founders, David Stein, Kyle Waters, and Nick Sempere, who had the same idea, and that’s how Ash Wellness came to be. Since then, it’s been a strong upward trajectory of growth, enthusiasm, and hope for our mission of making healthcare inclusive and accessible for all.

WR: What advice would you give other women in the industry who are looking to start their own business?

MA: You may experience imposter syndrome and question if you’re doing things the right way, or if you’re fit for a leadership role. This isn’t unexpected — you will be wearing many hats, even those you never expected to wear. You might have to grapple with a lot of uncertainty, especially in the early stages of building your company, but trust in your abilities to see things through. Finding like-minded co-founders and teammates who you can trust is key!

WR: In your experience, have you had to face any additional challenges as a female founder in comparison to your male counterparts?

MA: I’m not sure if this is my personality or the nature of being a female founder (probably a bit of both), but I have always found it difficult to find space to speak in external settings. I am naturally happy to take a supporting role when it comes to “selling the dream”, so I have had to consciously make an effort to push myself to make my opinions and visions heard.

WR: How can more women become tech entrepreneurs? How are you seeing the representation change?

MA: I’m lucky enough to have been part of companies led by women, and inspired by women who have forged their own paths in leadership roles. However, I don’t think this is a common experience to have, especially in the hard sciences or in very technical fields.

I see many folks in my age range starting their own companies, but it is still less common to see women doing so. I think there is still a subconscious block in women, and also folks who aren’t your typical cis het white man. It doesn’t even cross our minds to bring our ideas to fruition because the barriers seem too high. The first step is to plant the seed— if you want to create your own venture, you can do it.

WR: Is there anything you think businesses and the industry could be doing to encourage women in the industry to start their own businesses?

MA: Increased visibility of women leading companies and women founders is a start. Oftentimes, it is difficult to know where to begin in the journey, and just having folks to look up to is helpful. I would love for there to be a way to match women who are starting out with mentors in the industry on a systemic scale. Right now it usually requires you to have connections to people, or be a part of an accelerator program in order to get access to those mentors.

WR: In your opinion, what do you think will be the biggest challenge ahead for the next generation of female tech founders?

MA: Continuing to break societally ingrained stereotypes and establishing themselves as expert voices, especially in very technical fields.

WR: Finally, what’s the best piece of advice you’ve received throughout your career?

MA: Surround yourself with people who inspire you, people who are talented, empathetic, and challenge you. Find people with good energy who can uplift and support each other.

If you would like to join Mio as part of our Q&A series, get in touch today!

The post Mio Akasako, Co-Founder & VP of Design at Ash Wellness appeared first on W.I.T. Republic.

Azadeh highlights emerging trends in the cybersecurity space you should watch out for and offers advice to other women looking to start their own company in tech.

W.I.T. Republic (WR): To kick-off, could you tell us a bit about what got you interested in a career in tech?

Azadeh Haratian Nezhadi (AHN): There are a few reasons why I was interested to pursue a career in the tech industry. First of all, I like to solve problems (puzzles) every day and find solutions, a tech career gives me the opportunity to do just that. I also have a passion for learning and in order to solve these problems, it is necessary to study a lot and learn by doing.

The diverse scope of technology makes me existed because every day is interesting, no two days are the same and I always feel as though I am delivering value to my organisation. The final thing that attracted me to a career in tech, was that I would have the freedom to work anywhere in the world, it’s not mandatory to work in an office.

WR: As the Co-Founder of Taktify, what would you say are some of the benefits and challenges of starting your own company in the industry?

AHN: Building a company from scratch is similar to raising a baby. You know how to develop a product, but you don’t know the language of the customer and the market. To overcome this challenge, it’s necessary to trial and error test several times with several different customers.

The first advantage of starting your own company is the autonomy of decision-making. At Taxify, we interviewed the customers first to discover what need it was that needed solving and then built the product and validated it.

A personal advantage for me when starting Taxify is that I am able to invest my energy in ways that simply bring me joy and meaning. If the company grows, it would help me grow not only financially but also emotionally.

The third advantage of starting your own company is that you get to meet so many people during the journey and expand your network, which if you were an employee of another company, you may not have the opportunity to do.

In my experience I would say that the most challenging part for me when starting my own company was the instability of financial agreement with the customers; the difficulty turning your pilot customer into a paying customer. I have noticed that this has become even more of a challenge since the pandemic.

WR: What advice do you have for other women in tech looking to take the leap and start their own business?

AHN: Trust your ability and the journey. Find a good mentor that helps you to accelerate your company’s growth. Be a lifetime learner in order to be successful in your business.

Do not listen to negative feedback about your gender inability. Build your network with other women. Help each other to grow.

WR: Since your career in tech began, what are the biggest changes you have seen in the cybersecurity space?

AHN: The biggest change has been the advancement of emerging technologies and how we are able to utilize these technologies against cybersecurity threats. That being said, these cybersecurity attacks have become more sophisticated since my career in the industry began, making the identification and detection of these threats very challenging.

Another good change has been the development of so many standards and best practices that help cyber security professionals to define baselines.

WR: Looking forward, what emerging trends in cybersecurity are you most excited about seeing and why?

AHN: Cybersecurity is a very interesting domain. In order to be in the field, it is necessary to have a diverse knowledge of different technologies. I’m excited about the evolution of new technologies like machine learning and blockchain as they will be extremely beneficial in the cybersecurity space.

To go into this a bit more; machine learning will help to automate the cybersecurity detection and prevention mechanism by using historical data and it will enable cybersecurity experts to automate their process and emerging new tools and techniques. Blockchain provides decentralized system data storage which can be used to prevent data theft, fraud, and identity theft. Which is going to be used in product designs to reduce risk.

Another area that I am excited to see develop, is the IoT/smart systems space. These technologies are used in many different critical systems and although they would bring additional value of automation, they do impose new risks to both businesses and individuals. The security of IoT devices and data transmission is definitely an emerging trend and something to watch out for.

WR: The digital skills gap is currently a hot topic, what are your top tips for other women in tech to continuously develop their skills in cybersecurity?

AHN: Cybersecurity is a very interesting and unique space, and there are several areas where women in tech can utilize their soft skills to develop their technical skills.

One way to learn more about cybersecurity is to attend the Cybersecurity Awareness program, this is a great way to find your knowledge gap and propose and define a plan to conduct awareness.

Another thing that I would recommend to ensure that you are staying up-to-date with the industry, is to always monitor and track changes in standards and best practices, this is particularly true for data security which is a hot topic at the moment.

WR: Finally, what’s the best piece of advice you have received throughout your career?

AHN: Be persistent in your journey, invest in your growth, you will find your way eventually. You cannot imagine how much power you have.

If you would like to join Azadeh as part of our Q&A series, get in touch today!

The post Azadeh Haratian Nezhadi, Co-Founder at Taktify appeared first on W.I.T. Republic.

Julie discusses the most significant opportunities and challenges for women when navigating careers in tech and highlights why communication is such an important skill in the industry.

W.I.T. Republic (WR): What has been the driving force to get you where you are today?

Julie Kenny (JK): Mostly a determination never to be bored. Early in my career I worked on traditional accounting systems before eventually ending up in Business Intelligence. Over that time, I’ve worked with many different systems, languages, and roles. There has always been something new to learn which has been a huge amount of fun. I enjoyed working in smaller companies most because you can get a lot of autonomy there.

WR: Since your career began, how has the industry changed in terms of diversity & inclusion?

JK: I think it depends where you look. I did my computer science degree in 1987 and there were fewer than 10 women out of the 160 intake, my son did computer science much more recently and there were just one or two women in his year so that was disappointing to hear.  Most software teams and tech events still seem dominated by men too, so it often doesn’t look any different.

It’s not all doom and gloom though; the internet has made entrepreneurship easier and I’m seeing many successful tech businesses being created by women.  Of course, Dame Stephanie Shirley did that years ago, but she had more hoops to go through. There are more training options available now too, so the numbers doing degree courses don’t tell the whole story either.

Attitudes have certainly progressed. Back in the 1980’s women bosses were caricatured,  “role reversal” was a subject for sitcoms and people (not just men) openly discussed whether they could “work for a woman”.  There was also a horrible practice of ‘demo dollies’:  supposedly a non-technical but pretty woman who showed the software demo which her male colleagues then answered the technical questions on.  I hope we’ve moved on from all that.

WR: In your opinion, what are the most significant opportunities and challenges for women when navigating careers in tech?

JK: Being a woman in tech is an opportunity in itself because you stand out. Good organizations understand the benefits of diversity and the reason why a company or event doesn’t have more women is often that they haven’t received enough applications. Whether it’s a new job, a promotion, or an opportunity to speak at a tech conference be brave and apply.

Secondly, through responsibilities of home and family many women have learnt how to be flexible, adaptable and deal with a wide range of people. If you can do all that you are more prepared for the tech world than you think. Most people can learn the technical skills, but the tech world needs people who can do both.

Finally, when it comes to opportunities, the tech industry practically invented flexible and remote working so that’s certainly something to consider, although not all companies offer what they should.  

One key challenge is that women can suffer from lack of confidence and visibility within the workplace.  If you’re not confident speaking up and sharing your expertise then your visibility suffers.  Far too many assume that confidence equals ability so you can get overlooked while those with less skill make noise. It’s not a problem that only applies to women but we’re often quite bad at singing our own praises and putting ourselves forward.

I think the biggest challenge is that there’s just not enough women around you and it can be difficult to form close bonds in the workplace. You can find yourself quite isolated if you are the only women in the team, informal networks are often gender split. These are the networks where creative ideas emerge, and groups get to know the passions and ambitions of each other, so an unconscious bias emerges. The isolation issue can be a problem everywhere, local meetups, conferences, and training courses. I’ve always blundered my way through this but I’m not a very ‘girly girl’.

WR: Softly Inspired helps tech professionals to develop their careers in the industry, what are your top tips for women who are looking to take on senior leadership positions?

JK: Work on getting seen and heard, make it clear that you are interested and capable of progression. Ask your manager what you can do to move up and follow their advice to show that you are serious. Consider what skills you may need to have in future roles and find ways to develop and showcase them now, such as offering to chair meetings, or deliver presentations.

Build your network however many ways you can, through meetups, conferences, LinkedIn, whatever is possible for you.  You’ll find support of different kinds in each and you’ll discover new ideas and ways of working that you can bring back to your teams. I’ve found that the tech community is incredibly open and most love to share ideas so tap into that as much as you can.

Get a mentor, male or female. Some companies have a formal mentor program, but it can be just someone you can talk to on a regular basis who has the right experience to guide you and give you a steer when you need it. I’ve never had a formal mentor, but I had one particular manager who certainly filled that role, and it made a huge difference to me. Thanks Chris!

WR: Communication in any role is key, at Softly Inspired you pay specific attention to the development of communication skills in tech professionals. In your experience, why is communication such an important skill in the tech industry?

JK: Considering most teams are working some sort of agile methodology which relies entirely on good communication, it’s more than critical.  If the communication in your daily meetings isn’t effective, then at best they will eat time for little gain.  A worse but sadly common result is that issues aren’t raised in a way that the team clearly understands so they are not taken seriously until too late. All of this affects both team cohesion and the bottom line for the company.

There are additional challenges with having to communicate with people who’s goals are very different to but intertwined with the technical ones. As a crude example, if you need to explain why it’s worth spending weeks migrating to a new technology, detailed explanation of the coding functionality won’t sell it to management but explaining that it will enable you to create the most requested product feature might. 

There’s also a misconception that good communication is something you’re born with. This can lead to training only being offered to already good communicators in customer facing or higher-level roles, others can find themselves stuck. That’s why I want to help people get unstuck and communicate well in the role they have and the one they want next.

WR: What advice do you have for tech professionals at any stage in their career who are looking to evolve their communication skills?

JK: Come to Softly Inspired of course – but other than that?

Take whatever opportunities you can get to speak. If someone asks, “who’s going to run this meeting”, “who wants to present this”, or “who wants to give a summary”, then offer to do it.  Take a breath and try not to speak too fast, it will help you sound and feel more confident.

Look for a supportive advocate who will give you feedback, particularly if you are presenting something a bit more formal. Tell them the sort of thing you’re looking for so they can be specific. This can be really important when your presentation contains disappointing news such as deadline overruns, audience reaction can knock your confidence although your communication skills may have been excellent.

I can’t end this question without mentioning Toastmasters International.  My local club, Ipswich Electrifiers’ Speakers club has been a massive help to me, and I’d advise anyone to find a local or online club that suits them. There’s nothing I know that beats it for regular practice and feedback.

WR: Finally, what’s the best piece advice you’ve received throughout your career?

JK: I think the best advice I had was to start with your ideal outcome in mind and then work backwards from there. It applies to communication, your career, a new project, pretty much anything really. It can be easy to get stuck in just seeing a few steps ahead of where you are now, but if you start with that perfect ending, it’s a game changer.

If you would like to join Julie as part of our Q&A series, get in touch today!

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