Tech (she/her) – An event about diversity in tech
Tech (she/her) is a moment to highlight the diversity in the tech scene. Finding a balance to make our future technological progress inclusive. The speakers during this event will share important new insights for businesses and organisations. This event is a collaboration between iO and Arteveldehogeschool and is open to everyone from the business community who is interested in this topic.
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It's been a hot topic for years. Why do so few women choose to work in technology? It’s already widely accepted that gender equality and wider diversity in tech has great benefits for young people and their careers, and of course the industry itself. Despite all the national and European interest in gender diversity in technology, women are still under-represented. This lack of women pursuing technical education impacts the workforce, which means that men are still in the majority at many Tech companies.
It's obvious: we need more women in IT to develop even better products. But how are we going to achieve this as a society? This event won’t solve everything, but we want to create awareness, open debates, and inspire the sector. After all, more initiatives are needed to introduce women and girls to coding, programming and information technology.
5:00 pm: Reception & Networking
6:00 pm -6:10 pm: Welcome by Nicky Malfliet
6:10 pm - 6:40 pm: Christina Hadinoto, Founder of Contourlab
6:40 pm -7:10 pm: Nhu Nguyen - Strategy & Insights expert - iO
7:10 pm -7:30 pm: Break
7:30 pm - 7:50 pm: Laurence Jacobs, Women in Tech ambassador, Agoria - author of the book Women in Tech
7:50 pm - 8:10 pm: Sara Mathijs, CEO UPEO BV, "On paper everything is good"
8:10 pm: Networking with food and drinks
Address:
iO - Raymonde de Larochelaan 15, 9051 Gent
Laurence Jacobs - Business Relationship Officer | Women in Tech Ambassador | Agoria
Discover how the dynamic landscape of digital innovation is reshaping our world. From revolutionising our daily routines to addressing the most pressing global issues, the power of technology knows no bounds. Dive into the opportunities ahead as a woman in tech and learn how to harness the full potential of digital to drive positive change. Be inspired by the stories of female pioneers who pave the way to a future that has already begun.
Christina Hadinoto, Founder of Contourlab
At Contour Lab, we strive to support fashion brands to be more inclusive as they assist their online customers during the shopping experience. Our advanced Digital Styling Advisor analyses body types and provides recommendations and advice that accentuate everyone’s natural beauty. As the female founder of a software company, I come into contact with a lot of men, including developers and investors. However, the fashion industry has its own subtleties and sensibilities, and women's shopping habits are significantly different to men’s. This difference can sometimes make the process of development briefings and product management very challenging, especially when it comes to explaining features and concerns that are specifically related to the female perspective, to a male development team. During our event, we would like to share how Contour Lab tackles these challenges.
Sara Mathijs, CEO UPEO BV
"On paper everything is good". Sara, the eldest of 2 daughters, with a dad who wanted to have a son "to shoot with". She had an eventful childhood, literally, emigrating on a regular basis, first from Congo to Mauritius and then to Cameroon. As a result, she grew up to be an extroverted young woman, with strong opinions and what today we would call "a masculine energy", which wasn’t always easy for her. Today Sara is a woman of 46, with 3 kids, another 3 bonus kids and is a "woman in tech".
She started her current company UPEO 2 years ago, with an ex-colleague. The company specialises in implementing Customer Relationship Management processes using Salesforce technology. Sara is looking forward to sharing her insights.
