Finding Ada Conference Speakers

Headline speakers

Caroline Walker, J.P. Morgan

Caroline Walker is managing director and EMEA head of diversity and inclusion at J.P. Morgan. She graduated in 2001 with an MA (Hons) Psychology from Edinburgh University. She worked on a research project with the Ministry of Defence developing and rolling out a model for the early identification of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder which was later adopted by other blue light services. She then joined IT consultancy Sapient in the city in 2003 as an HR professional.

In 2006, Caroline moved to J.P.Morgan.  Over the last 10 years, she has held a number of HR Business Partner roles in the Corporate Investment Bank (CIB), including Banking and Risk. More recently she was the HR Business Partner for Global Equities and EMEA Research, with oversight of the EMEA Markets HR team.  In 2016, Caroline took on the role of Global HR Business Partner for Markets and Investor Services Operations and regional HR lead for CIB DPS.  She also co-leads EMEA CIB HR with Joanna Stansil and sits on the EMEA HR Leadership Team.  She leads on EMEA HR transformation focusing specifically on Global People Support (GPS) model evolution.  She also leads the HRBP team in the region. Caroline has recently embarked on a new opportunity and is now responsible for leading our Diversity and Inclusion efforts for the EMEA region.

DeLisa Alexander, Red Hat

DeLisa Alexander is executive vice president and chief people officer at Red Hat, leading the team responsible for global human resources including Red Hat University. Its mission is to be a strategic partner in acquiring, developing, and retaining talent and to enhance the Red Hat® culture and talent brand. During her tenure, the company has grown from 1,100 to 14,000+ associates and has often been recognized as one of the best places to work.

Founder of the Women’s Leadership Community at Red Hat, Alexander received a 2018 Triangle Business Journal C-Suite Award and a 2015 Stevie Women in Business Award for her efforts supporting women in technology. She serves as the chair of the board of directors for the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, a member of the board of directors for the Downtown Raleigh Alliance, and a member of the board of advisers for both the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise and Bull City Ventures.

Alexander joined Red Hat in 2001 in the Office of General Counsel. She was responsible for equity and executive compensation, trademark, copyright, and employment matters, and advised management and the board of directors on securities and corporate governance.

Previously, Alexander worked at the Kilpatrick Stockton law firm focused on mergers, acquisitions, venture capital, and intellectual property licensing. She started her career as a judicial clerk for the Honorable William B. Chandler, chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery.

Chi Onwurah MP

Chi Onwurah is a British Member of Parliament representing Newcastle upon Tyne Central and the Shadow Minister for Industrial Strategy Science & Innovation. She has previously held the positions of Shadow Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy, Shadow Cabinet Office Minister leading on cyber security, social entrepreneurship, civil contingency, open government and transparency and Shadow Minister for Innovation, Science & Digital Infrastructure working closely with the Science and business community, with industry on Broadband issues, and on the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill.

Prior to Chi’s election to Parliament in May 2010 she worked as Head of Telecom’s Technology at the UK regulator Ofcom focussing on the implications for competition and regulation of the services and technologies associated with Next Generation Networks. Before joining Ofcom, she was a partner in Hammatan Ventures, a US technology consultancy, developing the GSM markets in Nigeria and South Africa. Previously she was Director of Market Development with Teligent, a Global Wireless Local Loop operator and Director of Product Strategy at GTS. She has also worked for Cable & Wireless and Nortel as Engineer, Project and Product Manager in the UK and France.

Chi is a Chartered Engineer with a BEng in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College London and an MBA from Manchester Business School. She was born in Wallsend and attended Kenton Comprehensive School in Newcastle, where she was elected the school’s ‘MP’ in mock elections aged 17.

 

Panellists

Indigenous Women in STEM

Karlie Noon

Karlie Alinta Noon is a Gamilaray astrophysicist who is passionate about Indigenous astronomical knowledge and communicating science. She was the first Indigenous female to obtain degrees in physics and mathematics, completed at the University of Newcastle in 2016. She has since completed a master’s degree in astrophysics at the Australian National University in 2019 and became the Sydney Observatory’s first Astronomy Ambassador in 2020. Karlie has also been an Indigenous Heritage Officer at the Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment since 2018, helping place Indigenous heritage sites on the National Heritage List. Karlie was an ACT Young Australian of the Year 2019 finalist and a Eureka Prize Emerging Leader 2019 finalist.

Twitter: @karlie_moon_
Facebook: /karlienoon
Instagram: /karlienoon
Website: karlienoon.squarespace.com

Aleisha Amohia

Aleisha Amohia (Te Ātihaunui-a-Papārangi) (she/her) is a passionate young advocate for diversity and inclusion in all spaces, but especially the technology industry. Born and raised in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aleisha gets her energy from her supportive whānau and friends, and is driven by the idea of a future where STEM industries care less about innovation for profit, and more about ethical innovation for people and planet.

Aleisha recently graduated from Victoria University of Wellington with a Bachelor of Science (Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence) and a Bachelor of Commerce (Management and Information Systems), and now works full-time as a software developer for global open source project Koha, at Catalyst IT. In her spare time, Aleisha is also the Wellington Branch Vice President for the National Council of Women New Zealand, where she is able to contribute her skills and years of experience to causes that affect and involve all wāhine.

Twitter: @aleishaamohia
LinkedIn: /aleishaamohia

Eteroa Lafaele

Eteroa Lafaele is a proud Samoan woman born and bred in Cannons Creek, Porirua. She is a STEM ambassador for Maori and Pasifika people in tech.

She is currently a developer and Community Manager for Voluntarily. And she hopes to take this experience and use it to help her community and family!

LinkedIn: /eteroa

 

 

Johnnie Jae

Johnnie Jae is an Otoe-Missouria and Choctaw rabble-rousing journalist, organizer, creator, and futurist who loves empowering others to chase their passions and create for healing and revolutionary change in the world. She is the founder of A Tribe Called Geek, an award-winning media platform for Indigenous Geek Culture and STEM, and #Indigenerds4Hope, a suicide prevention initiative designed to educate, encourage, and empower Native youth. Jae is a co-founder of Not Your Mascots and LiveIndigenousOK. She is a member of the Women Warriors Work Collective and served as a co-chair for the 2017 March for Racial Justice. She was the host of the Indigenous Flame and A Tribe Called Geek podcasts and worked as a producer for several other podcasts on the Success Native Style Radio Network.

Twitter: @johnniejae
Facebook: /officialjohnniejae
Instagram: /johnniejae
Website: johnniejae.com

Shawn Peterson

Shawn Peterson is a Nuu-chah-nulth and Youth Program Manager, and is passionate about working with the Native community and youth to ensure they have the tools and resources to positively impact their lives. Her work is grounded in youth learning new skills, strengthening their identity, connection with peers, and mentors— all of which contribute to their success. She has 5+ years of experience in youth program development and implementation. This includes Native Girls Code, a program focused on computer coding and culturally relevant STEM content for Native Girls ages 12-18. Shawn works tirelessly to promote inclusive spaces for Indigenous people with accurate and positive representation. She was raised in Kirkland Washington, and currently lives in Seattle with her two young children. She graduated from the University of Washington Bothell with a Bachelor’s degree in Community Psychology and a Human Rights minor. While studying there, she launched RAIN (Reaching American Indian Nations), a yearly outreach event for Native students to explore college.

Twitter: @naahillaheefund
Facebook: /naahillaheefund
Instagram: /naahillaheefund
Website: naahillahee.org

Can Children’s Books Encourage More Girls into STEM?

Miriam Tocino

Kate Wilson

Kate Wilson is the managing director of Nosy Crow. Kate started working in publishing in 1986 and has worked in the industry ever since, mainly in children’s books. She started her career as a rights seller, and held senior management roles in publishing including MD of Macmillan Children’s Books and Group MD of Scholastic UK Ltd. She cares about good books, design, literacy and technology.

In September 2011, she won the title of Inspirational Business Mum of the year at the MumpreneurUK awards, was named Most Inspiring Digital Publishing Person at the FutureBook Innovation Awards in November 2014, and in December 2016 received Women in Publishing’s Pandora Award for significant and sustained contribution to the publishing industry. Nosy Crow is twice winner of the Book Industry Awards Children’s Publisher of the Year Award, and this year won the Independent Publisher of the Year award.

Twitter: @exasperilla
Website: nosycrow.com

Lisa Rajan

Lisa Rajan writes the Tara Binns children’s books, which are about a girl who tries out different STEM-related jobs – engineer, scientist, vet, doctor, conservationist, astronaut, inventor, pilot and coder to name but a few. Tara Binns has to be creative, logical, resilient, brave and diplomatic to get the job done and save the day each time. The books aim to raise aspiration, broaden horizons and put big ideas in little minds. Lisa currently has 20 titles published by HarperCollins in their Big Cat reading scheme, with more in the pipeline. Lisa has done a fair few jobs herself since graduating with a BSc in Biochemistry and an MSc in Science Communication from Imperial College London – scientist, editor, medical writer, advertising copywriter, politician, financial researcher, book-keeper and author. She lives in London with her husband and three children and wants to be a forensic scientist and a scriptwriter when she grows up.

Twitter: @lisarajan
Twitter: @tarabinns
Website: Tara Binns & Dani Binns on Collins.co.uk

Dr Sheila Kanani

Dr Sheila Kanani is a planetary physicist, science presenter, secondary school physics teacher, space comedian and published author, with a background in astrophysics and astronomy research from UK universities. She regularly acts as a science ambassador, by visiting schools and speaking at events. Sheila is currently the Education, Outreach and Diversity officer for the Royal Astronomical Society.

Twitter: @SaturnSheila
LinkedIn: /DrSheilaKanani

 

Mitigating the Impacts of COVID-19

Tara Scott

Tara Scott is currently the Route Infrastructure Engineer for the East Midlands Route. During her 15 years with Network Rail she has worked through frontline roles including Track Section Manager (Milton Keynes) and Track Maintenance Engineer (Euston) as well as central engineering roles. Recently she successfully led a project with Network Rail Consulting in Toronto working with the Toronto Transit Commission. As well as being Chartered Engineer with IET, Tara is a fellow of the Permanent Way Institution and sits on their Academic Panel.

 

 

Joeli Brearley

Joeli is the founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, an organisation which protects and supports women who encounter pregnancy and maternity discrimination and lobbies the Government for legislative change. 54,000 women a year are pushed out of their jobs for getting pregnant or taking maternity leave and 77% of working mums encounter some form of discrimination in the workplace. This type of discrimination is a major contributor to the gender pay gap, and via her training organisation, ‘Gendering Change’, Joeli is on a mission to make the labour market work for parents.

She is a regular contributor on Radio 5 Live, she writes for the Telegraph and the Independant and has won various awards and accolades for her pioneering work to end the motherhood penalty. Described by Elle Magazine as ‘Fearsome and Funny’ She has been awarded the 2019 Northern Power Women ‘’Agent of Change’’ award, she is an Observer 2018 New Radical and an Amnesty International Women Human Rights Defender. She is currently advising the Government on what they should do about the use of Non Disclosure Agreements in cases of pregnancy and maternity discrimination.

Joeli’s first book – ”Pregnant Then Screwed, a call to arms for women’’ will be published by Simon & Schuster in 2021.

Dr Nisreen Alwan

Dr Nisreen Alwan is Associate Professor in Public Health at the University of Southampton. She trained in clinical medicine and public health. She obtained a PhD in nutritional epidemiology in the area of maternal and child health. She has a particular interest in the wider social, economic, environmental and cultural determinants of health in women and children. During the pandemic, Nisreen has focused on the inequalities angle of the pandemic response, and the emergence of ‘long COVID’ and why it is so important.

Twitter: @Dr2NisreenAlwan

 

Mariam Crichton

Mariam has been the entrepreneurial driving force in the growth of many startups over the last 16 years. Her innovative technology management expertise lies in GIS, SAAS, Software, Mobile Design, and Development. She was formerly co-founder and CEO of professional mapping tool FIND. Mariam is the current Managing Director of 4 Earth Intelligence,a Geospatial company in the Downstream Space sector. 4EI uses Space Data s Mariam is also an Advisor to the Board and a Non-Executive Director at Wired Sussex supporting the digital, media and technology cluster across Sussex. She has also been working with Safe & the City – a revolutionary app that uses GPS, crowdsourced information and police risk data to reduce the risk of opportunistic crime and sexual harassment.

LinkedIn: /mariamcrichton
Instagram: @mariamcrichton
Twitter: @crichtonmariam

 

Launching and Running an Advocacy Group

Suw Charman-Anderson

Suw Charman-Anderson is the founder of FindingAda.com which inspires and supports women in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) with three major projects: Ada Lovelace Day, an international celebration of women’s achievements in STEM; the Finding Ada Conference, an online event covering careers, equality, and widening participation; and the Finding Ada Network, an online mentorship platform.

Prior to working full-time on Ada Lovelace Day, Suw was a social technologist and, as one of the UK’s social media pioneers, worked with clients worldwide. A freelance journalist, she has written about social media, technology and publishing for The Guardian, CIO Magazine and Forbes. In 2005, Suw co-founded the Open Rights Group, a digital rights campaigning group. As its first Executive Director, she prepared the organisation’s response to the Gowers Review of Intellectual Property, and gave evidence on digital rights management to the All Party Parliamentary Internet Group.

Twitter: @suw
LinkedIn: /suwcharman

Vanessa Vallely OBE

Vanessa is one of the UK’s most well-networked women and has provided keynotes on a variety of career related topics for over 500 companies worldwide. Vanessa is also one of the UK’s most prominent figures in gender equality and often provides guidance and consultancy to both government and corporate organisations who are seeking to attract, develop and retain their female talent. Vanessa was awarded her OBE in June 2018 for her services to women and the economy.

At the height of her successful 25 year career in the financial services, Vanessa launched the award winning WeAreTheCity.com in 2008 as a vehicle to help women progress in their careers. WeAreTheCity.com now has over 120,000 members and provides resources/conferences/awards/jobs to women across the UK. Vanessa is the also the -founder of UK wide diversity forum Gender Networks. Gender Networks (formerly The Network of Networks) brings together diversity leaders from 85 cross sector firms to share best practice on a quarterly basis. Vanessa is also the author of the book “Heels of Steel: Surviving and Thriving in the Corporate World” which tracks her career and shares 13 chapters of tips to succeed in the workplace.

Twitter: @watc_girl
LinkedIn: /vanessavallely
Website: vanessavallely.com

Elisabeth Holm

Elisabeth Holm, an aspiring computer scientist with a passion for AI/Machine learning, has been an ambassador and advocate for girls in STEM for 8 years. Elisabeth is a former research intern at the San Diego Supercomputer Center and “graduate” of the Qualcomm (Q-Camp) – Women in Technology (WiTech) multi-year program for girls in STEM. Raised in a multi-generational home and with ancestry from Indigenous Americas, Elisabeth founded the Sisterhood of Native American Coders (SONAC) to apply her talents in computer science to support an underserved community that is both personal to her and honours her late grandmother. Elisabeth hopes to bring access, exposure, and mentoring to underrepresented Native American girls as to address the disparities in their opportunities to learn, and inspire the next generation of young female innovators. Ms Holm is an avid programmer, roboticist, the Founder of the “Best in Class” Python Club at her school, and currently enrolled in the MIT 6-month Online Science Technology and Engineering Community program (MOSTEC).

Website: sisterhoodofnativeamericancoders.org
LinkedIn: /elisabeth-holm-1b51651b3
LinkedIn: /sisterhood-of-native-american-coders

April Moh

As Chief Communications Officer, April Moh leads SUSE’s integrated communications team spanning brand strategy, public relations, internal and executive communications and customer marketing. She is also the executive sponsor of SUSE’s first employee network group – the Women in Tech Network.

April is a passionate believer in the power of influence, and she has spent over a decade of her career in the technology space shaping the world’s perceptions of companies small and large.

Prior to SUSE, April was VP and Global Head of Communications for SAP – managing integrated communications for their ERP business. She has also managed communications for Microsoft and Concur. April began her career in the start-up world helping daring upstarts gain market share, launch their companies, secure funding and successfully get acquired.

Recognized for her ability to lead teams from vision to execution and impact via strong cross-company collaboration, April’s core belief is that leading with intent drives bold business outcomes.

LinkedIn: /aprilmoh

 

Talks

Amy  Cliett

Amy Cliett, Director of TechGirlz, led her team to transfer in-person TechShopz to virtual delivery in just 4 days. And she did it while homeschooling her own kids. She understands the role that education, mentorship and access to like-minded peers plays in helping middle-school girls stay connected, despite potentially isolating side effects from distance-learning platforms.

Twitter: @_ChaseAmy
LinkedIn: /cliett

 

Amy Kardel

Amy Kardel became a true technologist in college when she developed a language translation business using software. Later, this entrepreneurial spirit led to co-founding and leading the IT services firm Clever Ducks. Then, she earned a seat on the Board of Directors of CompTIA, the world’s leading IT trade association, for 6 years, including two terms as Chair. Along the way, she also earned a law degree. Today, Amy serves as CompTIA’s VP, Strategic Workforce Relationships.

Twitter: @amychicgeek
LinkedIn: /amykardel

 

Boitshoko Phalatse

I enjoy the opportunity to revolutionise experiential learning through emerging technologies that introduce agility and automation. I strongly believe technology to be an integral role player in transforming communities. I have a strong passion for sharing knowledge I’ve gained along the way, learning and mentoring in the field and have participated in numerous panel discussions including the Harvard African Development Conference and guest lectured on Impact tech.

linkedIn: /BoitshokoPahaltse

 

Dea Birkett

Dea Birkett is director at Circus250, a Community Interest Company dedicated to creating and touring ‘circus with purpose’. Previously she was director of Kids in Museums, an NPO working with museums to better include young people and families. A former circus artiste, Dea also spent a decade as a Guardian feature writer and is author of seven books. She is Creative Director of ManyRiversFilms, a Bafta winning production company making documentaries that challenge.

Twitter: @circus250
Facebook: @circus250
Instagram: @StrongWomenScience

Deborah Dormah Kanubala

Deborah Dormah Kanubala is a lecturer in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at the Academic City University, Accra Ghana. She is also the Co-founder of Women Promoting Science to the Younger Generation (WPSYG) and hails from the Northern part of Ghana which happens to be a region that remains underprivileged when it comes to women in STEM. Due to her active participation in promoting STEM, she was voted among the 20 Most influential people in Northern Ghana, STEM Category.

Twitter: @wpsyg
Facebook: @wpsyg
LinkedIn: /WomenPromotingScienceToTheYoungerGeneration

Deepthi Karuppusami

Senior Consultant playing the role of a Data Business Analyst at Thoughtworks. Have been in the IT industry for 6 years and skilled in Agile BA framework with the ability to understand technology paradigms and how it can be leveraged to solve business problems.Experienced in Lean and Six Sigma methodologies having worked on productivity improvement, IT operations and Cost optimisation techniques.

LinkedIn: /DeepthiK

 

 

Ellie Highwood

As a female physicist I worked in climate science research for over 20 years, including being Head of Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading. I was also Dean for Diversity and Inclusion there for 4 years. Now self-employed as a coach and diversity and inclusion consultant. Throughout I have volunteered as “Professor Ellie” co-creating hands-on science experiences for EYFS to Year 6 that help increase science capital for all.

Twitter: @elliehighwood
LinkedIn: /Ellie_Highwood

 

Erika Pessôa

I’m from Pernambuco, Brazil and in the present time I’m pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, focusing on studying how to better retain women that choose a graduation in the computer science field and started this graduation to not give up while working at Thoughtworks Brazil as a developer consultant. I advocate gender equality and antiracism at all spaces and opportunities I have and I believe that the world can change to a better place for all if we all engage in this change.

Twitter: @EricaParaujo
LinkedIn: /erikapessoaa
Instagram: ProgramaEssaMenina!

Fatimah Almathami

PhD Candidate in ITEE School at University of Queensland. Academic Tutor at Griffith University. Bachelor and Master Graduate from UQ majoring in Information Technology, Computer Science and International Relations. Interested in Technology, Gender Studies and Gender equity in STEM, Women Empowerment, Diversity and Inclusion in IT/CS, Human-Computer Interaction, International Relations and Politics, Leadership, women leaders, and policy/regulations analyst.

Twitter: @F_Almathami
LinkedIn: /Fatimah_Almathami

 

Jan Molino

Jan Molino is the President & CEO of Aspire Ascend, a consulting firm based in Washington, DC., where she provides a comprehensive portfolio of board and career development programs. She works with executive women on leadership training, business branding, board development and executive coaching. Jan is also known for her work in Women’s Leadership Forums and public speaking on leadership and gender equity. Jan’s strength and expertise is helping powerful women achieve their goals.

Twitter: @AspireAscend
Facebook: @aspire.ascend
LinkedIn: /JanMolino
Instagram: @aspireascend

Louise Fowkes

Louise Fowkes is an Inclusion Strategist at WORK180 – WORK180 connects women with progressive employers by pre-screening organizations on the amount of paid parental leave, pay equity, flexible working and much more. Transparency around these policies is driving incredible change; on average, once every three weeks a WORK180 Endorsed Employer improves a policy or benefit. Across Australia, UK and US, WORK180’s mission is to “ To empower every woman to choose a workplace where they can thrive.”

Twitter: @work180_UK
Facebook: Professional Women’s Network
LinkedIn: /Work_180
Instagram: @work180_UK

Olivia Dickinson

Olivia has 20 years’ experience in children’s media, across CBeebies, CBBC, Discovery Education, Nickelodeon and Sky Kids. She has extensive expertise in how to challenge inequalities in childhood, including as a key member of the Let Toys Be Toys campaign and as Programme Director, (Schools) for the educational charity Lifting Limits. She’s on the executive group at the CMF, responsible for Diversity & Inclusion; and has an MA in Early Childhood Studies.

Twitter: @LetToysbeToys
Facebook: @LetToysBeToys
LinkedIn: /Olivia_Dickinson
Instagram: @LetToysBeToys

Ruth James

At 21, I graduated with a degree in Graphic Design & Illustration (which I’ve never used). At 29, I moved from the UK to NZ – this is when I first experienced working in tech (as a receptionist!) At 37, I’d finally discovered what I wanted to do when I grew up – Tech Outreach! I originally started volunteering with not-for-profits and charities working in this space. I now work at Xero as a Tech Outreach & Engage Coordinator.

Twitter: @RuthJamesNZ
LinkedIn: /RuthJames

 

Shailvi Wakhlu

Shailvi is the Sr. Director of Data at Strava. As an analytics professional and a former software engineer, she has been involved in shaping great products for companies big and small such as Salesforce, Fitbit, and her own company. As a woman of color in an Engineering Leadership position, she is persistent about using her privilege to sponsor, mentor and support others who are interested in STEM. She does this by sharing her knowledge widely, as well as personally coaching individuals.

Twitter: @ShailviW
LinkedIn: /ShailviW

Shraddha Surana

Shraddha is a lead data scientist at Thoughtworks with an interest in anything data, algorithms & sciences. She has published papers & given conference talks on machine learning and has worked in BFSI, retail, astrophysics & life science domains. Along with her job, she mentors several students from India & Africa. She is the co-organiser of the ‘Bridge&Beyond’ series that helps to bridge the academic-industry gap. She strives to create & be part of a system where people look out for each other.

Twitter: @SuranaShraddha
LinkedIn: /shraddasurana
Blog: @Shradda.Surana

Alice Sheppard

Alice Sheppard is Community Manager at UCL’s Extreme Citizen Science research group. She was the lead moderator of the first Galaxy Zoo discussion forum, looking after the volunteers, and her main interest is the management and care of volunteers in citizen science.

Twitter: @PenguinGalaxy

 

 

Suki Xiao

Previously an Agile Coach at Xero, Suki Xiao is a certified Life and Professional Coach specialised in helping ambitious professionals to redefine their grind. Suki has years of experience facilitating and coaching teams. She has mentored multiple people in the tech industry and coached company leaders to become better coaches. Her passion for helping people live more meaningfully started young when she was a voluntary counsellor at Youthline and now she has started her own coaching business.

Facebook: @AsYou
LinkedIn: /SukiXiao
Website: asyou.org
YouTube: YouTube

Tina Vinod

Tina Vinod is the Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Social Change for ThoughtWorks India. A feminist at heart with a strong belief that an inclusive organisational culture brings about the best in teams and individuals. She comes with 20+ years of experience with a passion for gender and LGBTQ+ inclusion, WIT, social change initiatives, mental health & wellness and equity in the workplace. Tina is actively involved in contributing to non-profits supporting marginalised communities.

Twitter: @Tina_Vinod
LinkedIn: /TinaVinod
Instagram: @Tina.Vinod

Ying Wan Loh

Ying Wan Loh won the IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year in 2019. She was also listed on EW BrightSparks and Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe. She completed her MPhil in Industrial Systems, Manufacture and Management at the University of Cambridge and BEng (Hons) degree in Mechanical Design Engineering at the University of Glasgow. As a passionate STEM ambassador, she featured in the media such as Sky TV, BBC East Midlands, BBC Derby Radio, LBC News and several podcasts to promote diversity in STEM.

Twitter: @The_YWL
LinkedIn: /YingWanLoh

Ginny Smith

Ginny is a science writer, presenter & neuroscience expert with a talent for making the complex comprehensible, and a passion to bring brain science to audiences around the world. Over years working as a science communicator, she has honed her skill for finding the stories in science, and telling them in engaging and compelling ways. She loves to share this as a trainer & consultant, providing scientists and organisations with the techniques needed to grab an audience’s attention and keep it.

Twitter: @GinnyFBSmith
LinkedIn: /GinnyFBSmith
Instagram: @ScienceGinny

Katerina Arzhayev

When she was in school, Katerina Arzhayev joined the Speech and Debate team and launched a five year career traveling and participating in tournaments across the United States. The magic of effective communication has opened many doors for her, including personal growth and career options. After coaching high school students (14-18 yrs old) for several years, she started working with professors and clubs at the University of Denver and Georgetown University to provide coaching and communication workshops to college students. In her free time, she continues working with youth to ensure that their business plans and proposals are effectively presented and communicated. Katerina lives in the Washington DC area with her husband, two puppies, and mean cat.

 

Shorts

Alan O’Donohoe

Alan has taught technology and computing in schools in Northern England for more than 20 years. Five years ago, with Exa Networks, Alan helped establish exa.foundation in order to help engage and inspire audiences of all ages into the potential of Computer Science and STEM and regularly works with schools, community organisations and museums to support their education programmes.

Twitter: @ExaFoundation
Facebook: @ExaFoundation
LinkedIn: /AlanODonohoe

Anisha Swain

Anisha is an Associate Software Engineer in the Performance and Scale team of Red Hat. She has more than 1-year experience as an Intern and Full-time Engineer with a focus on Full-Stack Development and User Interface Designing and took the plunge into Linux System Administration as well. In her spare time, she is an avid long-form reader who is very passionate about space science, lover of all artistic creations and is attempting to hone basic sketch noting skills.

Twitter: @anishaswain
Facebook: I am the UI Girl
LinkedIn: /AnishaSwain
Blog: The UI Girl

Alice Clark

A civil engineer working in the construction industry, Alice has been a passionate advocate for women in STEM since her uni days as a volunteer for Robogals. This year she stumbled across the #steminist movement on social media and has taken a journey to learn about how social media could help us advance women in STEM.

Instagram: /thataussiesteminist
LinkedIn: /alice-clark-028144117

 

 

 

Cassandra Lee

Cassandra Lee operates robots that teach children with autism social skills in Hong Kong. A graduate of maths and computer science, she’s advocated for girls in STEM ever since she learned about STEM’s gender inequity as a teenager. Ada Lovelace Day’s second anthology features her essay on mathematician Emmy Noether. She’s also published a short cybersecurity thriller “Don’t Offend a Girl in Love” and blogged for Huffington Post and National Novel Writing Month.

Twitter: @leeyieng
LinkedIn: /Yieng
Instagram: @cassandraleeyieng

Esther Massimini

I’m a USAF veteran whose current passion is Data Science. I’m also that rare engineer who is proficient in the Arts and Sciences, skilled at communications AND technology. I use these skills as an investor in private equity, and as a volunteer data scientist with Project Athena. My husband and I have 2 adult children, and spend our time at baseball games, operas, and pop culture events such as Comic Cons.

Twitter: @massimin
LinkedIn: /Massimini

 

Kathrin Goldammer

Kathrin Goldammer is the director of the Reiner Lemoine Institute (RLI), an energy research institute in Berlin, Germany. The institute has a pro-renewable energy, pro-diversity agenda and staff. Kathrin is an electrical engineer and a physicist and has worked in the energy industry, in consulting and in energy policy before she became RLI director in 2016. In 2018, Kathrin co-founded the software company Localiser RLI which develops web-based infrastructure maps for electric mobility.

Twitter: @KAGoldammer

 

Kristina Robb

Kristina has 25 years experience in nursery education in Scotland and has developed a passion for STEM education over that time. Her Masters thesis was based on ‘Practitioners’ understandings of Loose Parts’ which encourage and develop STEM skills and knowledge. As a lecturer both in Further and Higher Education and an Equity and Excellence Lead in Early Years, Kristina brings this passion for STEM to the practitioners and children that she works with on a weekly basis.

Twitter: @KristinaRobbMEd
Facebook: The Childhood Practice Tutor 
LinkedIn: /KristinaRobb

Malgorzata Lagisz

I am a biologist by education, but I have scientific experience and skills from different fields of science. My current research interests revolve mainly around effects of parental experiences on their offspring (e.g., influence of maternal diet). I conduct research synthesis projects (systematic reviews and meta-analyses), by collating and reusing data from existing research. I currently work as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

 

 

Sian Prosser

Sian Prosser has been Librarian and Archivist at the Royal Astronomical Society since 2014, having previously worked in academic libraries. A languages graduate, Sian worked in logistics and export in between an MA in Medieval Studies at the and a PhD on French medieval manuscripts. Sian completed her MA in Library and Information Studies at UCL in 2011, and returned there for the Certificate of Higher Education in Astronomy, graduating in 2019.

Twitter: @Astro_Librarian

 

Tracey Welson-Rossman

Tracey is a sought after expert, advisor and advocate for women in technology. She is CMO of Philadelphia-based software developer firm Chariot Solutions and founder of TechGirlz, a non-profit dedicated to inspiring middle school age girls to consider careers in technology. She is a frequent commenter on women in technology-related careers, and advises a number of leading companies on their STEM programs.

Twitter: @TWelsonRossman
LinkedIn: /TraceyWelsonRossman