The Women of Silicon Roundabout is the largest tech event for women in the country and a key highlight in the tech events calendar- the 2024 edition was no exception.
Thanks to industry partner tombola, TechUP’s Click Start alumnae, Sophie and Eunice, secured tickets to this highly sought-after event in London, held in November 2024. They won their passes by submitting compelling entries for tickets generously donated by the company.
Here’s what Kieran Holland, Talent Acquisition Lead, had to say:
“At tombola, we believe that innovation thrives when diverse voices are heard. We were thrilled to be able to offer the 2024 cohort of TechUPWomen the opportunity to attend one of the UK’s biggest events for Women in Tech. Being able to support external Women in Tech communities aligns with the purpose of tombola’s Women in Tech Network – to empower women in the Tech and Product teams, support professional growth, and create an inclusive diverse Tech business.”
We caught up with Sophie and Eunice in the new year to hear about their experience, the impact it’s had on their tech careers and their takeaways and advice for other women considering attending similar events.
Can you briefly introduce yourself for our readers?
Sophie: Hello! I completed Click Start in 2023, and since then, I’ve started a Level 4 Apprenticeship in Software Engineering through Makers at DWP Digital.
Eunice: Hi! I currently work as an English teacher for ESL students. I completed the TechUPWomen course in June 2024. In the future, I want to pursue further studies in computational social sciences and contribute to the social sciences using computational research methods.
What was your first reaction when you found out you won tickets to the event?
Sophie: I was over the moon! I really enjoy networking events and conferences, as I find them incredibly valuable. The opportunity to attend such a major tech event with an amazing line-up of speakers was so exciting.
Eunice: I was super excited and pleased to have gotten this opportunity. I looked forward to hearing about data analysis methods and practices by industry experts, as that was the aspect of computer science that was relevant to my career goals.
Tech Event Experience
Which sessions or speakers at the event stood out the most to you and why?
Sophie: Two talks really stood out to me. First, How to Marry Threat Intelligence with the Cloud by Katrina Haddon from Shawbrook Bank. She focused on security, particularly containerisation and automation, and discussed how these can create “black holes of risk” if mismanaged.
The second talk was AI in Accessibility: Tech for an Inclusive Society by Ha Cole from Microsoft. Ha shared an anecdote about a blind friend who felt “more blind” when using a touchscreen due to accessibility challenges. She explained how disabilities aren’t always permanent and showed how designing for accessibility benefits everyone. She also presented a video demonstration of OpenAI’s “Be My Eyes”, showing an interesting accessibility use case for AI.
Eunice: I really enjoyed the Tech in the Energy Game speaker session by Kraken. The session gave an insight into how Kraken has empowered the public by creating more supply for sustainable energy – showing how tech can be used to make a positive impact.
In terms of soft skills, I liked Advancing a Career in Tech the most. The speaker shared insights on how networking isn’t just about being present, but also about being visible. She explained how her personal brand helped her build her reputation and maintain professional relationships, and it highlighted to me the importance of consistently putting effort into networking to build influence in the industry.
Personal Takeaways
What were the most inspiring or surprising insights you gained from the event?
Sophie: A talk by Nazma Ali, Head of Product at Tesco which emphasised the importance of diverse perspectives in tech. She shared examples of when a lack of diversity caused issues, such as car airbags designed for the average male body, making them less safe for women. She also presented data showing that female-founded companies excel in areas like salaries, work-life balance, diversity, and retention, while male-founded companies perform better in culture and progression – illustrating the need for a mix of both. While the concepts weren’t new to me, her statistics were surprising.
Eunice: In the session led by Kraken, I learned that the speaker had previously worked in politics before transitioning into tech, as she felt that tech offered more practical opportunities to create positive change in public communities. Her aspirations and personal values resonated with me because I, too, want to use my career to drive social change.
I was also inspired by how she transferred soft skills from politics, such as public speaking and logical thinking, into her work in sustainable energy. This has given me the confidence to continue learning coding, as I was once worried that the skills required to learn coding were too different from the skills I have learned from studying politics.
On Representation and Community
How did it feel to be part of a community celebrating women in technology?
Sophie: It was incredible! Seeing so many women leaders, speakers, and engineers and connecting with people from similar and diverse paths was a really great experience.
Eunice: Empowering and validating. It felt great to be in a room full of individuals that have experienced similar gender-related obstacles in the field, and I felt more hopeful about my personal career prospects after hearing their stories.
Closing Thoughts
What’s next for you in your tech journey, and how do you plan to use what you learned from the event?
Sophie: I left WoSR with a long list of reading recommendations, including The Staff Engineer’s Path by Tanya Reilly and Designing Data-Intensive Applications by Martin Kleppmann and a LoveHoliday blog post on optimizing Node.js application performance. I’m excited to dive deeper into security and accessibility concepts and am actively seeking opportunities to learn and apply them. Outside of work, I enjoy coding for fun. I spoke with quite a few Golang Engineers at WoSR so might try a little project in it, and I’d be really interested to have a play around with some Machine Learning tools and concepts.
Eunice: Attending the conference validated my goal to pursue computational social sciences. Hearing from speakers encouraged me to reach out to more people to build a stronger network as I experienced first-hand how welcoming and sincere people can be, and how they are genuinely interested in and supportive of my career goals. I want to continue practising coding and take an online course in data analysis for social research.
What advice would you give to other women who are considering attending a similar tech event?
Sophie: It’s incredible- don’t hesitate to go! These events are a fantastic way to learn about emerging tech trends, understand tech cultures, and meet interesting people.
Eunice: Go for it! Everyone is friendly, and everyone there is doing their best to help you in your career. You may also learn things you didn’t expect.
A huge thank you to our industry partner, tombola, for making this experience possible for our alumnae, and to the workplaces that supported them in taking part!
We’re excited to continue creating more opportunities for our alumnae and the wider tech community in 2025 – so don’t forget to follow us on social media (we’re @techupwomen across all major platforms) and sign up for our mailing list to be the first to hear about new opportunities.
Interested in working with TechUP to create opportunities like these and help level the playing field for women and non-binary people in tech?
We’d love to collaborate with you!