Celebrating Ada Lovelace Day 2024 and women in Tech!
This Ada Lovelace Day, we celebrate the women who have paved the way for future generations in technology. Today, we’ll be delving into the stories of two inspiring female leaders: Anita Borg and Dr. Parves Khan.
Celebrating Anita Borg: A Pioneer in Tech and Advocate for Connecting Women
As we celebrate Ada Lovelace Day, it’s crucial to remember women who have reshaped the landscape of technology, paving the way for future generations of women. One such trailblazer is Anita Borg, whose work continues to have a positive affect within the tech community, especially for women in tech like myself.
Anita Borg was not only a visionary technologist but also a committed advocate for the inclusion and community of women in computing. After earning her Ph.D. in computer science, Borg worked on cutting-edge systems research. But her true legacy lies in her efforts to bridge the gender gap in tech. In 1997, she founded the Institute for Women and Technology, now known as the Anita Borg Institute, with the mission to advance women’s participation in tech. Her goals for the community were to increase the representation of women in the field, break down the barriers that often prevent women from thriving in this field and enable more women to lead the development of new technology.
Her vision of a world where women are equally represented in technology lives on through the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, which she co-founded. This event has grown into one of the largest gatherings of women technologists globally, offering a space for women to network, share ideas, and support each other – a message that I think resonates with any woman in STEM looking to find their community in the field.
As a woman working in tech, I’m inspired by Borg’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Her work has empowered countless women to pursue careers in technology and helped create a more equitable industry. In a field that still struggles with gender imbalance, Anita Borg’s legacy reminds us that change is not only possible but necessary. Her advocacy for women in STEM continues to open doors, helping women realise their potential in shaping the future of technology.
This Ada Lovelace Day, let’s honour Anita Borg by continuing her mission — building a tech industry where everyone can be included and succeed regardless of gender and asking ourselves “how our we driving change in our organisations today?”
Blog Author – Serena Samra, Data & AI Technical Presales Consultant
Celebrating Dr. Parves Khan
Another among these influential women is Dr. Parves Khan, one of the UK’s top 20 Women in Data & Technology. Dr. Khan is a distinguished C-suite executive who is currently advising multiple companies including Channel 4. As an Insight and Data Leader, Dr. Khan’s wisdom inspires many, especially her emphasis on self-assurance and female empowerment. Upon receiving her Women in Data award in 2020, Dr. Khan revealed that her career’s breakthrough moment was:
I actually resonate with this statement a lot – not only as a woman in STEM, but also as a consultant. When I was fresh-faced out of Uni, I fought so hard to be seen. I would read book after book about gaining influence at work and how to be taken seriously (I recommend ‘The Authority Gap’ by Mary Ann Sieghart for anyone in a similar position). And the best lesson I learned was that I’m enough; I don’t need someone else to say I’m good enough – I just am. Having that assurance in my own skillset, knowing what I’m good at and what I’ve got the ability to learn, it’s helped my confidence grow massively. I don’t doubt myself as much nor dismiss my ideas. And I put myself forward for things and allow myself to be seen as the talented individual I am. So I agree with Dr. Khan’s breakthrough, and my advice to others would be to stop trying to impress other people; take a step back and remind yourself of your own worth.
It’s so important when successful women share their self-reflections for others to learn from and be inspired by. After 3 decades growing businesses, Dr. Khan now tells her mentees to be bold and brave, but also to be kind. I think this is a great notion, especially for a data consultant like myself. I believe empathy is a real key to understanding a client’s problem. It’s an acknowledgement that yes, we’re here to improve the current platform and should be bold in providing our new ideas and designs. But we do need to maintain compassion that the client’s team did the best they could with the resources they had at the time! And to remember that the people who built it are likely involved in the current project. So, criticising their solution, rather than focusing on the new design, can breakdown trust and make it difficult to collaborate openly with the client. This makes for a difficult project all-round.
You see how I talk about clients? I don’t badmouth their old platform – I’m very mindful, very demure.
On that note, the wisdom shared by Dr. Parves Khan and other successful women in STEM is so valuable. Dr. Khan’s emphasis on self-assurance and empathy resonates deeply with me, and I hope it does with you too. As we celebrate Ada Lovelace Day, let’s remember to be bold, brave, and kind in our professional journeys.
Blog Author – Daisy Kennedy, Senior Consultant
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