Just last month a delectable feast for techies was laid on by Bristol Girl Geek Dinners – a community for women (& men) interested in engineering and technology.
While not restricted to ladies only, plenty of women still attended on a night aimed at attracting more women into STEM roles.
All 40 of the attendees heard from software development consultancy Scott Logic’s Tamara Chehayeb Makarem and Jenny Gaudion, who are both User Experience (UX) designers and software developers and were invited to take part in a workshop to come up with their own ideas around the speakers’ themes ‘Body as Interface’ and ‘Interpreting the body’.
Body as interface
The Geeks heard Tamara speak on the theme of ‘Body as Interface’ – the idea that the body is increasingly becoming a necessary part of technology. For example, by using your thumbprint to log into your iPhone. Tamara explored these ideas in the context of user interactions and expanded on her recently published blog on the subject.
Jenny spoke around the theme of ‘Interpreting the Body’, by examining the ways in which we can interpret data from the body.
- You may like: Women’s Tech Hub launches with free Fridays at Bristol-based co-working space, DeskLodge
Both speakers enjoyed the occasion, and Tamara says, “It was so refreshing to be in a room full of women passionate about technology and to see everyone’s enthusiasm while participating in the workshop.”
“People took the themes presented in the talks and ran with them, leading to some great ideas”
Opening the floor to discussion was a key part of the evening. Jenny says, “I really enjoyed the ingenuity of the ideas generated in the workshop. People took the themes presented in the talks and ran with them, leading to some great ideas.”
“We’re always seeking to build strong working relationships with other like-minded organisations”
We spoke to Nic Hemley, Head of Development for Scott Logic’s Bristol office, who tells us, “One of our core values is collaboration, and we’re always seeking to build strong working relationships with other like-minded organisations in the Bristol and Bath area, as well as nationally.
“We feel the event went incredibly well. It was fantastic to see the levels of enthusiasm and engagement we had on the night, and we’ve already had follow up queries on the subjects discussed by Tamara and Jenny.”
Bristol’s Geeks
Bristol Girl Geek Dinners, which is part of the Women’s Tech Hub, provides an opportunity for like-minded women to talk and learn about all things technology over refreshments, in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Serrie-Justine Chapman from Women’s Tech Hub Bristol, who is one of the organisers of Girl Geek Dinners, tells us, “I thought it was greatly interesting and the event was enjoyed by everyone as we got some great feedback. It went down a storm.”
“Despite clear imperatives and multiple initiatives to improve diversity in STEM, women still remain under-represented”
Scott Logic’s Recruitment Operations Manager John Wright says, “The disproportionate number of women in IT and tech roles is recognised as an issue worldwide, and it’s astonishing that despite clear imperatives and multiple initiatives to improve diversity in STEM, women still remain under-represented.
Nic adds, “Events like this have a number of benefits; primarily, learning from other smart and passionate people so you are always developing and can stay at the forefront of the fast-moving world of technology. From a company perspective, it allows us to contribute to that and raise people’s awareness of us.”
If you would like to attend a Girl Geek Dinner, you can join the Meetup group and introduce yourself to 401 Girl Geeks. To find out more about Women’s Tech Hub, visit wthub.org, while more information on Girl Geek Dinners can be found at girlgeekdinners.com. For more information on Scott Logic and its services or vacancies you can visit their website.
