A blog on women in the tech revolution by Slobodanka Vlaskovic, Senior Consultant, Architecture & Integration, Devoteam
Introduction
On 27 April 2019, in an event that was not for techies or women only, we spontaneously celebrated women in the tech industry at WeWork Mansion House in Queen Street, City of London.
A cosy space indeed with informative talks that enriched the afternoon from women who are making a deep mark in the future of programming, fintech and blockchain in the Industry 4.0 scene.
It was a blessing to spend time with such inspiring people that share with every pore the same vision and hope for a better tomorrow.
WITech: “Our vision is that by 2030, 50% of the tech space will be occupied by women.” #girlslikeme
Agenda
The agenda was simple yet remarkable:
Holly Atkinson – My Journey: from Business Development to Full-Stack Developer
Holly left her role as business developer at a leading green energy company in October 2018 to follow her passion and learn to code.
Marta Piekarska, Linux Foundation – Blockchain, Enterprises and Hyperledger
Marta serves as Director of Ecosystem at Hyperledger and is passionate about how blockchain can help in non-traditional spaces, such as identity, last-mile aid and education delivery and sustainability.
A question time ensued with a 50:50 gender-balanced panel including Patrick McCorry, an assistant professor at King’s College London. Patrick’s focus is on cryptocurrencies, smart contracts, cryptography and decentralised systems.
What caught my ear and made me even more proud to be a woman in technology was the second speaker, Marta. Marta is absolutely in love with what she does. She described as amazing the support she gives and receives from her team and the faith that makes her wake up in the morning, where blockchain fights and resolves massive problems such as food supply, distribution and quality in developing countries.
Hyperledger
For the self-edu blockchain enthusiasts and recommended by Linux Foundation, related to dedicated, permissioned* Hyperledger frameworks, edX and Linux Foundation study portals are the right place to enrol for any or all of the following:
- Hyperledger Fabric Fundamentals (LFD271) – a chargeable course from The Linux Foundation
- Blockchain: Understanding Its Uses and Implications (LFS170) – free from The Linux Foundation
- LinuxFoundationX’s Blockchain for Business – An Introduction to Hyperledger Technologies (LFS171x) – free from edX
Hyperledger business blockchain frameworks are used to build enterprise blockchains for a consortium of organisations. They differ from public ledgers like the bitcoin blockchain and Ethereum. The Hyperledger frameworks include:
An append-only distributed ledger- A consensus algorithm for agreeing to changes in the ledger
- Privacy of transactions through permissioned access
- Smart contracts to process transaction requests.
Marta’s message was strong and clear: “Blockchain is JUST a technology. It is a very powerful tool, not a solution. Thus the applications are wide and span all sectors.” – Hyperledger (Linux Foundation)
Mentorship
Last but not least is the WITechRev mentorship programme to kick off in July this year in which everyone is invited to apply for a mentor or, slightly more challenging, become one!
While on the subject, I would like to mention the podcast of 8th of March, “302. Insights: Women in financial services”, hosted by 11:FS, which hugely changed my perspective, and hope that it would instil more confidence in others to spread trust and love for all women (self-)employed in any sector across the globe, to give of our best and have our voice heard.
Conclusion
The evening is best summed up by the inspiring words of Headspace: “Paradoxically, the best way to make ourselves happier is by focusing on the happiness of others.” Let’s sharpen our attention and get our focus towards being here for each other!
For a full video recording, please check Women in Tech Revolution YouTube channel.
* Where Hyperledger Fabric breaks from some other blockchain systems is that it is private and permissioned. Rather than an open, permission-less system that allows unknown identities to participate in the network (requiring protocols like “proof of work” to validate transactions and secure the network), the members of a Hyperledger Fabric network enrol through a trusted Membership Service Provider (MSP).
To discuss how Devoteam can help your organisation navigate the issues and complexity of IT in a modern world, or if you would like to join our diverse culture, please contact us at uk.info@devoteam.com.
