It goes without saying that women remain under-represented in the technology sector. Although there are a number of things being done to change that, it is still a challenge to fix the imbalance and that isn't just in the office.
Even in the 21st century, conferences and events are where you tend to see a lack of female keynote or panel speakers. Some may assume there aren't enough women putting themselves forward for the position, yet figures prove that is incorrect and females actually go unrecognised. A report from TechNation found that only 19 percent of UK tech workers are women.
Sadly it is still not uncommon to see panels that only feature male speakers (manels), even in 2019. When the inevitable backlash on social media occurs, it is always interesting to see how the event organisers respond.
Ideally, it goes something like: "We're sorry, we will do better next time." Sometimes the organisers claim to have invited (usually unspecified) women but they couldn't make it. Regularly the defence is: "There just aren't enough women working in this area." But how true is this?
We decided to investigate ourselves to see how many UK-based women we could find who'd be able to speak in public across the various sectors within tech. With relatively little effort we found tons of impressive vendor executives, chief information officers, startup founders, developers, technologists, lawyers… just to name a few sectors. They are listed below, by their (quite loosely defined) expertise category, with links to their LinkedIn profiles.
This list is by no means exhaustive. In fact, we're certain it's just a drop in the ocean. So if you are or know a woman working in tech who'd be a great speaker, please get in touch: womenintech@techworld.com.
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Here are 592 UK women who could speak at your tech event, grouped by:
- Founders and women working in startups speakers
- Developers and technologists speakers
- Vendor executives and tech company staff speakers
- Female CIOs and CTOs
- Academics, trade bodies, thinktankers and non-profits
- Security and tech law speakers
- Venture capitalists and investors
- Public sector speakers
- Media, communications and marketing
Founders and women working in startups
- Yodit Stanton, founder and CEO of internet of things startup OpenSensors
- Alex Depledge, founder and CEO of online architectural service Resi
- Emily Forbes, founder of video app Seenit
- Gemma Young, founder and CEO of property tech startup Settled
- Louise Doherty, founder of events app Yoller
- Gloria Baeuerlein, head of strategy, KRY
- Melissa Morris, cofounder and CEO of online locum marketplace Lantum
- Nicola Anderson, CMO at MyTutor.co.uk
- Caroline Harding-Gelbard, VP of consumer insights at Paperless Post
- Emer Coleman, project director at UP Accelerator & associate of Connected Places Catapult
- Paola Marinone, cofounder and CEO of online video startup BuzzMyVideos
- Priya Lakhani, founder of edtech AI platform CENTURY Tech
- Sumita Jindal, CMO at recipe app for students Digimeal
- Leah Hutcheon, founder and CEO of scheduling software startup Appointedd
- Lisa Jacobs, UK managing director at Funding Circle
- Sophie Eden, cofounder of tech hiring startup Gordon & Eden
- Johanna Bergqvist, head of UK network business at user engagement platform Playbuzz
- Aneeqa Khan, cofounder and CEO of trade community app eporta
- Alice Bentinck, cofounder of company builder Entrepreneur First
- Julie Walters, founder of healthtech startup Raremark
- Jelena Aleksic, chief business officer at PharmEnable
- Katryna Dow, founder and CEO of personal data platform Meeco
- Liz Hardwick, cofounder of digital training company DigiEnable
- Steph Fiala, COO at ecommerce startup Flubit
- Sophie Adelman, cofounder and general manager at apprenticeship startup White Hat
- Angie Ma, co-founder of AI company Faculty
- Joséphine Goube, CEO at Techfugees
- Nat Hunter, director at FANDCO
- Sarah Drummond, cofounder and managing director of Snook & CDO at Northgate Public Services
- Leanne Kemp, founder and CEO of blockchain-based diamonds database Everledger
- Julia Salasky, founder of public interest litigation crowdfunding platform CrowdJustice
- Sarah Gold, CEO and founder of Projects by IF
- Francine Bennett, CEO and cofounder of Mastodon C
- Samantha Kingston, cofounder and client director at VR marketing specialist Virtual Umbrella
- Vicky Hunter, founder at LittleRed
- Gemma Milne, cofounder of Science: Disrupt
- Iona Inglesby, founder of personalised DNA service Dot One
- Silja Litvin, founder and CEO of PsycApps & eQuoo
- Adizah Tejani, now senior digital innovation manager at HSBC Retail Banking and Wealth Management
- Elizabeth Varley, founder and CEO of TechHub
- Martha Lane Fox, cofounder of lastminute.com, Lucky Voice, Antigone, Go On UK, and Doteveryone
- Jessica Butcher, former cofounder of Blippar, now cofounder of Tick. Done.
- Nancy Cruickshank, founder of beauty shopping service MyShowcase & SVP digital business transformation at Carlsberg Group
- Natalie Massenet, founder of Net-a-Porter
- Sherry Coutu, founder and CEO of Founders4Schools & director of Workfinderapp
- Robyn Exton, founder of social app HER
- Cathy White, founder of CEW Communications
- Faye Pressly, chief operating officer of tech consultancy Vanti
- Emma Sinclair, cofounder of EnterpriseAlumni
- Annemie Ress, founder of PurpleBeach
- Elspeth Briscoe, cofounder of Learning With Experts
- Estelle Lloyd, founder of Azoomee
- Brynne Kennedy, CEO and founder of Topia
- Devika Wood, head of health hub & London accelerator, Wayra
- Joanna Hubbard, cofounder of energy blockchain startup Electron
- Kim Nilsson, CEO of data science marketplace Pivigo
- Jane Jee, CEO of regtech startup Kompli Global
- Colette Ballou, founder and president of Ballou PR
- Kelly Angood, head of culture and communications at Vochlea Music
- Becky Sage, CEO of science edtech startup Interactive Scientific
- Samiya Parvez, founder of 3D printed orthotics company Andiamo
- Tracy Miranda, director of open source community at CloudBees
- Wendy Devolder, founder of Europe's largest software developer community Skills Matter
- Anne Currie, chief strategist at Container Solutions
- Mary McKenna, entrepreneur, investor and speaker, currently director of Elemental Software
- Debbie Wosskow, founder of Allbright and Love Home Swap (now sold)
- Tania Boler, CEO and cofounder of medtech startup Elvie
- Monika Bielskyte, founder of ALLFUTUREEVERYTHING
- Carrie Osman, founder of consultancy CRUXY&CO
- Claire Walker, founder and CEO of Firefly Communications
- Julie Chakraverty, founder of work/life advice app Rungway
- Dr Jacqui Taylor, founder of web science company Flying Binary
- Celia Francis, CEO of online marketplace Rated People
- Megan Neale, founder of Limitless Technology
- Anne Boden, founder and CEO of Starling Bank
- Megan Caywood, former chief platform officer at Starling Bank, now managing director at Barclays
- Sarah Guha, product director at Starling Bank
- Rebecca McAra, marketplace principal, DC Thomson
- Alexandra Farrell, CEO of Workfinder
- Sofia Fenichell, CEO and founder of edtech startup Mrs Wordsmith
- Rachel Murphy, CEO of recruitment agency Difrent Group
- Lucy Smith, founder at DigitalGrads
- Nadia El Hadery, cofounder and CEO of YFood & London Food Tech Week
- Marcia Zander, startup mentor and advisor and founding partner of Augmenta One
- Lisa Hutt, CEO of 360 video and virtual reality startup 3explor
- Jess Jeetly, founder of fashion tech startup Jeetly
- Rosanna Falconer, cofounder of fashion, digital and tech community FashMash
- Anne-Laure Le Cunff,founder of Ness Labs
- Charlotte Guzzo, cofounder and COO of genomics platform Sano Genetics
- Elin Haf Davies, founder of healthtech startup aparito
- Jules Coleman, founder and CTO of online residential architecture platform Resi
- Michelle Kennedy, founder of networking app Peanut
- Anna Jones, cofounder of funding platform for female-led companies Allbright
- Julia Elliott Brown, CEO and cofounder of Enter the Arena
- Paris Petgrave, cofounder and CEO of people analytics platform We Love Work
- Kate Miller, chief commercial officer at City Pantry
- Bethany Koby, cofounder and CEO at tech learning startup Technology Will Save Us
- Colleen Wong, founder and director of kids wearable startup MyGatorWatch
- Francesca Rosella, cofounder and chief creative director of wearable tech fashion brand CuteCircuit
- Hadeel Ayoub, founder and CTO at assistive tech startup BrightSignGlove
- Isabel Van De Keere, founder and CEO at digital health startup Immersive Rehab
- Maria McKavanagh, managing director at Verv
- Myra Waiman, managing director at smart sensor startup Infi-Tex
- Natalie Price, founder and CEO of dementia care tech startup Proximity Care
- Pauline Issard, cofounder and CEO of Trackener
- Rana Nakhal Solset, founder and CEO of luxury wearable tech fashion brand Emel + Aris
- Sophie Thompson, cofounder of mobile VR application Virtual Speech
- Tanya Suárez, cofounder of IoT Tribe
- Wan Tseng, founder of femtech startup Wisp
- Sharon O'Dea, cofounder of digital communications consultancy Lithos Partners
- Hazel Moore, chairman and cofounder of FirstCapital
- Suki Fuller, startup mentor and founder of strategic competitive intelligence company Miribure
- Linda Wang, cofounder of securities lending platform Lendingblock
- Sian Lewin, head of client delivery at RegTech Associates
- Camille Rumani, cofounder and COO of meal sharing startup Eatwith
- Susan Ramonat, founder and CEO of blockchain record-keeping startup Spiritus Partners
- Sheeza Shah, founder at CEO of crowdfunding and support platform UpEffect
- Anisah Osman Britton, founder of coding school for women 23 Code Street
- Hannah Louise Thompson, chief product & people officer at healthtech startup Cambridge Cancer Genomics
- Kate Glazebrook, cofounder and CEO of recruitment tech startup Applied
- Louise Broni-Mensah, founder of event app Shoobs
- Jenny Griffiths, founder and CEO of visual search startup Snap Tech
- Saasha Celestial-One, cofounder and COO of food sharing app OLIO
- Jessi Baker, founder of blockchain-based supply chain transparency startup Provenance
- Kathryn Parsons, cofounder and co-CEO of tech education company DECODED
- Marta Krupinska, former cofounder of online remittance service Azimo, now cofounder at FreeUp
- Alice Navarro, founder and CEO of content monetisation platform Skimlinks
- Samantha Payne, cofounder and CEO of 3D prosthetics startup Open Bionics and innovation fellow at Wired
- Cherry Freeman, founder of crafts social network and marketplace LoveCrafts
- Rikke Rosenlund, founder and CEO of BorrowMyDoggy
- Edwina Dunn, CEO of data science startup Starcount
- Nicky Watson, cofounder and CEO at data analysis startup Syrenis
- Sara Tateno, founder and CEO at Happity, a platform for booking activities for kids under five
- Fiona Nielsen, CEO and founder of bioinformatics startups DNAdigest and Respositive
- Hayley Sudbery, CEO and founder of mentoring app Werkin
- Sophie Deen, CEO of children's media company Bright Little Labs
- Tamara Rajah, founder and CEO of Live Better With
- Tracey Groves, founder and director of Intelligent Ethics
- Clara Durodié, founder and executive chair of AI advisory firm Cognitive Finance Group
- Olivia Higgs, co-founder and COO at travel tech startup NAVA
- Nina Mohanty, enterprise business development at Klarna & co-host of Breaking Banks Fintech Podcast
- Kendal Parmar, cofounder at UNTAPPED
- Rose Lewis, cofounder of Collider, an accelerator for sales and marketing tech
- Rachel Gawley, cofounder and CEO of medtech startup AppAttic
- Sarah Richards, founder of Content Design London
- Anna Bennett, executive director at strategic consultancy The Differential Group
- Susan Hallam, founder and CEO of digital marketing agency Hallam
- Emilie Bellet, founder of money advice startup Vestpod
- Clare Jones, chief commercial officer at what3words
- Lauren Currie, managing director of NOBL Collecive and founder of #Upfront
- Tiffany St James, founder of digital capability startup Transmute
- Saira Gill, cofounder and CEO of music tech startup Zone Technologies
- Sharmadean Reid, founder of salon booking startup Beautystack
- Lou Cordwell, founder and CEO of digital design company magneticNorth
- Charlotte Halkett, CCO at Bought By Many
- Vivi Friedgut, CEO and founder of financial skills startup Blackbullion
- Joanne Osborne, co-founder and CEO of EVERLAB
- Charlotte Morris, co-founder and CGO of EVERLAB
- Tugce Bulut, founder and CEO of market research startup Streetbees
- Louisa Heinrich, founder of Superhuman Ltd, Global experience design lead at Ford, professional speaker
- Sharlene Lopez,founder of creative digital agency Eye catcher
- Kamila Hankiewicz, founder & managing director of Girls in Tech LDN and Untrite
- Gabriela Hersham, founder & CEO of Huckletree
- Hanna Johnson, chief operating officer at PUBLIC
- Hannah Feldman, co-founder of Kidadl
- Courtney Carlsson, CEO and co-founder at Paradym
- Marie-Clare Fenech, founder of Unicornz
- Stephanie Melodia, founder & director of Bloom
- Nicole Ponsford, founder of The Gender Equality Collective
- Dr Anastasia Dedyukhina, founder of Consciously Digital
- Heather Black, CEO and founder of Salesforce Supermums
- Alexa Shoen, founder and director of #ENTRYLEVELBOSS
- Danae Shell, CEO at #ENTRYLEVELBOSS
- Dr Fenglian Xu,CEO/ founder of Data Health Intelligent
- Hessie Coleman, founder of startup consultancy Xethe, ex Head of People, Business Banking Delivery at Starling Bank
- Sukhi Jutla, co-founder and COO of MarketOrders