By Eniola Akinsanya and Sonia Bello
Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women – Maya Angelou
To kick off this year’s International Women’s Day Celebration we decided to spotlight some amazing women from our community who are not just doing great things within the industry but have also paved a way for other women in their own unique way.
We interviewed Tese Ogbeifun, Mabel Ochebiri, Temi Olukoko, Charmaine Mabika and Elaine to find out more about their journey, share some advice for budding techies and celebrate their achievements.
At Xuntos, we believe and understand the importance of women taking up spaces in industries where the future gets shaped and we would like to wish every woman a Happy International Women’s Day.
Charmaine Mabika
Who are you and what is your role within the tech industry?
Hi, I am Charmaine a Quality Assurance Analyst for a consultancy firm.
Do you have a tech account in addition to your main account? If so, share them and what platforms they are on.
My main account is @lovee_charms (Instagram, Twitter, Clubhouse) and @thetechbae on TikTok.
What are you looking forward to seeing more of from women in the tech industry?
I’m looking forward to women being trailblazers in the tech industry, I want to see us get the recognition we deserve and also being in the leadership teams which is rare at the moment.
Any advice for women who want to study or transition into the tech industry?
My advice to anyone is to never let your gender become your limitation. You’re as capable and as worthy to be in the industry as the men in the industry.
Proudest moment or proudest achievement till date in tech?
My proudest moment in tech was building a repetitive automation process bot as a proof of concept for my company and organising events that have had over 250 people turn up.
Feel free to share any passion project
I am currently creating spaces to help those in Africa specifically Zimbabwean to get into tech/ stem roles. I would love to provide guidance and support for those who want to access these opportunities.
What is your Tech superpower?
My tech superpower is being able to learn loads of different tools that do the same thing
Mabel Ochebiri
Who are you and what is your role within the tech industry?
Hi, I am Mabel a Mathematician and machine learning enthusiast. I am also a Graduate Data Analyst in the Customer Experience team at Sage where I will be using Machine learning research to improve customer experience.
Do you have a tech account in addition to your main account? If so, share them and what platforms they are on
@mabel.tech on IG
What are you looking forward to seeing more of from women in the tech industry?
Transparency is Key. Over the past few months, I have learnt the importance of being honest about my experiences as women in tech. I find that sharing my wins and struggles can help and encourage other women who are starting in this field. Yes, there are many obstacles along the way, but you can succeed as other women have too.
Any advice for women who want to study or transition into the tech industry?
Network and connect.
Seeking out mentorship opportunities by networking and connecting with other women in the industry is very important. It will increase your understanding of what working in tech looks like.
This can also be a way to discover new opportunities such as work experience, or even a referral for a job. A practical way to go about this is by opening a tech account on social media and engage with other women in the field.
Proudest Moment or Proudest Achievement till date in tech?
My proudest moment was being able to transition to a technical role at my previous company after months of self-developing my coding skills. I went from being an IT customer support analyst to a Junior Test Engineer.
What is your tech superpower?
Viewing everything in the eyes of a mathematician.
“The study of mathematics is like air or water to our technological society.”
Tese Ogbeifun
Who are you and what is your role within the tech industry?
Hi, I am Tese a UXUI Designer and Software Developer.
Do you have a tech account in addition to your main account? If so, share them and what platforms they are on
Tech account: @ofureuk (Instagram)
What are you looking forward to seeing more of from women in the tech industry?
Representation is really important to me. I would love to see more black women working in tech companies and at higher positions of influence too. I’m excited to see the changes that women will make within the industry especially in design.
Any advice for women who want to study or transition into the tech industry?
Be consistent. You may not always feel motivated but consistency will pay off in the long run. For example, dedicating an hour a day to hone your skills.
Also, use your existing network and build new networks and connections with people in the tech community.
Do not compare your journey to anyone else’s, you are unique. I’ve found that a lot of companies like it when people change industries and do not have a traditional tech background. Focus on your own path, work hard, smart and things will come together!
Proudest moment or proudest achievement till date in tech?
Getting multiple job offers during a pandemic, one was from an international startup with an opportunity to move to South Africa. It definitely made me realise how talented I am.
The passion project I’m working on at the moment is building a blog website for myself. I am designing and developing it as well.
What is your tech superpower?
Being able to develop a concept quickly.
Elaine
Who are you and what is your role within the tech industry?
Hi, I am Elaine a Design and Technology Architect
Do you have a tech account in addition to your main account? If so, share them and what platforms they are on
Instagram: @qeysin Twitter: @qeys_inc
What are you looking forward to seeing more of from women in the tech industry?
I would like to see more female infrastructure thinkers and builders. I will also like to see more women contribute to the building of technology foundations from the ground up.
Any advice for women who want to study or transition into the tech industry?
My advice for women who want to study or transition into Tech is to change their mindset. “Your perceived limitations are actually your greatest asset”. Also, keep developing the transferable skills that are needed for you to get into the Industry.
Proudest moment or proudest achievement till date in tech?
My proudest moment to date is developing the QEYS (my passion project) radio frequency tag.
What is your tech superpower?
My tech superpower is telepathy.
Temi Olukoko
Who are you and what is your role within the tech industry?
Hi, I am Temi a Software Engineer and the founder of Simplex Code, a Tech educational platform that aims to make technical concepts simple and industry information accessible to all! I previously worked at BT on their technology graduate scheme, where I spent my time learning about mobile networks and software development. I will be starting a new job in April as a software engineer at a start-up. I am also a coding instructor at Code First Girls where I teach young women how to code and I also occasionally speak at tech events.
Do you have a tech account in addition to your main account? If so, share them and what platforms they are on
Instagram: @simplexcode, Twitter: @simplexcode_, TikTok: @simplexcode, LinkedIn: Simplex Code
What are you looking forward to seeing more of from women in the tech industry?
I’m looking forward to seeing more women in tech taking up space! I want to see more of us speaking at events – not just about being a woman in tech but also speaking about technical subjects, best practices within our fields of expertise etc. I also want to see more of us in managerial positions taking the lead on projects!
Any advice for women who want to study or transition into the tech industry?
Whether you’re studying at university or wanting to get a job in the industry, I would advise you to find a community to join, it will make your journey easier. It can be overwhelming being the only woman in these spaces but being part of a community of other women in tech that you can interact with makes a big difference! Xuntos is a great community to join, as well as Coding Black Females or Code First Girls!
Proudest moment or proudest achievement till date in tech?
The achievement I am proudest of to date is getting a full-time role as a software engineer after I started learning to code a year ago. I have been interested in coding since university but wasn’t sure it was for me. After coming across Black women in software engineering on YouTube and on blogs who spoke about their jobs and career journeys, my perspective changed and I got the confidence I needed to pursue a career in the field!
I have a YouTube channel, where I give early careers advice to people looking to break into tech and share coding tips!
What is your tech superpower?
The ability to make things simple! I spend a lot of my time interacting with people who want to get into the industry in the form of teaching coding classes and creating content for Simplex Code. By doing all of this, I have managed to develop the ability to break down technical concepts and explain industry jargon to those who know little to nothing about the industry.
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