Welcome ...
The TechStylers October 2021 Inspirational Session took place on Saturday 30th October. It was hosted by our co founder Olajumoke ‘MJ’ Toriola and Oluwatosin ‘Tosin’ Anishere.
Tosin started with a lovely introduction about the women who’d changed the Tech World over the years. These included our very own MJ, who had been an inspiration to Tosin over a number of years. But there have been many inspirational women, starting with the very first programmer Ada Lovelace.
MJ introduced us to the agenda for the session, which was as follows.
- Welcome Note – MJ and Tosin
- About Us – our vision, who we are and what we stand for
- Women in IT and Leadership Role (Ola Williams)
- Influencing your ideas with the right communication skills (me!)
A pathway to success
MJ then introduced Our first speaker was Ola Williams – Microsoft Country Manager for Nigeria and Ghana. This was Ola’s first TechStylers session and she had come to speak to us about her journey into the tech world.
Starting as a voice technologist, Ola has been working in Tech for over 20 years. Having studied Computer Science at college, Ola has worked in IT ever since. Working through various roles, Ola became a consultant, but always kept learning. Ola’s first role in Microsoft was in enterprise voice technology. However, it wasn’t long before Ola’s passion for learning enabled her to transition to other roles.
Ola is a huge believer in empowering women and girls even if they have no background in STEM subjects. As Ola explains, there is a huge impact on society if women do not get much more empowered in technology.
On the subject of mentoring, Ola had some great advice. Sharing a personal story of her own mentoring experience, Ola encouraged us to ask, and ask with purpose. We should be confident that we all have something to offer.
It's all about communication!
I was up next, with my ‘Communication 101’ session, focussed on how communication methods can be used to influence ideas. In this presentation I discussed different communications styles, and how to communicate from a place of power. As women in tech, this is important when trying to get our voices heard. Much of what I had learned about these subjects had been as a result of TechStylers sessions, given by other amazing women. It was great to be able to spread this knowledge further, and signpost our newer members back to the original speakers.
Come along ...
I really enjoyed presenting at the TechStylers October 2021 Inspirational session. Even when not presenting, I try to get along to all of them, as they always put a smile on my face. They are open to anyone, and are very welcoming, so please do come along if you find yourself in need of inspiration!
Our TechStylers monthly inspirational sessions happen on the last Saturday of every month. If you are interested in joining us, just look out for our posts on Social Media, or use one of the means below to get in touch. Everyone is welcome!