The TechGirl Masterclass Series 2024: A Recap

Dive into the highlights of the 2024 TechGirl masterclasses, where aspiring female leaders gained invaluable insights from industry experts on confidence, networking, social impact, and navigating a fast-evolving tech landscape.

This year, the TechGirl Masterclass series has been a transformative platform for empowering young women to excel in technology and business—and their careers. Featuring industry experts speaking from experience in their diverse fields, these sessions provided valuable insights into personal branding, career opportunities, data science and digital skills. For those who missed it, here’s a summary of the four sessions, what was discussed and the key lessons to carry forward, plus: some iconic quotes we picked up along the way.

TechGirl Masterclass speaker line-up

• Yessi Bello Perez, LinkedIn
• Dr. Laura Gilbert, 10 Downing Street
• Annie Baldwin, Deliveroo
• Leonor Diaz Alcanatara, former Montessori
• Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon, Stemettes
• Anna Gevorgyan, Axelrod.ai

The 2024 TechGirl Masterclasses: overview

1. Building your personal brand
2. Inside 10 Downing Street
3. What it's really like to have a career in data science
4. Mastering digital skills

1. Building your personal brand with Yessi Bello Perez

The year kicked off with Yessi Bello Perez, Community and Editorial Segments Lead for LinkedIn UK and EU, who led a session on how to build a personal brand on LinkedIn. Yessi highlighted LinkedIn’s immense potential as a professional platform, with over 1 billion members, including 8.2 million C-suite executives and 63 million companies. She emphasised that LinkedIn isn’t just a digital résumé—it’s a space to create high-quality content and engage with a meaningful professional community (Yessi encouraged the masterclass attendees to connect with her on LinkedIn to discover more about her role).

Key takeaways:

• Four principles for LinkedIn success: Be consistent with your content. Be authentic in your voice. Focus on quality over quantity. Experiment with different content styles.
• A strong LinkedIn profile coupled with engaging posts can significantly boost professional visibility and open doors to career opportunities.
• Members can contribute to LinkedIn news by engaging with trending topics and sharing insights relevant to professional conversations.

Quotes: 

• "LinkedIn is a place where the reach and the audience potential for your content and your career journey is huge."
• "Think about your LinkedIn profile as your business card. It's your professional shop window."
• "One of the most powerful things you can do is spark conversation and make sure that conversation is quality conversation."

2. Inside 10 Downing Street: a conversation with Dr. Laura Gilbert

Dr. Laura Gilbert, Chief Data Analyst at 10 Downing Street, tuned in live from the office to share her fascinating career journey in government technology. From her initial role in the Ministry of Defence to her leadership at Downing Street, Dr. Gilbert offered insights into navigating the complexities of government technology roles.

Key takeaways:

• Adapting to change: Careers in technology are ever-evolving, and adaptability is essential. Dr. Gilbert advised attendees to stay open to opportunities in diverse fields.
• AI and automation: While these technologies improve efficiency, they also reshape traditional roles. Aspiring professionals should embrace these changes by acquiring technical skills.
• Breaking stereotypes: Women in tech face unique challenges, but the opportunities are vast. Dr. Gilbert urged participants to overcome societal expectations and pursue tech careers boldly.

Quotes:

• “I think career pathways are different than they used to be and there's nothing worse than being bored.”
• "I think it is world changing and it is world changing for people like us, really."
• “Go work in tech; it’s great. The opportunities are high, and we’re on the cusp of new technology and a new way to integrate with the world.”

3. What It’s Really Like to Have a Career in Data Science

This session featured Annie Baldwin, a Data Scientist at Deliveroo, and Lecturer at Birkbeck University, alongside Leonor Diaz Alcantara, the former Global CEO of Montessori Schools. Separately, they explored the evolving field of data science and the skills necessary to thrive in a world shaped by AI.

Key takeaways:

• Annie Baldwin shared her career journey, emphasizing foundational skills like statistics and mathematics, as well as technical tools like Python and SQL. She stressed the importance of domain knowledge to solve complex stakeholder challenges.
• Leonor Diaz Alcantara highlighted the role of human-centric skills in a technology-driven world. Collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking are essential for bridging technical expertise with interpersonal effectiveness.
• Mentorship and support networks were identified as critical for women navigating STEM fields. Both speakers encouraged participants to seek guidance and foster connections.

Quotes:

• “I really do think you still need those fundamental skills, you can't just rely on AI to do everything.” — Annie Baldwin
• "No question is a stupid question because someone else in the room is probably thinking exactly the same thing." — Annie Baldwin
• "Don't forget to feed that creative part of yourself because you actually become a better technical person as a result... Creativity is about being part of something that you can't actually really describe." — Leonor Diaz Alcantara
• "I would also encourage people to find mentors and network outside of their sector. Sometimes some of the best ideas you can have is talking to someone who has no idea of what you do... but they'll ask the 'stupid question' that will trigger someone into thinking, wow, I didn’t think about that."  — Leonor Diaz Alcantara

This TechGirl Masterclass session was a powerful reminder that thriving in data science requires a balance of hard skills (like coding) and soft skills (like communication and collaboration), a theme which flowed quite nicely into our next masterclass.

4. Mastering digital skills with Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon and Anna Gevorgyan

The final masterclass of the year focused on digital skills—a crucial foundation for success in today’s technology-driven landscape. Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon, CEO of Stemettes, and Anna Gevorgyan, Founder of Axelrod AI, delved into the skills needed to excel in business and technology in this masterclass session.

Key takeaways:

• Core digital skills: From programming languages like C++ and Java to advanced areas such as AI, machine learning, cloud computing, and cybersecurity, mastering these skills unlocks opportunities across industries.
• The importance of soft skills: Beyond technical expertise, the speakers emphasized the ability to communicate complex ideas to non-technical stakeholders and inspire teams.
• T-shaped leaders: Combining deep technical knowledge with a broad understanding of business challenges is key to leading in modern workplaces.
• Representation in STEM: Both speakers addressed barriers like imposter syndrome and underrepresentation, encouraging young women to persevere:
  “You absolutely do belong, and the world needs your ideas, creativity, passion, and voice.”

Quotes:

• "Technology is reshaping the world every day, every part of it. So hard skills such as coding, data analysis, and machine learning are the building blocks of all of this innovation." — Anna Gevorgyan
• "Lifelong learning is crucial; technology is evolving so rapidly that the skills you have today may not even exist tomorrow." — Anna Gevorgyan
• "Sometimes you have to feel the fear and do it anyway, and you'd be surprised what you end up being able to create, to do, to learn, to understand." — Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon
• "It's not just about digital for the sake of digital, it's about digital for the sake of life." — Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon

Dr. Imafidon also underscored the necessity of digital literacy in everyday life, from navigating online platforms to safeguarding personal information. She urged participants to embrace curiosity and explore technology as a tool to enhance all aspects of life.

TechGirl Masterclass series: building a brighter future

The TechGirl Masterclass series aims to empower young women to break barriers and seize opportunities in technology and business. 

These masterclass sessions not only highlight the importance of technical and digital skills but also emphasise the value of mentorship, collaboration and resilience. As we look forward to 2025, the lessons learned from these masterclasses will undoubtedly continue to inspire a new generation of women in tech.

Join the TechGirl community today

If you’re ready to start your journey in technology, or know someone who might be, connect with the TechGirl community for future masterclasses and opportunities. Let’s build a future where everyone’s voice is heard, and innovation ultimately knows no bounds.