Happy International Women’s Day!

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is ‘Inspire Inclusion’ so we asked the DigiTay network to spotlight women making significant strides in Angus, Dundee, Perth & Kinross and North East Fife. These remarkable women are dedicated to fostering inclusivity within the technology sector and ensuring that digital skills are accessible to all members of our community.

Amina Okhai

Amina Okhai is the Digital Skills Project Leader at the Dundee International Women’s Centre. Through her role, Amina empowers women in Dundee by enhancing their digital and English language skills credited with delivering a variety of digital skills programmes from AI and Automation to culture and tourism. Notable, Amina recently collaborated with Archaeology Scotland to run a learning project introducing learners Dundee’s rich history while fostering digital competencies such as photography and online research. Committed to fostering inclusivity and equal opportunities, Amina is a strong advocate for women in Dundee, particuarly those from international backgrounds, to access digital skills training and education. Working closely with a variety of educators, businesses and employers Amina encourages people to think equitably about digital skills training to ensure that as we progress digitally, no one is left behind.

Cheryl Torano

Cheryl Torano is the Business Development Manager of the Abertay Cyber Quarter. She graduated from Abertay’s internationally renowned ethical hacking programme in 2017 and since then has worked for the Dundee-based Brightsolid as a Cyber Security Engineer before taking up her role at the cyberQuarter, while also completing an MBA in Business Administration for Cyber Security.

Cheryl actively contributes to the advancement of women in cybersecurity, serving on the boards of Scottish Women in Cyber and the Ladies Hacking Society. Cheryl’s influence has earned her recognition among the most influential women in Scotland’s technology sector, previously nominated for the most influential woman in cyber at the Scottish Cyber Awards in 2022.

 

 

Lara Findlay

Lara Findlay is a tech entrepreneur and Head of Regional Engagement for Dundee’s Codebase, leading the TechScaler programme for Tayside. Lara has over 10 years of experience in working with startups having founded a tech-for-good app and web development company in 2013. Throughout her career, Lara has worked with hundreds of organisations to help them develop digital solutions that make a difference and is passionate about growing and nurturing the tech community across Tayside. 1 in 5 of Scotland’s entrepreneurs are women, yet only 2% of investment goes to women – led companies in Scotland, Lara is dedicated to empowering aspiring women entrepreneurs and shifting the dial on this statistic. Lara facilitates regular Female Founder Meetings and AccelerateHer programmes in Dundee providing essential support and resources to women looking to kickstart and scale their startups. Through her leadership and advocacy, Lara is instrumental in fostering a more inclusive and diverse tech ecosystem, where all voices are heard and celebrated.

Lingsay Wong

Lingsay Wong is a Data Strategy expert and Head of Operations at Data Understood the Dundee based data consultancy. Lingsay ispassionate about data education and in 2023 launched the Dundee Data Meetup, aimed at fostering a vibrant community in Tayside dedicated to knowledge sharing. These monthly meetups have quickly gained momemntum and are a permanent feature of Dundee’s technology events calendar, attracting a diversity of speakers and attendees. Covering topics from AI in education to leveraging data for enhanced healthcare outcomes, the Dundee Data Meetup offers a platform for insightful discussions and collaboration across the tech ecosystem. Through Lingsay’s efforts the meetups continue to gain momentum enriching the local data ecosystem.

If you are interested in attending the Dundee Data Meet Up please visit: Dundee Data Meetup — CodeBase – The UK’s largest Technology Incubator, based in Edinburgh (thisiscodebase.com)

 

Dr Dharini Balasubramaniam

Dr Dharini Balasubramaniam is a Senior Lecturer in Computer Science at the University of St Andrews with an interest in digital literacy and computer science education. Dharini is currently carrying out a research project across Fife focusing on improving the data literacy of older adults, carrying out research in local libraries and working with organisations who support older adults to become digitally literate. Through this Dharini is empowering older people to become more digitally skilled and as a result more independent and confident to navigate today’s digitally enabled world.

Dharini also acts as the Director of Admissions for computing at the University of St Andrews supporting students at the start of their journey into computer science. Dharini’s dedication to advancing digital literacy and nurturing the next generation of computer scientists highlights the her contribution to digital inclusion.