Glowing in Tech
Glowing in Tech
Step into the vibrant world of technology with Glowing in Tech, where passion meets expertise every week. Join co-hosts Jessie and Shantelle—two dynamic women breaking barriers in tech—as they illuminate paths less traveled through candid conversations with industry innovators.From blockchain breakthroughs to AI advancements, cybersecurity challenges to product management pivots, we spark discussions that matter. Our episodes don't just scratch the surface—they dive deep into real-world tech experiences, uncovering the triumphs, failures, and "nobody-tells-you-this" moments that shape remarkable careers.In a tech landscape where representation matters more than ever, "Glowing in Tech" stands as a beacon—creating...
We're back! From Nuclear Engineering to Blockchain + Web3 Shantelle's Tech Journey
Welcome to Season 3 of Glowing in Tech! Join Jessie and new co-host Shantelle as they dive into their inspiring tech journeys, from humble beginnings to hackathon wins and career pivots. Discover how Black Valley and various coding bootcamps transformed their careers, leading to roles in product management, blockchain exploration, and entrepreneurship. They also discuss the challenges and rewards of community building in Web3, navigating career shifts, and the impact of AI and cybersecurity in t
Mar 25, • 46:32
Impact of AI in Software and tech jobs, navigating bad work relationships + how to upskill in your role: Hosanna Ali Part 2
In today's episode, we continue to talk with Hosanna about TheTechCornr is having on inspiring Women and the industry at large. Hosanna also tells us about the most challenging times in her career and the tips she has for women starting out in the tech industry. HIGHLIGHTS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:13 Hosanna’s tips, how to survive a team member that you're just not clicking with. 00:06:00 Tech Tea 00:10:00 Fear mongering in tech “ it does scare people” 00:11:11 “Give the people some hope!” C
Jul 25, 2023 • 24:25
The Tech Cornr: Building a Multifaceted career beyond coding. Microsoft Azure application process, navigating your career from tech's big sister: Hosanna part 1
In this episode of Glowing in Tech, host Amber and Jessie are joined by Hosanna, an Azure specialist at Microsoft and the founder of TheTechCornr. Hosanna shares her journey into the tech industry and discusses the importance of increasing diversity in the field. She also talks about her platform and how it aims to inspire and educate women about opportunities in tech. Tune in to hear Hosanna's story and her impact on others in the industry. During the pandemic, Hosanna launched theTechCornr pla
Jul 18, 2023 • 22:23
Recognising + addressing burnout, mental health + how to maintain creativity: Candida Part 2
In this episode, the Candida discusses her personal journey of recognising and addressing burnout and the importance of mental health. She recalls attending a talk on mental health and burnout given by a speaker who visited their organisation. This talk served as a wake-up call for Candida, as she realised they were exhibiting several signs of burnout, such as withdrawing at work, neglecting their appearance, operating on autopilot, and feeling down and upset. Following the talk, the Candida ha
Jul 11, 2023 • 21:26
Finding Balance and Boundaries in Intense learning environments, how to prioritize wellbeing, Candida Bradley Part 1
In this episode of Glowing in Tech, hosts Amber and Jessie interview Candida Bradley, a Career and Well-Being Coach at Makers. Candida shares her journey, starting with a design degree in university and becoming a book artist. She then became a carer for her grandfather and later opened a craft shop in London. However, running a business on her own proved to be tough. The hosts discuss the importance of career and well-being coaching and how it can help individuals navigate their professional an
Jun 27, 2023 • 25:12
Navigating Bias & Discrimination in Tech Industry, Fighting Imposter Syndrome + Building Resilience: Stephanie Itimi - Part Two
Cybersecurity expert Stephanie Itimi shares her biggest career challenge as a woman in tech. She describes how microaggressions from her manager undermined her confidence and how she used peer reviews to advocate for her work. She emphasises the importance of having a support network and self-awareness to combat imposter syndrome. In this episode, we highlight the significance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. They argue that creating a fair and equitable workplace requires a focus o
Jun 20, 2023 • 28:21
How to get into Cyber Security? Certifications, Roles and Advice: Stephanie Itimi, CEO Seidea part 1
In this episode of Glowing in Tech, Stephanie Itimi, founder of Seidea and cybersecurity expert, talks with Amber and Jessie about her background in cyber intelligence and her work helping minority women break into cybersecurity careers. She provides insights into the different aspects of cybersecurity, including protecting critical data and systems and physical and technical security. Additionally, she discusses her current research on cybersecurity and physical security for domestic workers in
Jun 13, 2023 • 36:15
Trusting Colleagues at Work? Balancing Company Mission + Personal Goals: Simo Tchokni - Part 2
Simo shares the career challenges he has faced as a software engineer at Google and Memrise. We cover: The Politics of Tech: Engineering Perspectives, The Tricky Balance of Engineering and Product Management, When Leadership Deprioritizes Your Work, The Struggle of Feeling Like a Tool in Tech, Agency and Input in Engineering: Finding the Balance, The Importance of Understanding Customer Problems in Tech, Engineering Preferences: Clear Definitions or Input on Building? She discusses the difficu
Jun 6, 2023 • 24:24
Senior Software Engineer to Makers Technical Coach, engineering fundamentals: Simo Tchokni - Part 1
In this episode of the Glowing in Tech podcast, we speak to Simo Tchokni, a Software Engineering Coach at Makers who has been working in software for around ten years. We speak about how she transitioned from being a senior software engineer at a product-based company to becoming a technical coach for a bootcamp, software engineering fundamentals, and discuss the challenges of translating non-technical requirements into technical implementations. Stay up to date by following us on our socials:
May 30, 2023 • 30:54
Wearable technology with nail art, coding bias, women in hardware: Eneni Abban - Part 2
In this episode of Glowing in Tech, hosts Amber and Jessie interview Eneni Abban aka The Techover, a robotics engineer and creative technologist who also runs a company that hosts anime events. They discuss how women are underrepresented in hardware engineering, Eneni's innovative project of combining wearable technology with nail art, and the power of community. Stay up to date by following us on our socials: LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/glowi... Instagram: https://www.instagra
May 23, 2023 • 37:58
Robotics Engineering, creative technologist & winning engineering awards, Eneni Abban: Part 1
In this episode of Glowing in Tech, hosts Amber and Jessie interview Eneni Abban aka The Techover, a robotics engineer and creative technologist who also runs a company that hosts anime events. Eneni shares that her interest in robotics began at a young age when she would take electronics apart to see how they worked. Despite studying post-graduate data science, Eneni continues to pursue her passion for robotics. The hosts discuss her unique skill set and how she manages to juggle various projec
May 16, 2023 • 34:13
Effective demos at work, personal growth, instant gratification : Keseana Robinson: Part 2
On this episode of Glowing in Tech, we welcomed back Keseana Robinson, a SalesForce solutions engineer. She started at SalesForce in September 2020 as part of their apprenticeship program. Her role includes working closely with clients to develop tailored solutions and showcasing the capabilities of the company’s cloud product portfolio. She has particular focus as a Boldforce Philanthropic Lead, working with not-for-profits across the region. Keseana shares her top tips in demoing and how she h
May 9, 2023 • 20:33
Salesforce engineer, work/life balance, overcoming corporate barriers - Keseana Robinson: Part 1
Keseana shares her experience juggling her role as a Salesforce solution engineer with her degree apprenticeship. She initially struggled with balancing her workload and maintaining her work-life balance, but she learned to work smarter, not harder. She advises that it's important to communicate with your cohort and manager about any challenges you may face and to recognize that the outcome of the process is not always as important as the process itself. In this episode, Keseana discusses the c
May 2, 2023 • 27:21
Mentorship, entrepreneurship, how to get into leadership - Renee Hunt: Part 2
Renee Hunt discusses the importance of tech in business leadership and the need for more opportunities for tech professionals to move into leadership roles. She also emphasizes the value of a broad skill set and the need for patience and grace in learning. Hunt also shares her plans to start a podcast and write a book.The podcast also includes community comments on previous episodes, including discussions on unconscious bias and the power of introverted communication. Throughout the con
Apr 25, 2023 • 31:41
Accidental CTO, FinTech for good, being headhunted Renee Hunt: Part 1
In this episode of the Glowing in Tech podcast, we are joined by Renee Hunt and she talks to us about accidentally becoming a CTO, using FinTech for good, moving to the UK from DC, and much more. Renee Hunt discusses her approach to leadership and hiring, as well as her experiences being headhunted for CTO roles. She also touches on the differences in work culture and pay between the US and the UK. Hunt challenges stereotypes of female leadership and emphasizes the importance of operating in th
Apr 18, 2023 • 25:28
When to move companies in tech, Self-promotion + Moving from Kenya to the UK: Nelly Kiboi - Part 2
In this episode of the Glowing in Tech podcast, Nelly talks about her career challenge which was about moving from Kenya to work in Burgess Hill as a Software Engineer and her tech tea on how learning something new is underrated! Nelly Kiboi is a service engineer at Microsoft who leverages her passion for emerging technologies to drive equality and accessibility. Originally from Kenya, Nelly relocated to the UK in 2016, and now helps independent software vendors and startups maximise their Azur
Apr 11, 2023 • 23:40
Discovering Open source, working @ Microsoft + learning on the job: Nelly Kiboi - Part 1
In this episode, Nelly Kiboi discusses her experience discovering open source and working at Microsoft, as well as the importance of contributing to open source projects. She also talks about her transition to a new country and building confidence in herself through small steps and finding supportive communities. Nelly emphasizes that contributing to open source can take many forms, not just source code contributions. One can create lists, share fun projects, and even sponsor other contributors.
Apr 4, 2023 • 43:51
From office pet to threat, Tech newbie + the struggles of career switching: Adrienne Galloway
Adrienne has been a Software Engineer for just under a year and currently works for a London-based software consultancy specialising in cloud-native technologies. She began her career in corporate Public Relations, working with some of the UK’s most well known FTSE 100 companies. Not long after that she transitioned into technology and lifestyle PR at a boutique London PR agency where her clients included everything from dating apps to a high-speed air mobility company and venture capital firm
Mar 28, 2023 • 22:46
Public Relations to Software Engineer, Bootcamp scholarships & cloud native transformation: Adrienne Galloway - Part 1
Adrienne has been a Software Engineer for just under a year and currently works for a London-based software consultancy specialising in cloud-native technologies. She began her career in corporate Public Relations, working with some of the UK’s most well known FTSE 100 companies. Not long after that she transitioned into technology and lifestyle PR at a boutique London PR agency where her clients included everything from dating apps to a high-speed air mobility company and venture capital firm
Mar 21, 2023 • 29:10
Michaela Gasteratou - Part 2: Building a mentorship culture, accessible interview practices
Michaela is a full stack software engineer currently working at a #cyber security #startup. She switched her career in 2020 and hasn't looked back since! In her spare time, she teaches #React to people who want to learn the library or folks looking to change their career to tech. In this episode of the Glowing in Tech podcast, Michaela shares her career challenge which is getting a more mentoring culture to help cultivate growth in software engineers who are at their start of their career. She
Mar 14, 2023 • 28:04
Michaela Gasteratou - Part 1: Pandemic career switch, leaving software consultancy, retraining from frontend to fullstack engineer, documentation + accessibility
Michaela is a full stack software engineer currently working at a cyber security startup. She switched her career in 2020 and hasn't looked back since! In her spare time, she teaches React to people who want to learn the library or folks looking to change their career to tech. This episode of the podcast discusses the importance of learning tutorials and frameworks, even if you feel like you don't have the time. The guest argues that it's important to take the time to learn these things, even
Mar 7, 2023 • 31:57
Routes into tech: an insider's guide on becoming a Software Engineer
Are you interested in becoming a software engineer? Do you want to learn about the different routes you can take to get there? In this episode of Glowing in Tech, Jessie and Amber will be talking about how they made the career switch into becoming Software Engineers the different routes that they took to get there, and the industries that they're in. In the first episode of season 2 of *Glowing in Tech*, Amber and Jessie delve into their own personal experiences of entering the tech industry.
Mar 7, 2023 • 24:29
Glowing in Tech Careers Season Trailer
Are you interested in becoming a career in the tech industry? Do you want to learn about the different routes you can take to get there? In season 2 of the Glowing in Tech podcast, Jessie and Amber talk to women in the tech industry about their careers, the different routes that they took to get there, and the industries that they're in. They'll also be sharing their career challenges. In the "What's the Tech Tea?" segment, they'll be spilling their controversial take on something within the ind
Mar 6, 2023 • 1:31
Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE - Part 2: Tech burnout, Future of work, AI developments
Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE is a prodigy in every sense of the word. Aged 11, she was the youngest girl ever to pass A-level computing, and was just 20 years old when she received her Master’s Degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Oxford. She is the CEO of Stemettes, an award-winning social initiative dedicated to inspiring and promoting the next generation of young women in the STEM sectors. In 2022 she released her new book She’s in CTRL a guidebook for women to tak
Oct 18, 2022 • 25:28
Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE - Part 1: How women can take CTRL in tech, empowering women & communities
Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE is a prodigy in every sense of the word. Aged 11, she was the youngest girl ever to pass A-level computing, and was just 20 years old when she received her Master’s Degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Oxford. She is the CEO of Stemettes, an award-winning social initiative dedicated to inspiring and promoting the next generation of young women in the STEM sectors. In 2022 she released her new book She’s in CTRL a guidebook for women to take
Oct 11, 2022 • 18:05
Renée - Part 2: Intro to Version Control, Git & Github, Black representation in tech & building community in tech
Renée-Louise Nzegbulem is a #SoftwareEngineer @Beamery. Prior to this, Renée was a Mathematics Teacher after completing her Economics degree, and a year later took a leap of faith into the tech industry. The serendipities of life landed Renée a fulfilling role at a scale up, as a software engineer. She now specializes in #frontend development, building products for some of the biggest fortune 500 companies in the world. She introduces us to version control, git & github PLUS, she spills the tec
Sep 27, 2022 • 24:36
Renée - Part 1: Teacher to Software Engineer, CodeFirstGirls degree & BlackCodher Bootcamp
Renée-Louise Nzegbulem is a #SoftwareEngineer @Beamery . Prior to this, Renée was a Mathematics Teacher after completing her Economics degree, and a year later took a leap of faith into the tech industry. The serendipities of life landed Renée a fulfilling role at a scale up, as a software engineer. She now specialises in #frontend development, building products for some of the biggest fortune 500 companies in the world. She talks us through her journey of switching from #teaching to #technology
Sep 20, 2022 • 17:22
Tara Ojo - Part 2: Glorification of working in tech, github best practices
Tara is a #SoftwareEngineer at Google. She's a speaker, teacher and writer sharing tips and advice on career development in the tech industry. Tara is a regular supporter of programmes and projects for black women and minorities by teaching them to code and mentoring them in their careers. She has worked as a STEM Ambassador inspiring children and young people, while volunteering at Code Clubs, giving career talks at school events and working with organisations such as Microsoft and the United
Sep 13, 2022 • 29:49
Tara Ojo - Part 1: Software Engineer at Google, MAANG technical interview preparation, junior to senior SWE journey
Tara is a Software Engineer at Google. She's a speaker, teacher and writer sharing tips and advice on career development in the tech industry. Tara is a regular supporter of programmes and projects for black women and minorities by teaching them to code and mentoring them in their careers. She has worked as a STEM Ambassador inspiring children and young people, while volunteering at Code Clubs, giving career talks at school events and working with organisations such as Microsoft and the United
Sep 6, 2022 • 24:53
Ife Ojomo - Part 2: Software Engineer - who really works "in tech"? & behavioural nudges
At the time of recording, Ife Ojomo was working as a Software Engineer at Vodafone through their grad scheme, but has now landed a role as a Prototyping Architect at Amazon Web Services (AWS). On this episode of the Glowing in Tech podcast, she shares her tech topic in 10 which is all about behavioural science and shares her controversial take about whether every company that uses tech is a tech company! Aside from her professional pursuits, she is a presenter and curates authentic conversations
Aug 30, 2022 • 30:14
Ife Ojomo - Part 1: software engineering graduate scheme, learning on the job, graduate rotations
At the time of recording, Ife Ojomo was working as a Software Engineer at Vodafone through their grad scheme, but has now landed a role as a Prototyping Architect at Amazon Web Services (AWS).On this episode of the Glowing in Tech podcast, she shares how she went from a degree in Mathematics, to working in PR, to landing a graduate role as a Software Engineer at Vodafone.Aside from her professional pursuits, she is a presenter and curates authentic conversations which bridge the gap bet
Aug 23, 2022 • 25:38
Tanya Powell - Part 2: BDD for sprint demos, rubber ducking, how to do tech docs
What is Behaviour-Driven Development? How can it be used to benefit the whole product team? How do you rubberduck? What are the secrets to writing great documentation? On this episode of the Glowing in Tech podcast, we are joined by the one and only Tanya Powell who works as a co-CTO at Coding Black Females. She shares her tech topic in tech which is all about behaviour driven development, and her controversial take on bad documentation. Show notes for the episode including timestamps and how
Aug 16, 2022 • 27:23
Tanya Powell - Part 1: Career switcher > CTO, choosing Frontend and React, Typed language benefits
How did Tanya go from Media Production to working as a CTO?What inspired her to do the switch?What was a masters in Computer Science like, coming from a non-technical background?Tanya Powell is the Co-CTO at Coding Black Females, where she leads both the training and technology strategies and visions of the largest network on Black Female Technologists in the UK. Prior to that, Tanya was a Senior Software Engineer focused on the frontend. As an educator, Tanya has taught many people ent
Aug 9, 2022 • 30:53
Jessica Cregg Part 2: DORA metrics, diversity at tech events & making spaces inclusive
What are the DORA metrics and why are they so important in the #DevOps world? What happened at EMF Camp festival this year and what would we recommend to prevent the same mistakes? How do we make tech events and spaces more #inclusive? On this episode of the Glowing in Tech podcast, she shares her tech topic in ten which is all about DORA metrics and her controversial take on EMF Camp being called out on their lack of diversity and turning off replies to their tweet. Show notes with all resourc
Aug 2, 2022 • 26:14
Jessica Cregg Part 1: Getting into devrel, nomading, setting work culture, international teams
Jessica Cregg is a Developer Advocate at LaunchDarkly. When she’s not interpreting error messages or learning new things, she’s a big fan of organizing meetups, volunteering at conferences and talking about the human implications of engineering decisions, along with why tech can’t and won’t solve everything. On this episode of the Glowing in Tech podcast, she shares her remarkable journey into dev rel, introduces us to nomading and shares more about what her role involves. Read the show notes
Jul 26, 2022 • 26:56
Charlene Hunter MBE: Part 2 - Building digital community products & finding time for side projects
On this episode of the Glowing in Tech podcast we have the pleasure of speaking to Charlene Hunter, who is the CEO and Founder of Coding Black Females. She shares her tech topic in 10 about building digital products for Coding Black Females and her controversial tech take that finding the time for side projects isn’t always realistic. Stay up to date by following us on our socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glowingintech Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/glowingintech Support/Advertis
Jul 5, 2022 • 34:19
Charlene Hunter MBE: Part 1 - Creating Tech Communities and Building Coding Black Females
Charlene Hunter is the CEO and Founder of Coding Black Females. On this episode of the Glowing in Tech podcast, she shares her remarkable journey into tech and what inspired her to start the amazing community & organisation that is Coding Black Females. Stay up to date by following us on our socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glowingintech Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/glowingintech Support/Advertise with us: https://forms.gle/eLMUST2puKzuA25c7 Stay in touch with Charlene: @charle
Jun 28, 2022 • 21:01
Zoë Ruki Nengite - Part 2: Technical interview tips, Data engineering 101 and debunking the myth of meritocracy in tech hiring
Zoë Ruki Nengite (@zoerukintech) is a technical lead at Palantir, a mentor, a STEM ambassador and now a technical interviewer too. She shares her tech topic where she speaks about demystifying data engineering, humans making AI-assisted data driven decisions, and spills the tech tea on the misconceptions of meritocracy. For the show notes to this episode, including resources and how best to get in touch with our guest, see here: https://www.notion.so/Glowing-in-Tech-Show-notes-f568e988a20b40c5bd
Jun 21, 2022 • 29:18
Zoë Ruki Nengite - Part 1: from junior to tech lead, standing out in interviews, internal promotion and big corp vs startup
Zoë (@zoerukintech) is a technical lead at Palantir, a mentor, a STEM ambassador and now a technical interviewer too. We ask her about what makes someone stand out in a technical interview, now that she’s a hiring manager. We discuss differences in working in tech at a big corp vs a small startup and how that can impact progression. We ask her what it’s like becoming a tech lead in 2 years and why she chose the management route over individual contributor. She also shares her advice on how to ne
Jun 14, 2022 • 23:16
Amina Aweis Part 2: does imposter syndrome exist? Founding an accessibility focused tech startup and ADHD in tech
Meet Amina Aweis on our first episode of the @glowingintech podcast.Amina is a neurodivergent accessibility advocate, founder, writer and content creator, leading and shaping conversations about what it means to be digitally inclusive.In this episode, she shares her journey into tech and gives us an introduction to web accessibility. Stay tuned for Part two!Show notes: https://www.notion.so/Glowing-in-Tech-Show-notes-f568e988a20b40c5bde611fa5e18e234Stay up to date by following us on our
Jun 7, 2022 • 29:01
Amina Aweis Part 1: Tech Founder, Accessibility Advocate and Neurodivergent Software Engineer
Meet Amina Aweis on our first episode of the @glowingintech podcast. Amina is a neurodivergent accessibility advocate, founder, writer and content creator, leading and shaping conversations about what it means to be digitally inclusive. In this episode, she shares her journey into tech and gives us an introduction to web accessibility. Stay tuned for Part two! Show notes: https://www.notion.so/Glowing-in-Tech-Show-notes-f568e988a20b40c5bde611fa5e18e234 Stay up to date by following us on our
May 31, 2022 • 28:56
