Inspirational Women in UX & UI: Alumnae Panel

International Women’s Day 2021

March was Women’s History Month—a celebration of women’s contributions to history, society, and culture. In addition to being a celebration, it also reminds us that we’ve still got a long way to go in the fight for equality. Not only are women vastly underrepresented in crucial industries like tech; they’re also bearing the brunt of the social and economic devastation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. And, when you consider women in marginalized communities, these inequalities are even more significant. At CareerFoundry, we want to play our part in changing that.

The theme for International Women’s Day 2021 was “Choose to Challenge,” and we’re choosing to challenge the systems and norms that uphold inequality—both in the tech space, and in education in general. In addition to our annual Women in Tech Scholarship, we chose to donate to two organizations whose causes are especially close to our heart: the Malala Fund, and Women for Women International. The Malala Fund is focused on getting girls back into education as the pandemic subsides, ensuring that progress is not lost and that we continue to build and rebuild gender-equal education systems. Women for Women International are helping the world’s most vulnerable women to survive the pandemic, providing information, health kits, and PPE. We chose these organizations because they’re actively working to ensure that all women and girls have access to an equitable future—not just a privileged few. For every new student who enrolled in a CareerFoundry program in March, we donated 50 Euros ($60 USD) to support this critical work.

At CareerFoundry, we’re trying to open up the tech space by empowering as many people as possible, from all walks of life, to learn new skills and forge successful careers. Our programs have been built for flexibility and accessibility; students can study in their own time, at their own pace, from anywhere in the world. This makes it possible to learn and retrain alongside work and caregiving responsibilities—because not everybody has the luxury of going to school full-time. And, with a solid, 360 model of human support and mentorship, no one studies in isolation. Changing careers is tough, so we make sure there’s someone to guide you every step of the way. Now, we’re helping career-changers navigate the pandemic, providing all the coaching and tools needed to succeed in a remote job market.

Until diversity, inclusivity, and equality are the norm, we’ll continue to use our influence in the tech community to drive the change we want to see. 

If you’d like to learn more, we can recommend the following:

• How to be an ally to women in tech: 7 actionable steps
• 15 Excellent resources to empower women in tech
• 5 Outstanding examples of design for women, by women

About the speakers:

Katherine Lu is a product designer and UX tutor with an educational background in social theory and literature. 

Lissy Bonness is a digital product designer and workshop facilitator at Goodpatch Munich.

Júlia Marí Bernaus is a freelance UX/UI designer and tutor. She also founded Artconnect Berlin, a social network for creatives.

Juliana Kroscen is a UX/UI design consultant, currently working as a UX designer at BeyondTrust.