<div> <h3 lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">DIF profiles <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/junie-baptiste-poitevien">Junie Baptiste Poitevien</a> from Propel Innovations as they set to debut their latest podcast, Uncover Untapped Markets. </h3> <p lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">Propel Innovations is set to debut their latest podcast, Uncover Untapped Markets, hosted by Junie Baptiste Poitevien, the founder and CEO of Propel Innovations. This engaging interview-style podcast series explores and discusses the intricate challenges faced by consumers and users of digital technology, making it an invaluable resource and a must-listen for business leaders and professionals seeking to create more inclusive tech designs. </p> </div> <div> <p lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">As an active member of the DIF Community, we first met Junie at the DIF Hub Geelong in 2022 when she was part of the Runway team. program. Then at the TechDiversity Awards we heard about her latest venture as the founder and CEO of Propel Innovations. When we heard they were also the creator of the Uncover Untapped Markets podcast, we just had to ask a few questions before they launched on Thursday June 29th. </p> <p lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB"> </p> <h5 lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW263746310 BCX0" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent;">Hi Junie</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW263746310 BCX0" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent;">, c</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW263746310 BCX0" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent;">ould you please tell us a bit about yourself?</span><span class="EOP SCXW263746310 BCX0" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; white-space-collapse: preserve; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20.5042px; font-family: Arial, Arial_EmbeddedFont, Arial_MSFontService, sans-serif;" data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":300,"335559739":450,"335559740":259}"> </span></h5> <p lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">I am of Haitian-origin and born in Canada – a Black woman and global citizen with 5 languages at the tip of my tongue!</p> <p lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">I landed in Australia in 2014, where I had noticed that the world of tech was at its infancy compared to Canada or the USA; and even China (where I saw people’s adoption to tech was fascinating). Being in Australia, I realised how accessing basic products and services became ever more so challenging and disheartening: like the number of steps and the length of time it takes me to access afro-textured hair products from overseas; or, not being able to access financial services when I was an international student, and living in regional areas which required me to constantly ship products from metropolitan areas.</p> <p lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">Fast forward to 2020, the pandemic accelerated my journey into starting Propel Innovations. As the founder & CEO of Propel Innovations, a boutique of user experience (UX) research and inclusive design tapping into niche markets for consumer brands to gain a competitive edge, I’m on a wild mission to remove biases in the design of products and technology. </p> <h5 lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB"> </h5> <h5 lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">What do you hope to achieve with your podcast? </h5> <p lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">I want to give business leaders, marketers, product teams the confidence that it’s not a scary thing or too much of an effort to build products that are adaptable to a wider audience.</p> <p lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">As the founder & CEO of Propel Innovations, a boutique of user experience (UX) research and inclusive design tapping into niche markets for consumer brands to gain a competitive edge, I’m on a wild mission to remove biases in the design of products and technology.</p> <p lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">As I delved deeper into tech, I’ll never forget my reaction when I read that an AI has a 35% error rate in recognizing people like Serena Williams, Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey, because of their dark skin. Now, I’ve entered the tech industry as a non-tech, by tapping into my entrepreneurial spirit to start seeing better representation in tech and better products that truly resonate with people.</p> <h5 lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB"> </h5> <h5 lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">Tell us more about the Uncover Untapped Markets podcast </h5> <p lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">There’s a huge disconnect between businesses and consumers. Some businesses market the wrong products or services to consumers, yet they want more customers or want them to stay loyal. And consumers want to feel represented and understood with products and services that truly resonate with them. So, this podcast is a bridge to share how our podcast guests tapped into this multifaceted issue, and share stories on how they reached overlooked consumers to uncover markets, build businesses and disrupt their industries innovatively. </p> <p lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">In a way, Uncover Untapped Markets is a podcast to change the narrative about how widening your audience benefits your business when you scale up, and to drive the urgency on how valuable it is to design products and services inclusively to remain competitive.</p> <p lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB"> </p> <h5 lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">Are there any particular guests that you're excited to have on your show? </h5> <p lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/anniejeanbaptiste/">Annie Jean Baptiste</a>! She’s a business disrupting tech exec and the co-founder of the practice of Product Inclusion & Equity at Google. She’s been spearheading exactly what we focus on at Propel Innovations: tapping into people’s areas of lives that matter so people can feel like they belong. </p> <p lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahyeh">Deborah Yeh</a>, who was previously a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Sephora because I’m curious to hear the behind-the-scenes of Color IQ technology that uses - you guessed it, AI-, for people to find make-up based on their skin tones. The beauty of it is that the designing for women of colour’s experience shopping online, for instance, is adaptable for all and a business opportunity for Sephora. It’s a win-win!</p> <p lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB"> </p> <h5 lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">What topics will your podcast cover, and how do you plan to ensure that listeners can gain insights from the diverse perspectives within those topics? </h5> <p lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">I want this podcast to remove marketers and business leaders’ blind spots. I also want this podcast to level up the playing field of overlooked consumers’ needs. I feel this platform is a good way to challenge marketers and business leaders’ perceptions of their consumers and say: “I didn’t think about that!”. </p> <p lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">Our conversations are light-hearted, insightful and raw. They’re not stories you can ask ChatGPT or Google it. These are unique insights of people’s lived experiences and the richness behind the business value of uncovering untapped markets. </p> <p lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">Just to give you taste, we cover stories ranging from: an accessibility need that could turn into legal action; a father turned founder widening his audience and disrupting the baby cot industry, and a missed customer segment that led to an innovative solution in the financial industry. And, the way they go about it is gold!</p> <p lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB"> </p> <p lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB"> </p> <p lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB"><img src="https://factfour-events-event-images.s3.amazonaws.com/1665-a/uX5eMEbnexg8Xae5rD%2BvHz66H%2BE%3DuX5eMEbnexg8Xae5rD%2BvHz66H%2BE%3D.jpg" alt="" width="561" height="562" /></p> <p lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">Image description: A Black woman is sitting and smiling wearing a black leather jacket with blue jeans in front of a navy blue background with the podcast title juxtaposed one on top of the other. It says Uncover Untapped Markets in bold yellow at the top and regular yellow font at the bottom. On the right-hand side it says with Junie Baptiste Poitevien, who is the podcast host. Underneath, the date of the podcast launch party is Thursday June 29th 2023 at 6:00 PM AEST. On the bottom left corner, logos of Digital Innovation Futures Victoria and Stone & Chalk.</p> <h6 lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">Propel Innovations is hosting a podcast launch party in person in Melbourne or online on Thursday June 29th 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM (AEST) at Stone & Chalk. <a href="https://dif.vic.gov.au/event/18699173-a/uncover-untapped-markets-the-podcast-launch-party">Tap here for more information on attending.</a></h6> <p lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://tr.ee/79WiYq5DE1">Subscribe</a> to Uncover Untapped Markets' podcast.</p> </div>
Seome of the fantastic finalists of She Loves Tech, [Left to Right] Bree Pagonis (WIRL), Nicole Tj (Travis) and Chanelle McAulife (Avert AI). She Loves Tech is back in Australia for 2022 She Loves Tech Australia is back to celebrate one step closer to closing the gender funding gap and providing visibility for women-led and women-impact startups. She Loves Tech ('SLT') is the world's largest startup competition for women and technology, currently being held in over 70+ countries across the globe. This year, supported by City of Melbourne, She Loves Tech is proud to be back to the land Down Under, seeking to accelerate the best entrepreneurs and technologies while closing the funding gap for women entrepreneurs in the continent. These founders pitched LIVE in front of an esteemed lineup of judges at a sold-out event at Melbourne Connect on October 20. You can catch up below and see all the action - If you don't want to know who wins, skip the end of this article! Amongst the celebrations, the audience will also be taken through a little journey by Jodie Imam through her keynote speech on "The Rise of Feminine Leadership". Australian SLT Pitch Finalists A stellar line-up of finalists, solving world's pressing challenges across multiple industries from EdTech, FinTech, Health-Tech, to Creator Economy and more! Avert AI : AvertAI is a B2B SaaS regtech empowering employees to send compliant communications with AI. Flow of Work: Flow of Work is a talent opportunity and insights platform to assist organizations growth, and retain critical talent and reduce cost Healthbank: HealthBank is a digital health and telemedicine marketplace that connects patients to health practitioners Lockpick Games: Lockpick helps students prepare for standardised tests via imersive adventure games Simply Zibra: Simply Zibra is an AI-driven digital wallet that consolidates users accounts and assist with effective payment methods Subundl: Subundl is a subscription management and billing SaaS platform accelerating eCommerce by making accessible tailored subscription models for retailers Travis: Travis is a social commerce pltform for creators to monetize from travel recommendations Wirl: Wirl is a mental wellbeing platform that offers personalised food experience recommendations to promote healthy relationship with food 2022 Judges Ada Yin - Investor, AirTree Casey Flint - Investor, Squarepeg Jodie Imam - Co-CEO, Tractor Ventures Megan Woff - Head of Founders, Startmate Nicole Marino - Investor, Blackbird Congratulations to Flow of Work will represent Australia at the She Loves Tech Global Startup Competition Grand Finals on 5 November 2022
Digital Innovation Festival Victoria - Panel Discussion: Boosting participation and leadership of women in sportstech On Monday 29 September 2022, the Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN) hosted a women in tech panel discussion at the Australian Innovation Centre of Excellence (ASICE) on behalf of the Digital Innovation Festival Victoria. The panel was moderated by Emma Sherry from Swinburne University and was joined by a panel of experts covering both sports and tech including Bianca Keel (Sportradar), Iris Cordoba (GSIC), Tod Bergstrom (University of Washington) and Jasmine Lim (ASTN and Victoria Racing Club). As sportstech continues its growth trajectory in the lead up to the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane, now is the time to put opportunities for women’s participation and leadership for sportstech on the agenda. Key panel takeaways Creating visibility is key Sportradar strives to hire, develop and retain top talent by emphasising diversity, inclusion and equity through initiatives such as its global Women in Technology initiative. “We are helping to educate our hiring managers and talent acquisition teams about the importance of bringing women into the sector, teaching them about unconscious bias, and bringing awareness to the fact that it’s important to us. And by participating and sponsoring events we are demonstrating our commitment to women in technology,” Bianca Keel, Sportradar. Encouraging STEM careers starts in schools A few years ago, Global Sports Innovation Centre (GSIC) powered by Microsoft asked its ecosystem how many women founded their company. Of 300 companies only six per cent were founded by women. To bridge this gap, Microsoft created new programs to help women in sport and now run more than 100 activities a year and support international women in sport events. Iris Cordoba (GSIC) believes women in sportstech need greater visibility, technology support and investment. “At GSIC we have the Showcase Centre in Madrid where we show how the technology is transforming the sport industry. We invite students to show them this and inspire them to study a STEM career. If we want to promote more women leaders in the sportech industry we need to start at the school level to promote more diversity for women in tech.” Iris Cordoba, GSIC. Title IX celebrates its 50th anniversary The introduction of Title IX in 1972 led to an increase in the number of females participating in organised sports within American academic institutions followed by growing interest in initiating and developing programs to support women's equality and equity in sport. Title IX states: No person in the United States shall on the basis of sex be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education or program activity that is receiving federal financial assistance. “If you provide an educational program in the United States at the elementary, secondary or college level and you’re receiving any federal funds, you can’t discriminate against women on the basis of sex. This has expanded the opportunity for women to engage in athletics to achieve their full potential and we’ve seen so many examples of this.” Tod Bergstrom, University of Washington. Bergstrom said that the US Women’s national soccer team (USWNT) is a great example of how Title IX has opened new opportunities for women. USWNT is regarded as the most successful women sports team in Football in the last 50 years with four World Cup titles, four Olympic Gold Medals and nine CONCACAF Gold Cups. “Title IX created an avenue where schools opened other opportunities (scholarships etc.) for women to participate. We have seen individual examples of women being able to take advantage of these opportunities to put them on an even playing field, but we also see it systemically and I think women soccer is the best example of success across the board,” said Bergstrom. Cross transfer of skills from other sectors is vital Research shows that less than five per cent of sportstech founders in Australia are women. As part of its current educational programs, ASTN has demonstrated above industry average outcomes – with more than twelve percent of female founders or co-founders participating in ASTN programs. However, ASTN recognises that a specific and separate approach is required to effectively uplift female participation and long-term impact. ASTN recently announced a long-term partnership with Women in Sports Tech (WiST) to work together to increase representation of women in the sportstech industry in Australia. “One area where we are helping women into more leadership positions is by providing priority access to the ASTN and GSIC pre-accelerator and accelerator programs. We want to open these programs to other sectors within the STEM industry. Areas such as AI, robotics and blockchain would facilitate knowledge transfers into sportstech. And that would lead to innovation organically – so that cross pollution of ideas would lead to new ideas being formed.” Jasmine Lim, Deputy Chair, ASTN. Diversity is a catalyst for innovation Assisting female founders from these sectors to apply their knowledge into sport will not only help those founders, but also uplift innovation capability of the entire sector based on increased diversity. “Women have so much to bring to the table... When it comes to innovation, we need different and new ways of thinking. That’s how we get to that innovative approach and continue to drive sportstech innovation,” added Keel. Future focused: ASTN is committed to shifting the culture of sportstech ASTN recognises that the industry still has a long way to go in terms of driving more diversity across the sportstech sector – but is committed to taking a proactive and strategic approach to drive real industry change. Working closely with WiST, ASTN is looking to address four key areas. Provide priority access to female founders/co-founders for the ASTN pre-accelerator and accelerator programs Focus on cross transfer from other sectors that enjoy greater female representation (i.e. social enterprise, design, health and medtech). Provide 1:1 mentorship. ASTN will coordinate mentorship programs from female leaders in sportstech (selected nationally and globally) – ideally from women who have taken untraditional route to the sportstech industry to increase awareness and understanding of the business of sport, innovation and career pathways and opportunities. Offer Scholarships for the Women in Leadership Program delivered by the University of California, Berkeley. Upon completion, the candidates will get an opportunity to work with the team at WiST and connect with peers and potential VCs in the US to seek funding for their business and ideas. “ASTN is committed to working closely with leaders in its network to increase female representation in the industry. By giving women more opportunity, support, access and investment, we are confident that we can make significant strides in changing the ratio of women in sportstech over the next 24-36 months.” Martin Schlegel, Chair, ASTN
Please note: Images in this article were taken before current COVID-19 safety measures were in place. This Safer Internet Day we highlight the role of developers, startups and enterprise tech companies in making digital spaces safer and more inclusive to protect those most at risk. The Safety by Design approach from Australia’s eSafety Commission positions user safety as a fundamental design consideration from the get-go. What is Safety by Design? Safety by Design puts user safety and rights at the centre of the design and development of online products and services. Rather than retrofitting safeguards after an issue has occurred, Safety by Design focuses on the ways technology companies can minimise online threats by anticipating, detecting and eliminating online harms before they occur. This proactive and preventative approach focuses on embedding safety into the culture and leadership of an organisation. It emphasises accountability and aims to foster more positive, civil and rewarding online experiences for everyone. Safety by Design also acknowledges the need to make digital spaces safer and more inclusive to protect those most at risk. It encourages technology companies to alter their design ethos from ‘moving fast and breaking things’ or ‘profit at all costs’ to ‘moving thoughtfully’, investing in risk mitigation at the front end and embedding user protections from the get-go. Julie Inman Grant talks about the Safety by Design initiatives. from eSafety Office on Vimeo. All Safety by Design initiatives have been developed through in-depth research and consultation with industry for industry which began in 2018. Key initiatives include: a set of principles that position user safety as a fundamental design consideration interactive assessment tools for enterprise and start up technology companies resources for investors and financial entities engagement with the tertiary education sector to embed Safety by Design into curricula around the world. Safety by Design principles 1. Service provider responsibility The burden of safety should never fall solely upon the user. Every attempt must be made to ensure that online harms are understood, assessed and addressed in the design and provision of online platforms and services. This involves assessing the potential risks of online interactions upfront and taking active steps to engineer out potential misuse, reducing people’s exposure to harms. 2. User empowerment and autonomy The dignity of users is of central importance. Products and services should align with the best interests of users. This principle speaks to the dignity of users, and the need to design features and functionality that preserve fundamental consumer and human rights. This means understanding that abuse can be intersectional, impacting on a user in multiple ways for multiple reasons, and that technology can deepen societal inequalities. To combat this, platforms and services need to engage in meaningful consultation with diverse and at-risk groups, to ensure their features and functions are accessible to all. 3. Transparency and accountability Transparency and accountability are hallmarks of a robust approach to safety. They not only provide assurances that platforms and services are operating according to their published safety objectives, but also assist in educating and empowering users about steps they can take to address safety concerns. The publication of information relating to how companies are enforcing their own policies and data on the efficacy of safety features or innovations will allow accurate assessment of what is working. If interventions are improving safety outcomes for users or deterring online abuse, these innovations should be shared and more widely adopted. How can your company improve user safety? Start by assessing how well your company's systems, processes and practices support user safety, then use your tailored report and the suggested resources to make improvements. The enterprise tool is for mid-tier companies (50 to 249 employees worldwide) and top-tier companies (250+ employees worldwide). The start up tool is for early stage or start-up companies (1 to 49 employees worldwide). GO TO TOOLS Feedback and collaboration are welcome. Find out more about how to collaborate on Safety by Design initiatives. For more information please read the Safety by Design principles and background and the frequently asked questions about the assessment tools. You can also find out more about how eSafety protects your privacy.[KH2] This Safer Internet Day, play it safe and fair online. Australia’s eSafety Commissioner is calling on everyone to #PlayitFairOnline. This hashtag reflects the responsibility all of us have in ensuring that we have a positive and safe online experience. There is no place for online abuse. We can all help to make life online enjoyable by being kind and respectful to each other. Find out more at Safer Internet Day. Watch now: 'All Tech is Human' All Tech Is Human's David Ryan Polgar has a conversation with Australia's eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman-Grant for the recent report, Improving Social Media: The People, Organizations, and Ideas for a Better Tech Future.
This week's Inside the DIF spotlight is on championing diversity, fostering digital inclusion, and recognising those making a difference across our tech innovation ecosystem. The DIF Online Event Hub has some new on-demand webinars and we highlight two Meetups using tech for good. A reminder we also have the DIF Community Call this Thursday so please join in the conversation. Latest Awards News New in 2020 is the TechDiversity Hall of Fame celebrating outstanding expressions of leadership, behaviour, commitment and courage. Congratulations to Avanade Australia, Victorian Government and Vic ICT for Women in the organisation category. Also three outstanding individuals Rebecca Campbell-Burns, Michelle Bourke and Kathy Coultas who were inducted into the inaugural TechDiversity Hall of Fame in recognition for their commitment to raising awareness and creating change through diversity initiatives and programs. The National iAwards were presented last week by the AIIA at an interactive virtual experience. Congratulations to Bryk Group (Vic) who won the inaugural Peoples Choice Award and a Merit in the Infrastructure and Platforms Innovation of the Year category. The Victoria State Government Inspiration of the Year went to Intelicare (WA) ‘Ageing In Place AI Platform’ who also won the Not For Profit and Community and Infrastructure and Platforms Innovation of the Year categories. Be sure to check out all the winners and merit recipients. Finally the 2020 Australian NFP Technology Award recently recognised the not-for-profit sector for innovation. Humanitix and Orange Sky Australia were joint winners of the NFP Technology Innovator of the Year award. We are proud to say that the Digital Innovation Festival won the Technology for Community Impact Award for Best Government Agency which we share with all our event partners. Well done to the team at Connecting Up and the Infoxchange Group for this great work in hosting these awards. Featured On Demand Events IMPACT2020 Series The impact2020 webinar series by the Centre for Social Impact looked at the role of technology for not-for-profits, digital inclusion in the context of covid 19 and the findings of the 2020 Australian Digital Inclusion Index and lots more. #TechDiversity Webinar Series The 2020 #TechDiversity Webinar Series may have wrapped for the year but you can catch up on some great panel discussions on making business sense out of corporate diversity and why should diversity be top of your recovery strategy. Australian Digital Inclusion Alliance Webinars Connecting people is where the Australian Digital Inclusion Alliance (ADIA) steps in and this year is no different with COVID-19 and the impact on community sector requiring a collective response. Catch up on two webinars and hear stories from the front lines. Join the DIF Community Call Come along to the final DIF Community Calls for 2020 to connect with others hosting digital innovation events and also share your thoughts on how DIF2020 Festival made a difference. See you on Thur 27 Nov and 17 Dec at 2pm! Register now. Upcoming Meetups Meetups are a great way to connect with likeminded people and so we're featuring two Melbourne groups with upcoming events. Making a difference is what we're all about. After all, our name is a play on words, it’s about making a ‘dif’. The tech sector is made up of passionate people who do just that, they volunteer their time and expertise - as advisors on boards, kids code club coaches or weekend hackathon-hustlers. Wondering how you can do the same? Why not look up Civic Makers, a program run by Code for Australia, that brings people together to say, "how can we make our communities better"? Or go along to The Good Citizen Developers Meetup, a new group driven by fairness, diversity and inclusiveness, transparency and accountability.
There are transformational changes affecting the way we work and the future of work and for girls in particular, this can be anxiety-inducing. Visible female role models are a powerful way to build their confidence and increase their aspirations. Young girls growing up in the 21st century face a unique set of challenges. On a personal level, theyreport they feel pressure to fit in, look good, be cool, be smart, be popular and to be liked on social media. Looking to the future, they are worried about climate change, cost of living and especially jobs. More specifically, young Australians in general, lack confidence about their working futures.According to the FYA (Foundation for Young Australians) report, The New Work Reality, published in 2018, among 18 to 24-year olds looking for work, 28% reported anxiety in the previous year and more than 40% said they were affected by stress. Many young people believe they do not have the appropriate education, vocational or practical experience to gain full-time work. In particular, they are worried about the automation of work and how it will affect their future. These concerns are to some extent, well-founded. The New Work Reality report states that young peoples' perception is supported by the reality that automation is predicted to radically affect 70% of entry level jobs. Entry level positions are particularly at risk with 60% of students being trained in jobs that will be radically changed by automation. In this period of rapid technological change, there are not only career challenges, but also significantopportunities for young Australians. The new work reality One of the key findings of The New Work Reality report is that young people need to develop certain skills to gain full-time employment –- “to take advantage of these opportunities we need to ensure every young person is equipped for a lifetime of learning, diverse ways of working, and the hearts and minds to help build the future.” It's also clear that mental agility and confidence will be critical to success, with the World Economic Forum stating that creativity, critical thinking and complex problem solving, are the top three skills we will need to thrive at work in 2020. Unique challenges for girls There’s no doubt that with the changing future of work, instead of making study and work decisions based on a represent different cultures and industries They have each followed unique career paths and successfully defied gender stereotypes. They are living, breathing examples of women who are valued for their accomplishments and contributions and not just their appearance. When girls see this, it builds their self-esteem, expands their expectations and their awareness of what’s possible. “We believe that when girls see who they can be, it gives them courage and hope for the future and helps them to break down the barriers, limitations and stereotypes they face every day,” says Georgie Ondaatje, CEO and co-founder of EmpowerGirl. “Giving young girls access to female role models across all ages, races, cultures and industries, can fundamentally change what they believe is possible for their own lives. When they can envisage themselves succeeding in a career they love, they’re truly transformed and empowered.” Georgina Ondaatje and Anna May will be part of the Future of Work Day - Thursday 5 September Morning (T)ech session: Empowering Girls Futures