With no degree, dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), Jennifer Opal started her first job in tech in 2019 as a Software Engineer working in Test Automation after learning to code.
It would be her experience of being the only Black full-time employee in her building that would start her impactful journey. From sharing her journey & experiences openly through blogs, YouTube videos & on other social media platforms, Jennifer Opal has received many accolades in her career. So far, Jennifer has been recognised as one of the Most Influential Women In Tech UK by ComputerWeekly.com in 2021, 2020 and 2019. She was named as one of the Most Influential Black Voices In Tech 2019 by TechNation as well as being nominated for the Rising Technologist Award by Booking.com‘s TechPlayMaker Awards 2020 to name but a few.
As a neurodivergent, Congolese-British woman, Jennifer uses her voice to inspire others to learn how to code & contribute to the tech industry no matter their disabilities, skin colour, or identities. Jennifer has spoken at BT Group for International Women’s Day 2020, the Code First: Girls Conference 2019 & at Women Techmakers in 2020. She has also been featured in Refinery29, The Guardian, & POCIT (People of Color In Tech).
Furthermore, Jennifer launched her own platform during lockdown via JenniferOpal.co where she exclusively shares her blogs. She then launched ‘The Opal Newsletter’ which features her latest blogs, information on coding opportunities for others to learn how to code as well as free guides for her subscribers to download and share.
From this, Jennifer hopes to see the tech industry look more like modern society with people of underrepresented groups getting into tech, learning to code, building their careers &, even, starting their own tech companies.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_jenniferopal
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