Samantha

Tell us about your journey into tech?
Some may say I took the traditional path into tech as I did a Computer Science degree but actually I didn’t realise my joy for tech until quite late. I’d attended a few hackathons and had exposure to tech in various institutions for work experience but I didn’t start coding out of the womb. Some may know me as a “child genius” as I passed my GCSE in Mathematics and Statistics aged 6 but I actually didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted to do in life. I didn’t start coding properly until I started my degree and had experience in the field doing application development during my internship at an investment bank. After my internship and in the last year of my degree I decided I didn’t want to be a software engineer full-time. Cracking my brain coding all day at a screen wasn’t for me. I then had the challenge of understanding what other opportunities in tech existed. I knew I still liked tech and wanted to focus more on talking to people about tech and having a real purpose behind what I was doing. At the time, the only other thing I knew of Project management so decided to pursue that path. This led me to a completely different field I wasn’t aware of called Account Management and today I work as a Customer Success Account Manager.

How do you feel you have made a difference in what you do?
I’m opening people’s eyes to what they don’t know about tech. In all that I do, I want to ensure I am passing on my learnings. One of my mantras is changing lives through tech and I enjoy getting involved in activities that allow me to do just that. From working as an Enterprise Advisor for a school in SE London to set up my platform. What I have started is a legacy of sharing my learnings and experiences with people who are unaware of tech as an option or simply discouraged because of misconceptions they have about the industry. I also like to think I challenge the perception that you can’t have multiple interests. E.g. I love tech but also singing and creating art.

How do you think people can go about making a difference, in regards to spreading awareness of Black Women in tech?
Publicly. Share share share because you never know who is watching what you are doing that you could be helping, that could resonate with your story or information.

What do you believe are the most effective ways to engage other ethnicities and genders to embrace diversity?
We need to understand more about each other. There is value each person can bring based on the background they have. One of the best ways to engage with others is by just listening and observing what challenges people face.

What is the best advice you ever received?
What’s meant for you, is only for you. Don’t go comparing yourself to the next person. Everyone’s journey is different. Recognise there is beauty and value in yours.