She Sharp
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#IAmRemarkable is a global movement that empowers everyone, including under represented groups, to celebrate their achievements in the workplace and beyond, while challenging the social perception around self-promotion. At the heart of our movement is a 60 minute workshop open to everyone, hosted by our very own She Sharp founder and director- Dr Mahsa McCauley (Mohaghegh).

She Sharp’s International Women’s Day (IWD) event is scheduled for March 14 at academyEX. Join us for an inspiring evening celebrating women in tech, featuring engaging discussions, networking opportunities, and community connections. The registration starts at 4.30 pm, and the event kicks off at 5 PM—don’t miss it!

Previously known as CS4HS

The Google Educator Conference is back for 2024!

The Google Educator Conference is designed for digital technology teachers—training them in STEM subjects and creative ways to present these in New Zealand classrooms.

The purpose of the conference is to upskill all our valuable educators such as primary, intermediate, high school by presenting ideas to engage students with new technologies so they can be better equipped for the needs of twenty-first century learning.

Teachers will be equipped with the ability to tap into the creativity and enthusiasm that many students have for technology. And they’ll be exposed to exciting ways of presenting these technologies and master new skills that can directly shape the future of computer science in their classrooms.

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Discuss how technology can be used to address environmental challenges and promote sustainability focusing on green Tech.

Join us for a special celebration as we mark a decade of bridging the gender gap in STEM! SheSharp is on a mission to challenge misconceptions about the tech industry and empower the next generation of women to pursue careers in STEM through events, networking, and career development opportunities.

This milestone event will feature inspiring talks from key industry figures and honor our long-time ambassadors, who will share their remarkable stories and experiences as women in tech. The evening will conclude with a networking session, giving you a chance to celebrate and connect with industry leaders and fellow professionals shaping the future of tech.

Harness The Power of Generative Al: A Deep Dive into Fonterra's Al Journey. Join us for an enlightening session on how Fonterra, a global dairy nutrition company, has harnessed the power of Artificial Intelligence (Al) to revolutionise their entire value chain which produces 30% of the world's dairy exports from nutritious New Zealand farms. What's in Store? Al in Action: Get an overview Of how Fonterra has leveraged Al to safeguard its 34 production lines. Discover how the company has saved an equivalent of 150 years of manual effort by interpreting century-old information using Al. Masterclass in Prompt Engineering: Attendees will have the unique opportunity to participate in a mini masterclass in Prompt Engineering. This hands-on session will provide insights into the art and science of designing effective prompts for Al systems. Networking Opportunity: Engage with professionals from various fields, share ideas, and broaden your understanding of applications in different industries. Don't miss this opportunity to delve into the world of Al and explore its transformative potential!

AI Forum is hosting the 2024 AI Hackathon across Aotearoa and the South Pacific.

AcademyEX and SheSharp are delighted to be hosting this event again, and we invite you to join us and solve real-world environmental problems with AI. You’ll learn new skills, create connections, make an impact and network with mentors. Learn more here.

‍Who can join? Anyone who wants to solve real-world problems in protect our water resources, fighting climate change, reduce pollution, manage land use, preserve biodiversity and improve the ways we experience our own environments.

Each hackathon team will pitch to a judging panel and regional winners will be announced. AIForum national judging panel will then select finalists to pitch their idea at the 2024 Aotearoa AI Summit, 11 September in Auckland.

This year, the AI Hackathon festival will be expanding on the problems to solve beyond the five key environmental outcomes (AI for the Environment Report 2022) to include Kaitiakitanga, embracing our connection to the land and surrounding natural environment fulfilling our roles as custodians.

The problems to solve are based on the six key environmental outcomes (AI for the Environment Report 2022). They have expanded these to make them more relevant to all participants in 2024.

The cases are sourced from NGOs and citizen science groups to provide real problems to solve that are relevant to each location. These organisations provide subject matter expertise ahead of time and on the day. Participants are also welcome to bring their own problems to solve and we encourage early sharing of these ideas so we can help provide data sets and technology support.

Participants will learn new skills, create connections and make an impact.

Fisher and Paykel Healthcare will be hosting an AI Hackathon on July 26th – 28th kicking off with a keynote from Nicholas Fourie, VP of ICT.Are you ready to embark on an exhilarating journey of creativity, problem-solving, and innovation? In a world where innovation is the lifeblood of progress, we often find ourselves bogged down by repetitive tasks, mundane processes, and administrative burdens. Let’s Break Free from Drudgery!Join us at the AI Hackathon and be part of the movement to liberate innovation from the shackles of monotony. Together, we’ll build a smarter, more efficient future.At this exciting event, you’ll acquire fresh skills, connect with fellow enthusiasts, and engage with sponsors and mentors. After intense collaboration, your team will showcase your project to a panel of judges who will determine the winner. Hackathons provide an inclusive environment where diverse skill sets converge to tackle real-world challenges.

Are nerves holding you back? Fear not! Join Fiserv’s empowering workshop, “Banking on Yourself” and be inspired by those who carved their own paths. Fiserv, a Fortune 200 leader in mobile banking, is fuelled by the talent and dedication of our team. We're leading the way because of the brilliant minds we invest in. Discover the power of self-belief, we’ll even equip you with a successful toolkit that you can take away. Shatter limitations, own your value with unshakeable confidence, while mastering the elevator pitch to promote yourself effectively and chase your dreams. Don't wait for permission - back yourself and take control of your journey!

Join us for an empowering evening as Les Mills International shines a spotlight on the unconventional routes many have taken to enter and navigate the technology industry. Expect to hear powerful stories if resilience, innovation, and success. Furthermore, we'll be exploring the theme of being underestimated - a common experience for many women and minorities in STEM. But rather than viewing it as a setback, we'll discuss how it can be harnessed as a powerful tool for exceeding expectations and breaking barriers. Don't miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and be inspired.

How to use cognitive biases to design great products, services, and your life! Join us for an evening at MYOB where we’ll focus on the importance of understanding human behaviour. While technical qualifications can be a gateway to working in software design, we need people from all backgrounds to design meaningful products and services. This talk will speak to the vital contributions human-centred designers make in the tech industry. Hazel Halim and Annabelle Yoon will take you through what cognitive biases are and how to recognise and use them in your work, study, or personal life!

Join us for our annual breakfast event at Woolworths. We will celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness about discrimination and take action to drive gender parity. Let’s have the opportunity to network and come together to leave the event with actionable outcomes to #inspireinclusion.

Previously known as CS4HS

The Google Educator Conference is back for 2023!

The Google Educator Conference is designed for digital technology teachers—training them in STEM subjects and creative ways to present these in New Zealand classrooms.

The purpose of the conference is to upskill all our valuable educators such as primary, intermediate, high school by presenting ideas to engage students with new technologies so they can be better equipped for the needs of twenty-first century learning.

Teachers will be equipped with the ability to tap into the creativity and enthusiasm that many students have for technology. And they’ll be exposed to exciting ways of presenting these technologies and master new skills that can directly shape the future of computer science in their classrooms.

SheSharp is delighted to announce Storytellers Series 2.0 after an overwhelming response from our first series!

This time around we had the honour to bring some more amazing speakers to you all!

Each session will feature a presentation and Q&A from our featured guest speakers on their career journey & industry topics.

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Whilst 2020 started off with a bang, the start of a new decade, it quickly turned into unprecedented times. Yes, we’ve heard the word ‘unprecedented’ a lot over the past few months, but the truth is, the world just wasn’t prepared for what was quickly evolving to be the biggest pandemic of this generation. For us here, in little ol’ New Zealand, Kiwis too, persevered, making sacrifices for the preservation of the lives of others. She Sharp, in recognising these difficult times, decided to launch a series of interactive, digital sessions, inviting female leaders in tech to share their career journeys and experiences.

Thanks to everyone who was able to join us during May – June for the She Sharp Storytellers Series. Over five weeks, She Sharp hosted a range of tech leaders, from the likes of Google and Microsoft. We had participants tuning in from all around Aotearoa and across APAC. We hope that you were able to gain inspiration, motivation, and some new connections through the platform during these challenging times.

Over 50 (mainly high school students) joined us for our first She# event of 2017 held at Orion Health. We started the workshop with some ice breakers and team building games so everyone became for comfortable and familiar with one another.

Using the workbooks and USB’s provided, students worked in pairs or individually to create a game using the platform Construct 2. After a morning of writing code and testing the game we broke for lunch refueling on pizza! This was then followed by a presentation by our guest speaker, Niamh Fitzgerald, a game developer and Media Design Student. Niamh shared her experience and insight into the NZ game development scene – she became an instant hit with the students with a prolonged and very positive and interactive Q&A session.

SheSharp, OMGTech, Colab AUT and Tech Girl Movement collaborated for Superhero Daughter Day 2017

The event celebrated International Women’s Day and took place in AUT. Years 1 to Year 7 girls were invited to participate in workshops that involved Coding, Robotics and Unmaking. We saw 140 girls from different backgrounds come through for an action-packed day ready to learn and get techy.

The attendants also got to hear from Mikayla Stokes, Bright Sparks winner, who shared her story about how she developed her interest in technology.

On a sunny Thursday morning during half term a group of female high school and university students headed out to the Fisher and Paykel Healthcare offices in East Tamaki. We’d all come to find out more about this iconic Kiwi company founded in 1934 and their pioneering work create medical apparatus for healthcare.

We kicked the session off with some ice breaker games so everyone felt comfortable and familiar with each other. The team at Fisher and Paykel Healthcare then introduced themselves and gave an overview of the company, its challenges and achievements. This lead seamlessly into the group activity whereby the students worked in teams to come up with a solution to attached a breathing ventilator to a premature baby. They created prototypes using and a box of equipment provided and a toy baby! At the end of the challenge the students then presented their idea and creations to the group.

After a quick lunch and networking session with some of the female engineers at Fisher and Paykel Healthcare we then kicked off the afternoon session with a panel discussion. This was an insightful and inspiring session with a group of female engineers who came from different backgrounds and teams within the company. It was a great illustration of the variety of engineering roles and disciplines Fisher and Paykel Healthcare products used.

By the end of our visit all our students were excited and inspired to pursue their dreams as engineers! Big thank you to Mandy McAlwee and the team at Fisher and Paykel Healthcare for having us.

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We had Ruth, the Head of UX Design at Trade Me, give us a lesson on how she has overcome her fears of public speaking and some effective skills on how to present effectively.

Our very own Emily gave us a taste of what it’s like to work at NZ’s leading auction site, from slides to free lunch to smart toilets! We also had Kate James, one of the Recruitment Managers at Trade Me, who gave some tips and advice for landing a job at Trade Me! Of course, there was plenty of pizza and cool swag. We finished with a table topics style workshop where everyone could put their public speaking skills to use!

This event took place in the heart of Auckland CBD at Westpac’s head office. We heard from the inspiring DawieOlivers, Westpac’s Chief Information Officer, and his team on what they do at Westpac and their focus on the importnace of diversity of thought.

Event attendees learnt about just how much technology has transformed the banking industry as well as participated in leadership and diversity workshops. Read about our panelists from Westpac below.

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Wellington’s first SheSharp event was sponsored by Xero and 920 Career Agents as well as Orion Health, Unitec and Google and was held at Xero with a team of SheSharp members who travelled down from Auckland. The event was sold out, with over 60 women attending from around Wellington, some even travelling in from other cities around New Zealand.
In addition to secondary and tertiary students, there were also industry members from a range of companies including Xero, 920 Career Agents, Fonde, Catalyst, Assurity , Orion Health, IBM and VizExplorer. Attendees participated in professional development activities around Agile and held discussions on issues faced in various spaces such as industry, tertiary and secondary education.

The event also included a panel of women from Xero who shared successes, challenges and experiences from their own journeys. Feedback from participants was very encouraging, many commenting on the level of professionalism of the event and on the value and necessity of such a group to continue in Wellington.
Read about out awesome panelists from Xero below.

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Imposter Syndrome is a long talked about topic that many people in the tech industry suffer from (not just women, either!). It’s that feeling of not being good enough or that you don’t deserve to be where you are today. We often think we’re alone in this mindset; but most people feel this way at some point in their career!

We had a presentation from Michelle about what imposter syndrome is and how to overcome this barrier that is stopping you from being awesome! Her life motto is to stop complaining and start changing and say yes to anything that doesn’t kill you. Her presentation was inspiring and led onto group discussions about a range of topics related to imposter syndrome. We had talks about our overuse of the words “sorry ” and “just” as well as what we thought our best traits were and whether perfect life-balance was achievable. The event was a definite success, made possible thanks to the awesome location at GridAKL and our amazing Guest Speaker Michelle Dickinson. It was empowering and encouraged everyone to start saying yes to things! Michelle also shared what success and leadership meant to her and urged others to do the same. Video of the event coming soon!

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SheSharp and the Hi Tech Company of the year, Xero, brought together an action-packed evening with women from all fields of technology. There were plenty of opportunities to network with the women of Xero and find out about what Xero has to offer.

A workshop was also lead by Xero on Agile development methods and project management, all key skills for your future career in tech! These workshops involved several games to make us aware of the nuances of working productively in any team – not just software!
We had awesome guest speakers from Xero that shared their journey into tech with us as well as the part Xero is playing in getting more women into the technology industry.

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SheSharp joined with IBM for an awesome event that gave women the opportuniy to connect with lots of industry professionals. We had a guest speaker from IBM tell us about her story and journey to project management with IBM. We also had a hands-on session all about User Experience in app development.

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The Google Anita Borg Scholarship Alumni and SheSharp together hosted the Anita Borg birthday celebration to commemorate the truly inspiring woman she was. This was an event that happened globally in honour of Anita. We shared her incredible journey, stories and how she helped form a path for women to enter the computer world. She had such a strong passion for encouraging women into technology and continues to be an inspiration for women today.

The event had lots of cake, pizza, goodies and surprises! Teams created a short video about their passion for technology and thoughts on Anita Borg.
Our guest speaker was illustrator and game developer Lianna Booton who talked to us about her journey into game development.

She Sharp had the official launch event with Orion Health at their Grafton offices. This included a Scrum workshop and plenty of opportunity to network with Orion employees as well as other women in technical fields. Guest speakers from Orion Health, Diana Venter and Tegan Harrison shared some of their stories of being a woman in software development and also talked about some of Orion Health’s products and processes.

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This event brought speakers from various parts of the tech industry together for an evening of demos, lightning talks, networking and cupcakes. We were even lucky enough to get to try out the first ever Microsoft HoloLens in New Zealand!

Our speakers included Federica from Orion Health, Lance from Trade Me, Ella from Spark Ventures and Donna and Rocky from Microsoft. Attendees got to hear about analytics, the cute smart bin, Microsoft HoloLens and precision medicine.

Read more about our fantastic lightning speakers below!

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The awesome team at Flexware came and ran a security workshop with us. This involved learning about Ciphers, encrypting and decrpyting and working with Arduinos. The aim was to emphasise to everyone just how critical security is in addition to learning the basics of how it works. Check out the Flexware team below.

About 100 attendees joined SheSharp and Google team from Sydney for an evening at GridAKL. The first session addressed the issue of unconscious bias with Google sharing their training and knowledge around this area. This proved to be a great insight into how one of the biggest tech companies in the world is addressing the issue of diversity.

After a short break of pizza and networking the google team jumped into the second session which was a more up close and personal. Each of the Googlers shared how they ended up working for Google, what their roles were, the office and culture.

During the evening students attending were highly encouraged to apply for Google internships and scholarships such as The Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship: Asia Pacific for university students and the Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship for First Years for high school students in their last year of study.

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Our first SheSharp event of 2016 was held at the Orion Health Head office in Auckland with over 40 female high school students from across Auckland attending.The morning kicked off with a team building challenge to break the ice and get the creative juices flowing.

Throughout the workshop our SheSharp committee members and ambassadors help students develop and create a working app they could download and test on an android device. The workshop was aimed at all levels of students, from beginner to advanced, by the end of the workshop all the students had a working app.

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We have another amazing event coming up on the 15th October with our lovely She Sharp Alumni, Ruth James speaking at the Event! The event is to celebrate Ada Lovelace Day! In sponsorship with Xero!

Ada Lovelace Day was founded in 2009 by Suw Charman-Anderson to celebrate the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

Our amazingly talented speaker, Ruth James is going to do the same by telling us about her journey in tech. She Sharp is honoured to have Ruth join us to celebrate this day!

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The Ministry of Education and NZTech partnered up to host the Tech21 Summit, to inspire ākonga (learners) into technology careers. The one day Summit aimed to spark inspiration for year 7–10  ākonga while showcasing tech innovation and creativity, plus offering the opportunity to find out more about Technology Learning career pathways.

The Tech21 Summit had a number of young entrepreneurs and digital disruptors sharing their stories with more than a thousand 12 to 14 year olds to inspire them into a career in tech. Plus, a special live performance by Kings at Tech21!

SheSharp and Women in Tech (AUT) were at ‘The Imagine Zone,’ which is the space for ākonga (learners) to touch, feel, see and imagine their future in tech. We connected ākonga and tech sector – navigating through our digital future.

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From healthcare, to finance, education and government, artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping every part of our lives. It is also helping solve some of the world’s greatest challenges. However, women account for less than 25 percent of the AI workforce.

Please join our next event to discuss women in AI for social good. Be inspired by Dr Mahsa Mohaghegh’s vision to increase female participation in AI, for the benefit of all. She will be joined by a panel of guest speakers to explore female-led AI that’s good for the world. Join the conversation, network and create valuable connections.

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We wrapped up 2017 with an Auckland Tech Grand Tour of some of the biggest names in the local tech scene. Transport and lunch was provided for the female university and high school students that went on a whistle stop tour.

We left from the meet up point at AUT City Campus and heading to the first destination – Orion Health. Here the students had a introduction to the product cycle – from concept to creation (aka shippable product!) by Sherry Tung, Business Analyst at Orion. Sherry presented on how Orion Health refined and iterated ideas and concepts throughout the product cycle and talked about the challenges and innovations that occur along the way. Rounding off the session was a panel discussion with some of the brightest young women in Orion who shared stories of how they landed in the tech world.

After this the students all boarded the bus again and headed down the hill to Parnell and to the Xero office. They were greeted with lunch on arrival and a talk by Gareth Cronin, Executive General Manager – Partner Products. Gareth talked about diversity and inclusion not only being paramount for staff to flourish, but that it also produced stronger business outcomes and better reflected the diverse community of customers and partners Xero interacts with every day. This was then followed by a presentation from Ruth James, Happiness Engineer at Xero who talked about what Xero was actively doing to ensure they encourage and maintained a diverse and inclusive workplace for all their staff.

After this the group then jumped back on the bus again and heads down to Wynyard quarter and to the Air New Zealand Head Office. Here a team Product Owners, Developers and Quality Assurers introduced themselves and talked about their work. The group was then split into two smaller groups which consequently encouraging a more intimate conversation between the presenters and attendees. The Air New Zealand team talked to one team about Oscar, the Air New Zealand chatbot that used AI to help with customer queries.The other group had more of a ‘fireside chat’ about what it really looked like to work at Air New Zealand, encouraging questions from the floor. After about 30 min, each group swapped over.

It wasn’t long before the students were on the bus again and heading to their final destination of the tour, Trade Me. Here they were greeted by Grace Benedek Rooney, a Developer at Trade Me, who talked about what it is like to be a developer. Developers at Trade Me work in teams, use a variety of tools in order to deliver cool and useful products. She also talked about how as a developer, you get to help people in their lives without meeting them in person. Her example was about a student moving out of home. They can use Trade Me to find a flat, furnish the flat, find a job to support their studies and buy a car after saving their paychecks. For students wanting to find internships, Grace recommended the Summer of Tech programme which is how she landed her first roles in tech. Summer of Tech offers free training for students then connects them to organisations where they can work in a paid and meaningful role.

Having spent six and half hours on a whirlwind tour of some of New Zealand’s biggest and most successful tech companies it was time to head back to AUT and conclude what had been a highly successful event.

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We had our event with PushPay on 19th Oct, 2017 and it was about the DevOps concepts and how it is bringing cultural change in industry. We had 3 awesome speakers from 3 different tech companies in Auckland, Lisa Helm from 2degree, Alix Klingenberg from Push pay and Rashmi Modhwadia from Orion Health.

They shared their journey being in tech companies and their experience with how DevOps is changing the work flow and how it is helpful to deliver the product faster with quality. It was really great interactive event with speakers and socializing with other participant.

Come along to hear outstanding women give quick insightful talks about their challenges, inspiration and motivations around solving real world problems using technology. This inspiring group include a wide range of experience from award winning high school and university students to working professionals, demonstrating that inspiration can happen at any age!

Is a non-profit series focused on building capability and relationships within communities. What makes it special is that it is driven by the purpose of celebrating and empowering everyday people who are doing incredible things. We focus on sharing stories that may otherwise not be heard.

It’s no secret that, for many years now, men have been the dominant voices in the technology sector. She# is here to change that. We aim to encourage women in computer science, computer engineering, IT, and tech-related fields to develop academically and professionally. In addition, we help you to network and learn with each other; fostering the advancement of women in high school, university and industry.Make sure you also register for another great event straight after this one in the same venue.

“Googlers” from Google Sydney joined us for a bias busting workshop that was open to all students and professionals.

The aim of the workshop was to reduce bias and promote inclusion to create impact and innovation. We had a interactive learning experience with Googlers to demonstarte how to contribute to an inclusive culture at university and beyond.

Of course, there was plenty of Google swag given away and attendees got a unique opportunity to talk to Googlers and ask questions about their work life and “Googley-ness”!

Nyriad is our platinum sponsor and held their very first event with us on 26th July, 2018. Nyriad is a New Zealand exascale software company specialising in advance data storage solutions for big data and high performing computing.

This event was focused on problem solving skills and how to deal with real world scenarios. It had really interesting mock session on how to deliver final product on time and how to deal with the unexpected surprises.

Lynda Clements (UoA) and Judy MacFarlaine (AUT), who have conducted these workshops previously, talked a bit about what Vision Boards are and how they can help us direct our attention and intention for our goals and desires.

Everyone enjoyed the process a lot and were happy with their results. Participants also got to mingle with each other over pizza and drinks.

The event ended with some more tips from Lynda and Judy on how we can keep updating those Vision Boards in future as well.

The event was about learning project management skill and how these concepts can be used by anyone in our daily lives.
The workshop provided an introduction to the basics of project management as well as tools and techniques to help develop skills to become a great project manager leading successful projects.

At the end of the event there was a tower game instructive exercise that encouraged teams to experience simple, but intense lessons in team building, scope, time, cost, quality and risk management.

A joint event with Vend, held on 26th April, taught the women about real-world that Vend solves. They also shared their why, why they do the things they do and how they do. We also heard from Jade, Joanna and Novia, some of the senior women from product, design and engineering. The event also gave the attendees to work on a problem which simulated the Challenges faced in a real world scenario.

We partnered with our gold sponsor again this year for the annual SheSharp with Google event. Over 50 attendees, from students to working professionals, joined us for this midday event held on Monday 26th March at AUT city campus.

This Codelab provided an introduction to machine learning suitable for all levels, and participants predicted house prices using a Kaggle Kernel. Kaggle is a worldwide data science community that offers machine learning competitions, which the house price predictions from this event were submitted to.

Brown bag lunches were provided by SheSharp while attendees were guided through the task by a group of Googlers from the Sydney office, a number of whom are Kiwis.

In the second session, we got to know these Googlers a bit better with a career panel. Each Googler shared their path to Google, as well as some insight into life at Google. Attendees were able to ask anything and get all their questions answered, and did we mention – get lots of Google swag!!

The event ended with the opportunities at Google for students – internships, graduate positions, and the Women Techmakers Scholarship. The scholarship was particularly encouraged, and SheSharp Ambassadors who were former recipients spoke highly of the Scholars’ Retreat, where recipients can connect with fellow scholars, network with Googlers and participate in a number of workshops, held in a different Google Asia Pacific office each year.

One evening in late March, we had the pleasure of hosted our She# event at the Air New Zealand head office where we were introduced to Design Thinking.

The event was facilitated by representation from the Digital UX department, Product Owners, as well as current interns at Air New Zealand.
We were introduced to Design Thinking as “A problem solving approach, particularly applicable to fuzzy or wicked problems – making it well suited to design human experiences”.

This was shortly followed by the instruction that – Design Thinking is experiential. To learn it, you have to do it……..so, we did!

This design sprint workshop was a great introductory session for both students and professionals with no first time experience. It was highly creative and encouraging us all to think outside of the box and push through our inhibitions or preconceived ideas. It was also very interactive and encourage consultant discussion and evaluation with a partner (ie, the stranger sitting next to you!)
The key takeaway was looking at ways you could use Design Thinking in your everyday life.
The material provide by Stanford is open source and a great way to introduce the concept of design thinking to groups or teams that are looking to solve a problem – i’d highly recommend giving it a go!

Start with design — Stanford d.school

What is Blockchain? 

Unless you have been living under a rock, you will have heard of blockchain.

Blockchain is one of the most important inventions since the Internet. It’s powering systems for supply chain, fintech, mobility, digital identity and yes, even trading virtual cats. But, what exactly is Blockchain? How does it work? And most importantly, how do you decide if it’s right for your idea or business?

Join us at the event to learn the ins and outs of this emerging technology and blockchain based projects happening around New Zealand. Hear from the industry experts from Centrality, Yabble, and Āhau, about their blockchain journey. We will also conduct an Ideathon, where our experts will show you how easy it is to get started on blockchain programming. So team up and design your very own blockchain application to win a prize for the best concept. Drinks and nibbles will be provided to accompany this brainstorming.

Come celebrate the holiday season with us, reflect on the past year, and hear from diverse role models in tech and inspirations for the future!

She# was proud to hold an incredible event at Amazon Web Services on a very inspiring topic: The Amazon Culture of Innovation. Attendees enjoyed listening to AWS’s Katrien Pagenaer, the NZ Sales Manager at AWS as she talked about the the key innovation fostering ideas followed by Amazon that helped it grow from an online books retailer to an e-commerce and computing giant. This was followed by a hands-on workshop that saw teams brainstorming to come up with their very own innovation, and pitching it to the judges just like an Amazon employee would!

Wāhine Kākano is New Zealand’s premier young women’s festival where young women between the ages of 16-22 years can attend a wide range of workshops which will equip them with skills and confidence required to take on their careers.

She# was a part of this festival and facilitated an interactive workshop where attendees were introduced to Augmented Reality. Our attendees were able to experience AR first hand and were able to create one of their own. The workshop also included a career talk from our She# Ambassador and Software Engineer Abby Shen, where she took us through her journey in the technology sector.

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She# in collaboration with Workday developed an interactive evening exploring the world of Cyber Security. The attendees were divided into groups for an exiting session of cyber-security quiz and the winners received Workday goodies. We were also delighted to hear from a panel of four Workday employees about their journeys into this industry. The evening was brought to a close by a demonstration of a live hack!

She# was delighted to be invited to Deloitte for a Chatbot Design Workshop. Over 40 attendees were split into teams to develop a Chatbot solution in a case study presented by Deloitte. Experienced Deloitte consultants mentored each team to ensure they had the necessary guidance. Teams elected four members to talk to the “client” and understand the client requirements for the solution. Finally, a solution was presented by each team. Pizza, Drinks, and Networking saw the evening to a close!

This month’s event was all about women in tech and trades who are proving that they are more than just a diversity quota filler & industry leaders who are setting a new benchmark for inclusivity every day.

It was an evening where we shined the spotlight on women. Industry leaders spoke about why they have not settled for a seat on the sidelines, and how they are setting a new benchmark for inclusivity everyday.

“Diversity is an invitation to the party, Inclusion is about an invitation to dance”

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Technological change will continue to reshape the workplace and workforce. It's up to us, as individuals, organisations, and societies, to shape this future collaboratively, ensuring that technological change benefits everyone.

We invite you to take part in our automation challenge, which will have you working in teams to develop an automated solution for a basic use case. There will be experienced developers on hand to help you through your solution, but with limited time this will definitely be a challenge. We have prepared some pre-work to help you prepare for the day, however the software we will be using (UiPath) is designed to be low-code with plenty of drag-and-drop options so we believe you’ll be able to develop part of your solution intuition alone. The challenge will be run in a hackathon-style and there will be prizes for the winning team.

Join She Sharp for an inspiring and thought-provoking panel on the future of leadership in technology. 2020 has brought unprecedented challenges to the forefront of humanity. With a crisis comes opportunities. Learn how we can harness the power of human ingenuity to create a better tomorrow. Topics to be discussed will include:

• How do we accelerate innovation and find transformative solutions to critical issues faced by organizations and navigate the evolving industry landscape and the new normal?
• How do we harness the power of cutting-edge emerging technologies for impact and agility?
• What do we need to do to bring about more diversity within the tech sector (a diverse workforce, environment, culture, ways of working, thinking)?
• How can New Zealanders leverage our unique advantages to unleash our full potential?

Featuring a diverse range of leaders and voices from the NZ tech sector.

Join us for an unforgettable evening - This event is not to be missed! Join us. Be inspired. Take action.

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Take part in the exciting careers available in our technology driven future!

Join She Sharp for an inspirational and empowering panel on STEM Careers for our future generations. The recent times have taught us that if there is anything that the future holds is the impact technology will have on our day-to-day. We hope to inspire and guide you to learn more about various STEM pathways.

We will be discussing the following topics:
– What career options are available? What are the unique opportunities in tech where you can get involved?
– How can you get yourself across the latest technology trends outside of the classroom?
– What role does personal development play in building the right mindset to tackle the uncertainties of tomorrow? What does it mean to have a personal brand?
– What should you consider to plan for your tertiary education?

Nicole Yue Lin (Data Scientist, Spark)

Shruti Sherekar (Business Analyst & Agile Consultant, IAG)

Amrit Kaur (Tech, Strategy & Transformation Consultant, Deloitte)

Zainab Manasawala (Produce Development Engineer, Fisher & Paykel)

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“The Truths to Gaming and Start-up - SheSharp Edition” is organised by SheSharp, in collaboration with Geo AR Games & the New Zealand Game Developers Association (NZGDA). If you’re interested in Gaming, Augmented Reality, and Development, then this is an event you don’t want to miss!

Hear the inspiring story of Melanie, CEO of Geo AR Games, and learn how she grew her start-up and worked on national as well as international projects! It’s quite difficult for women to make it in the gaming industry and many females go through the stereotypical work environment. Melanie has some great tips for young women out there who are looking for a career in gaming, and how to make it in the industry! The gaming world needs women, like Talia Pua, Carol Taka and Vaanipriya Diwan, who are part of the panel on the night!

Although this event features all female speakers, anyone can attend; from high school/university students to professionals far into their careers, people of all genders, aspiring entrepreneurs, are all welcome. We have a range of activities lined up, such as networking, gaming, and play-testing sessions.

SheSharp's last event of the year, and our first in-person event post-COVID!

We partnered with Xero to give people an opportunity to have a much needed night out to end 2020 with a bang!

SheSharp and Xero hosted a Girl’s Night Out to bring together like-minded women interested in tech for a night of fun, interaction and challenges. As unprecedented this year has been, where most of us have interacted online via zoom calls or google hangouts, it’s time (and safe) for us to have an in person event. You don’t have to have a vast knowledge of tech or the tech sector to come along.

There were team challenges, fun quizzes and general fun and interactive awesomeness. So people brought their A-game along! This was a great event to network and reconnect with others we haven’t had the opportunity to meet in person over the last few months!

This event was open to all students (18+) and working professionals! Food and Drinks (No Alcohol) were provided!

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At She Sharp, our mission is to actively engage a broader range of Maori and Pasifika female students by equipping them with the knowledge, network, and skills to enter STEM industries. We are dedicated to inspiring and empowering the next generation of talent from these communities to explore and embrace the dynamic world of STEM and the digital domain through immersive hands-on workshops on topics such as AI, AR, and robotics.

On Wednesday, October 11th, we will be hosting our first STEM conference for Maori and Pasifika girls in years 11-13. The event will take place at AUT (South Campus, Manukau). We are thrilled to offer this free event, as it aligns with our goal of empowering Pasifika girls as future leaders in STEM.

The conference will commence at 9:00 am - 3pm and will include hands-on workshops in Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality. Additionally, we will feature Pasifika experts and role models in the STEM fields. Our aim is to ignite curiosity and inspire students about potential careers in technology.

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See the agenda here.

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Click here for AUT Scholarships.

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Join us to celebrate Ada Lovelace Day and International Day of the Girls. We are delighted to present two wonderful speakers for this event – Ankita and Elina. Hear their stories and be inspired!

We’ll also have quizzes and games and an overall fun session.

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Join us ONLINE on Tuesday 30th November for a jam-packed evening!

Curious about career pathways in data, analytics and visualisation? Do you want to learn from industry leaders, get career advice, and participate in a hands-on Power BI workshop?

We will start with a panel featuring renowned experts, Leila Etaati, Indira Bandari, Owen Auger, Sudhir Rawat, about career development as a data analytics, data engineer, and data science, what they need, and what skills we need to know.

After that, we have a hands-on lab for working with Power BI, extracting data from a data source, then cleaning it and visualizing it to show the current situation of the data better and learning how to visualise data for better storytelling and decision making.

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#IamRemarkable is a Google initiative empowering women and other underrepresented groups to celebrate their achievements in the workplace and beyond.

This program aims to:
1. Improve the motivation and self-promotion skills of women and underrepresented groups.
2. Change social perceptions and refresh the conversation around self-promotion.

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SheSharp is delighted to announce our first community event of the year: We are partnering with MYOB to celebrate International Women’s Day! There will be team challenges, fun quizzes, and general fun and interactive awesomeness. So bring your A-game along! This is a great event to bring along your work colleagues to network and reconnect with others you haven’t had the opportunity to meet in person over the last few months! This event is open to all ages and all genders, all students and working professionals!

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AI Forum NZ is hosting an AI for the Environment Hackathon Festival across Aotearoa, Australia and the South Pacific. Do you have a passion for saving the planet, starting in our backyard? The winners will pitch their solutions at the AI Summit on 21 September in Auckland.

This event will be hosted in partnership with academyEX on August 11th and 12th, kicking off with an inspiring keynote from Frances Valintine CNZM.

The problems this year to solve, are based on the five key environmental outcomes (AI for the Environment Report 2022). These have been expanded to make them more relevant to all participants in 2023. AI Forum NZ are sourcing use cases from NGOs and citizen science groups to provide real problems to solve that are relevant to each location. These organisations provide subject matter expertise ahead of time and on the day.

‍You will learn many new skills, meet like-minded peers, and network with sponsors and mentors. At the end of the hackathon you and your team demonstrate your project in front of a judging panel who select the winner. The best four winners have a chance to pitch their idea at the AI Summit 23. Hackathons are a safe space for people from diverse skill sets to come together around a problem to solve. When forming your team, think about the Dream Team Model of hipsters, hackers, and hustlers - a good mix will help you to be successful.

Keen to join us in solving pressing environmental problems using AI?

Good Together: by complementing technical expertise with power skills, the opportunities are endless

From grass to glass, find out how women across all aspects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths can apply their technical expertise and their complementary power skills to deliver goodness for generations to come. The opportunities are endless from on farm sustainability, animal science and digital solutions, through to cutting edge laboratory research at our Fonterra Research and Development Centre, exploring robotics and automation across manufacturing systems and leveraging current & future technology to empower our employees & optimise our business for the future. 

Join us in person at the Fonterra Auckland head office.

Across the evening you will learn more about Fonterra including an overview of the Early in Careers entry opportunities, hear from a panel of women about their personal experiences, spend some time exploring power skills and how these can enhance your career journey (from job application and beyond) with plenty of time for networking.

Spaces are limited and we are expecting a sold-out event, so register now to secure your place. 

We had a wonderful time at the NZTech Techweek NZ Tomorrow Expo, where we showcased our work dedicated to empowering women in tech.

We were delighted to welcome many groups of students visiting from diverse range of Auckland schools who were eager to learn more about STEM, robotics, AR and VR. They had a chance to try out some of our activities, such as programming a robot, virtual reality and exploring an augmented reality app.

We were impressed by their enthusiasm and creativity, and we hope to inspire more young women to pursue their passion for technology.

Hear the experiences of Kiwibank executives and engage in an innovation roadmap workshop!

Join us to discover how you can grow your career at Kiwibank while shaping the future of banking in Aotearoa.‍

Spaces are limited, so secure a place now if you haven’t already. We have special prizes and giveaways for those who attend the event.‍

See you there!

International Women’s Day is fast approaching and She Sharp is partnering with AWS to bring you an inspirational evening where we talk all about #breakingthebias!

Come along to enjoy some fireside chats by amazing panelists, an interactive workshop and a short quiz. Please join us to celebrate and honour the women you know, the women who inspire you and the women who work hard everyday to create more diversity in the tech sector! We will have special prizes and giveaways for those who register and attend the event.

Join us at the AWS Office in Auckland for this special event recognising individuals, initiatives, and organisations that are changing the norms, reconditioning the way we think about diversity, inclusion, and equity, and shaping a new normal for the security industry in Aotearoa.

Featuring a stellar line-up of speakers from across Aotearoa's security sector, we will hear lightning talks from each of them sharing their journeys and learnings, demystifying the security industry, followed by a Q&A Panel. We'll also have fun interactive activities and opportunities for networking over yummy food and drinks, with awesome prizes up for grabs on the night.

It will be a fabulous event for everyone - no matter if you know nothing about the industry, new to security, curious about the industry or a seasoned security professional! AND remember - our events are open and inclusive to all genders, females, males, nonbinary, and allies! So bring your friends or colleagues for a great night of learning and networking with the community.

She Sharp is teaming up with MYOB to discuss the diversity of careers in technology and the multiple pathways we can take to achieve our dream job in STEM. Come along and engage with an expert team of MYOB panellists who will highlight some of the pathways that can be followed which lead to a career in Technology, participate in a guided workshop to help discover our deep-set motivations and Q&A with the MYOB and She# teams to create a composition of insights to enable us to make conscious career choices based on our aspirations and motivations…. so YOU can definitively begin to Mind Your Own Career.

Surround yourself with great women: Stories of the women who have ignited our passion for careers in Technology. Enjoy a networking breakfast and surround yourself with great women. She Sharp and Countdown collaborate to bring you first-hand the real stories of the women who are igniting our passion for careers in Technology. Join our breakfast session and see what you can learn to help you re/ignite the flame of your technology career. You will hear from key talent across our Analytics and Insights, Product, Strategy & Transformation and Engineering practices. Hear how they have navigated their careers and learn useful tips as to the art of networking and really owning your career path.

We operate in an unusual world that has seen workplaces and normal operating models change from the norms that we have been used to. Navigating the “new normal” can be challenging for both new starters in the tech industry settling in, as well as for managers and teams helping their junior staff find their pathways and build networks in often remote or disrupted working environments.

In this interactive in-person session, we will be talking with some of ANZ’s women in tech whose careers have been formed throughout these disruptive years. We will hear about their journeys and expectations versus the realities and how they have faced and adapted to the challenges. Supporting them we will also hear from more senior team members at ANZ on how they are helping support people to strengthen their resilience and protect their wellbeing through change.

Some of the world’s leading companies use Deloitte’s 10 Types of Innovation Framework to create innovative products.

When you’re building technology, it’s important to think about more than just the features your product delivers. To be successful, you also need to build out extensions to your application or system that connects with the wider ecosystem. The result is building more than just an app, but a platform and service that customers love and stay with.

What you’ll learn at this event:

• Deloitte’s 10 Types of Innovation framework by applying it to an imaginary product. You’ll be able to take these learnings into your own work.
• How small changes in your product can result in big changes for your customers and the uptake of your platform.
• Put the Framework into action - split up into groups of 5 to create the next viral technology!

She Sharp Hackathon is an all-female-led and non-binary 32 hour hackathon, which aims to help individuals to understand they belong in tech and that there are various roles you can have in the tech industry. Do you have a passion to save the planet, starting in our backyard? We’re bringing to life practical examples from the AI Forum’s recently published AI for Environment in Aotearoa New Zealand report. 

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Join 60+ people for a weekend of learning, building, and connecting to build your tech skills and realise that you have allies who are supporting you every step of the way.

She Sharp is delighted to present She Celebrates: A reflection on the past year and Inspiration for the future! Come and join us for an evening of Reflection and Inspiration presented by a variety of motivational speakers from STEM-related industries and hosted by AWS and She Sharp. This fantastic opportunity will introduce you to new and exciting ideas for the future, while providing a space to network with STEM professionals.

Our guest speakers will discuss and reflect on their experiences throughout 2022 in celebration of another incredible year together. The event will be a great networking opportunity to meet with like-minded individuals, mingle with established professionals, celebrate successes and achievements, and have fun!

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The world is constantly evolving. Digital technologies are transforming exponentially from day to day and Artificial Intelligence has changed the way we interact with the world around us. We can find information through conversations with machines, instantly translate written and verbal language and even have our own personal digital assistant. 

In this interactive workshop, hosted by Google, we will learn more about the use of Artificial Intelligence, how to get involved and build AI applications. With awareness of the tools used to innovate, we will discuss the importance of how they are used and the potential impact of ethics and biases. We will also hear from Google Leaders in the AI space on how they got involved and their thoughts on AI in this changing world. Most importantly, we will equip you with the tools and resources required to build experiences and showcase how easy it is to get started with AI right now. 

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For International Women’s Day, She Sharp is partnering with Countdown and inviting you to #embraceequity and kick-start your day. Let’s challenge gender stereotypes, call out discrimination, draw attention to bias, and seek out inclusion in all aspects of our personal and professional lives.

She Sharp are committed to empowering more women into STEM careers to drive gender parity into a world free from bias. Our events are an open opportunity for Everyone, regardless of gender, age, race or background, to work together in order to bridge the gender gap and better represent women within STEM fields.

This event is aimed at providing women with insights and opportunities to pursue a career in the tech industry.

Attendees will have the chance to hear from experienced professionals in the tech industry, who will be sharing their personal stories, experiences and insights on how to navigate a career in tech. This is a unique opportunity to gain valuable insights and advice from some of the best in the industry, and to learn more about MYOB as a company.

Whether you're looking to start a career in tech, or you're already working in the industry and looking to grow your skills and network, this event is for you. With the support of MYOB, we hope to inspire and empower women to pursue their passions and achieve their career goals.