Role Models

We are passionate about encouraging young people (especially girls) into Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. It is widely recognised that women are underrepresented in STEM industries and we are aiming to redress the balance. Our GiST programme sees Women in STEM talking to schoolgirls about their careers and showcasing the opportunities that are open to them.

If you'd like to be our next Role Model, email info@technocamps.com.

Wendy Dearing

Dean of the Institute of Management and Health at UWTSD

Wendy is a nurse by background, a BCS Fellow and Leading Practitioner of Federation of Informatics Professionals. She holds an MSc in Change & Innovation and was awarded an Honorary Professorship from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. The professorship in Applied Practice has been awarded in recognition of Wendy’s expertise and knowledge in championing professionalism in technology and information.

Her new role as Dean is to lead the Institute in the areas of heath, care & digital and until recently she was Head of Workforce & OD for NHS Wales Informatics Service Her role included workforce planning recruitment and retention; professional recognition and registration; education and training; career pathways & CPD. She is Chair of BCS Wales Health and Vice Chair for Professionalism and has a passion for developing “the next generation” as well developing professionalism across H.I.

Laura Blackwell

Senior Cyber Security Analyst, Simply Business

Laura currently works at an insurance company in central London. She was awarded Cyber Security Leader 2020 by Future Stars of Tech Awards for her contribution to the organisation, but also to the STEM community. She holds a BSc (Hons) from the University of Gloucestershire among various qualifications in her sector, such as Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH).

Laura specialising in Vulnerability Management, which involves finding ways that computers can be exploited and resolving them. She believes that Security should not be an expensive and unattainable luxury, sold by vendors and contractors - it should be something taught to people across all aspects of Technology, so they can self-serve and build things securely themselves.

Beth Fitzpatrick

Systems Engineer at Atkins

Beth works as a Systems Engineer at a consultancy, after graduating with a Physics degree. She has worked across industries including Defence, Aerospace and Technology, and is currently working in Defensive Cyber with a Machine Learning and Data Science team.

Beth loves the variation in her job, that every day is different, and that she gets involved with big complex projects that sometimes span all across the world. This included working in Germany for 6 months, building armoured vehicles for the Australian Army!

She wants to break the myth that STEM subjects are spent at a desk looking at numbers. She loves STEM engagement and leads her company’s national presence with the charity Teentech, co-ordinating volunteers to inspire the next generation.

Watch Beth's video

Nicole Ponsford

Co-CEO and Founder of The Gender Equality Collective

Nicole is an educational and technology thought leader, a Harvard author (TechnoTeaching), award-winning teacher, RSA Fellow , Edtech50 judge and member of the Edtech UK Advisory Board. Nicole is also a frequent contributor to TES, The Guardian, Innovate My School and Teachwire, as well as a keynote speaker and panelist, most recently at BETT20 and for the RSA.

Nicole believes that technology is the great equaliser for our time. She has taught new technologies in the education sector (from Early Years to adults) for 20 years,
working with a range of national and international charities and organisations to support #TechForGood. She is passionate about diversity and inclusivity on and offline - and that this will only happen through collaboration, conversation and immediate action. She believes it’s time to get #SmashingStereotypes.

Nicole is also on the Steering Group member for MITEY (Men in the Early Years). She started a Doctorate in 2018 researching the bias in education.

Cat Wildman

Mum of 3 and Co-Founder The Global Equality Collective

Cat studied science throughout her education, earning a degree in Biomedical and Physiological Sciences. From there, she went into Technology and found her home. Cat writes and speaks at events on her favourite topics; digital product, start-ups, working parents and all things Diversity Equity/ Equality and Inclusion.

It was when she became an employer that Cat realised there was such a problem with gender disparity in tech, specifically in her recruitment pipeline, but it was when she became a mother that she realised that she had a personal responsibility to use her skills and experience to change things. Cat decided to dedicate the rest of her career to interrupting gender stereotypes, creating digital tools and training to help organisations and schools to bring about gender equality. The GEC's first app launched in September 2020.

An award-winning product person, Cat was named Telegraph Woman of the Year 2018, which was also the year she met Nic Ponsford and they co-founded The GEC. Cat was named as a 2020 BIMA100 and was named a Global Diversity & Inclusion Leader in 2020.

Watch Cat's video

Rajinder Kaur

UI Engineer at Directline group

Rajinder's role involves writing code for the visual features of the web apps used by the customer services teams. She loves her job for its creative, collaborative and problem solving aspects and for the opportunity it presents to keep learning.

She holds BSc (Hons) in Computing and IT from the Open University. Post graduation she did a 12-week coding bootcamp from the Northcoders to get the skills and experience to pursue her career as a software engineer.

Rajinder was shortlisted for the Future Stars of Tech’s Developer Award in 2020. She is a BAME Ambassador for Directline Group and a STEM Ambassador.

Rajinder deems it vital to address the gender gap and lack of diversity in tech. She wants to inspire and encourage girls and young women from all backgrounds to consider a career in tech. She believes that exposure to various career paths and understanding the different roles in tech at a young age will help close the many myths and stereotypes regarding the tech industry.

Kat Cauchi

Product Manager of ReallySchool and Member of The Global Equality Collective

Kat is a former primary school teacher and is passionate about closing the gender gap in STEM. She feels that, as a woman working in the tech industry, it is her responsibility to help action this. As part of this, she has been taking part in panel discussions, webinars and other events with the Global Equality Collective.

Kat understands the importance of education and feels every child should be able to access high quality education. However, this can only happen if schools are given what they need to provide the right support for their individual pupils. She is proud to work for a company that is involved in its local education community, providing free software to local schools and with many members of the business having an additional role in education.

Kat still works closely with the school she taught in by volunteering at special events and training sessions. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to support Technocamps as she believes it is vital for young people to be able to access as many opportunities as possible to give them the best tools for the future.

Watch Kat's video

Watch Rituja's video

Rituja Rao

Rituja Rao is an award-winning IT Consultant and emerging thought leader in the UK Tech Industry with a background in Financial services, Digital Transformation and Change Management. Rituja is the Winner of the Future Stars of Tech: IT Manager Award 2020 and TechWomen100 Awards by We Are The City, and was nominated as the Digital Hero of the Year at the Computing Digital Technology Awards 2019.

She is currently a Tech consultant and Project Manager, and has successfully delivered a £1 million digital transformation project to implement Azure Cloud and a DevOps framework for a Banking client. She has also delivered multiple client projects for Lloyds, Barclays and HSBC – ranging from new products, process optimisation and digital transformations. Rituja is an industry speaker, speaking about graduate careers in Tech regardless of STEM degrees, D&I and Career Management. She is a strong advocate of skills diversity in Tech organisations.

Rituja is currently mentoring other young people, a Mentor on the Cajigo App and other platforms, empowering young girls to pursue a career in Tech. She is a Trustee and Board Director for Being Woman Charity UK. Rituja is the recipient of Women on Boards Bursary 2020, and is exploring her Board career.

Her latest venture is a YouTube channel and community called Gen-We - focusing on skills diversity and mental health during early careers.