Women 4.0 returns for International Women’s Day with a panel of exciting speakers exploring the theme of the future of women in tech and industry and how we can celebrate traditionally feminine traits in the modern workplace.
The theme is inspired by a quote from Mary Portas, the UK’s foremost authority on retail and brand communication and author of “Work Like A Woman”:
"I really, really do believe that the future of being successful in work is going to be about embracing all of those wonderful things women bring - empathy, collaboration, flexibility."
Women 4.0 was founded in 2017 by Claire Clark, Director of Development at C4DI-based IoT App Development Consultancy Sauce, as a platform to highlight successful women in industry, inspiring all people and leading a positive path for the next generation.
Claire Clark introducing Women 4.0 October 2019. Photo: Shannon Capon
Since then, three sold-out events have been hosted in Hull to celebrate women in technology, science and industry.
The next event features a panel of four guest speakers who’ll share their career stories and experiences and will be hosted on Friday 7 March at Rollits LLP, a two-minute walk away from the C4DI building.
The afternoon will see C4DI Community Manager, Louise Cooke, Bombyx PLM Founder Lucy Blackley, Moodbeam Co-Founder and Director Christina Colmer-McHugh and Bloom Creative Director Courtney Farrow talk about their career journeys and experiences.
“I’m thrilled to be welcoming Louise, Lucy, Christina and Courtney to our next Women 4.0 event. Women 4.0 is inclusive to all and it has been amazing to see it grow over the past few years, with people of all genders, industries, ages and interests attending,” Claire tells us.
Below is a closer look at each of the guest speakers:
Co-founder and host
Claire Clark
CEng, BSc Hons, MIET, MBCS, IPC-ACC, PSM, CMP, Director of Development at Sauce
Chartered Engineer and former Software Engineer, Claire's current role at C4DI-based App and IoT Development Agency Sauce sees her facilitate the positive growth and development of the team, implementing industry best practice and standards and leading the successful development and delivery of a range of interesting projects and products for start-ups to multi-national organisations.
Her passion is to inspire others and help them to succeed; one of the reasons she co-founded Women 4.0 with Barclays Eagle Lab.
Claire Clark, Co-founder and host of Women 4.0
Speakers
Louise Cooke, C4DI Community Manager.
The red thread of Hull’s tech community, Louise connects startups, businesses and individuals, helping C4DI to create an abundance of opportunity within Hull’s tech sector.
Before joining the C4DI team, Louise came from a traditionally non-technical background, but her skills have given her a unique insight into how to work with people and help them succeed.
Louise Cooke, C4DI Community Manager
Lucy Blackley, Founder of Bombyx PLM.
Lucy is the founder of product lifecycle management (PLM) company Bombyx.
After working for twelve years in the product development industry working for global brands like Arcadia, Next and Topshop, the former garment technologist made the incredible journey from clothing to coding.
Today, Bombyx is a growing tech business, helping people streamline their processes and focus on their innovations.
Lucy Blackley, Bombyx PLM
Christina Colmer-McHugh, Co-Founder and Director of Moodbeam.
Moodbeam is a groundbreaking company aiming to transform the world of emotional development with a digital wearable. Suitable for all ages, Moodbeam provides wearers with a completely new way of tracking how they feel in a simple, concise way.
Before becoming the founder of an influential tech startup, Christina was an experienced journalist and public relations specialist. It was her seven-year-old daughter who inspired the creation of Moodbeam; the young girl was struggling with a tough situation at school and Christina was left wondering what her daughter was feeling when she wasn’t with her. Knowing the situation wasn’t unique, Christina searched for a way to help other people around the world, and Moodbeam was born.
Christina Colmer-McHugh, Moodbeam
Courtney Farrow, Director of Bloom Creative.
Courtney Farrow is the founder and director of Bloom Creative, providing copywriting, content creation and digital marketing services to a number of businesses across the UK.
She began her journey into the tech world after starting her retro-inspired blog eight years ago, which led her to work with some well-known brands and businesses, including Visit Britain, Simply Be, Collectif, University of Hull and Hull University Union.
Today, she works with a number of clients across the country, including Hull’s C4DI, where she helps the team promote the key news stories, jobs and events in the Humber region. Over the past three years, she has thrown herself into Hull's tech and business community, passionate about spreading the message that Hull is the place to be for startups and innovation.
Courtney Farrow, Bloom Creative