September Newsletter 2024
A sunny, warm welcome to our fabulous Love Tech community! As we all settle back into school, it’s hard to believe we’re at the end of September – and what a beautiful September it’s been! We hope you’ve had a fantastic start to the term, and we’re excited to share all the latest news and events to keep you inspired as the new academic year rolls in.
And so to begin…
Women’s Stories and the Power of Mentoring 🌟
As part of our #WomenInTechWeek 2024 celebrations, we’re thrilled to invite you to Women’s Stories and the Power of Mentoring on October 10th, 5:30-7:30pm at Santander Work Cafe in Douglas. If you’re a woman in tech or one of our male allies, this is your chance to hear some truly inspirational stories, learn all about the transformative power of mentoring and CONNECT!
Our panel discussion and networking event will feature some of our brilliant Love Tech Tech Mentors, and it’s an opportunity not to be missed!
Ready to meet our fantastic panellists? Here goes…
- Martyna Wilk – Software Developer with a flair for both technical and creative problem-solving.
- Natalie Gallagher – COO of LEMA Logic, an AI-driven web solutions company.
- Harley Garrett – Web Developer at Craft Applied.
- Sikhulile Dlamini-Sinclair – Software Developer and Manager committed to engaging women in STEM.
- Jenni Devine – Associate Director of Cyber Security at Flutter Entertainment.
- Alexandra Koyfman – Senior IT Business Analyst at PDMS.
In our small community it’s vital to have opportunities like this to hook up with like-minded individuals.
Space Unleashed! 🚀
Our fully booked Space Unleashed event with Howard Parkin and space industry professionals at Rivers Advisers was a total hit! STEM enthusiasts came together for an exciting evening of exploration, learning, and stargazing (despite a big bright moon strutting its stuff!).
Attendees enjoyed a fantastic presentation, hands-on Q&A, and an unrivalled opportunity to network with the experts, learning a little about NASA Space School Sponsorship programmes to boot. Thanks to all who joined us under the stars – Howard Parkin himself and the Rivers Advisers team, Love Tech Mentor, Astronomer and Astrophysicist, Dr Jennifer Stone, River Advisers CEO, Chris Stott and Spectrum Engineer, Varum Kumar. With delicious food provided by the Sound Cafe, this was an unforgettable night, and we can’t wait to host more events like this!
“I had never realised how many opportunities there are in the space industry, how exciting!” Space Unleashed attendee.
Next up…
“Equality is good for everyone… everybody is better off with diversity…”
Unless you’ve been hiding away on a desert Island (no, we don’t mean the Isle of Man!), you might have heard of #Gef30Under30 celebratory campaign. You may also have seen that this year Love Tech were very excited to be asked along as partner in Gef’s Trailblazer category. This great opportunity resulted in Love Tech committee member, Lisa Karran, popping along to Gef HQ to chat all things Love Tech and Women in STEM – with a great feature write up in Isle of Man Today.
Here’s the link to the article in case you did miss it – and many thanks to Lisa for giving such a great interview and putting the spotlight firmly on Love Tech and our mission to ‘inspire and empower girls and young women in the Isle of Man to explore opportunities in STEM.’
Young Nature Champion 2024 🌿
The closing date for the Young Nature Champion Competition is fast approaching! If you haven’t had the chance to enter yet, now is the time – you have until November 1st to showcase your passion for nature and creativity.
We’re proud to partner with UNESCO Biosphere IOM for this fantastic initiative and encourage anyone under 21 to get involved. Need a little inspiration? Check out the ideas from some of our incredible mentors on our socials, and click here for all the competition details. Time is running out, so don’t miss out!
STEM Spark – A Call to Action for Schools! 📚
Our exciting STEM Spark initiative, sponsored by PwC Isle of Man, was launched into full swing last term, and we’re already making an impact in schools across the Island. Designed to build on our previous STEM Books project, STEM Spark brings free STEM titles to primary school libraries, along with fun, engaging assemblies and workshops to ignite curiosity in young minds.
Are you a teacher and would your primary school love to get involved?
Whether you’re interested in a hands-on session for students or a workshop for teachers on unconscious bias, now’s the perfect time. Sign up today and let’s bring STEM to life in our Island’s classrooms.
And now to our…
September Mentor of the Month: Rachel Grant 🌟
This month we got to celebrate our Mentor, Rachel Grant, a Software Tester who took an inspiring path into the world of tech. After graduating with a degree in Biochemistry, Rachel discovered her love for problem-solving through Python programming. This passion led her into a career as a Software Test Engineer.
But her story doesn’t end there! After attending a Love Tech Q&A panel with Chris Stott and the ManSat team, this year Rachel decided to follow her dream of working in the space industry – and is now making that dream a reality with a new role in the field.
Click here to read all about Rachel and how she’s making waves in STEM!
“When you think ‘in another life I would have…’ stop yourself and see if you can do it in this life.”
Stay Connected
As always, we encourage you to stay connected with us! If you missed out on tickets for Space Unleashed, be sure to sign up for our mailing list so you never miss an event again. And if you’re a woman working in STEM on the Isle of Man and want to join an award-winning charity to make a real impact, please get in touch at contact@lovetech.im. Our mentor scheme is growing, and we’d love to have you on board.
That’s all for now! Keep an eye out for more exciting events and opportunities, and as always, stay STEM-curious 😊
Best wishes,
The Love Tech Team