Reflections from Women in Tech at Manchester Tech Festival
A collage of photos from a Women In Tech event.
Starting the Day
After the usual morning chaos of nursery drop-offs and then my taxi driver getting lost, I eventually found the entrance to the Women in Tech event at Manchester Tech Festival—hidden behind the door of the city’s Register Office like some sort of tech speakeasy. I was immediately greeted by familiar faces from AO.com: Charlotte, Adam, Megan, Emily, Amelia and Gemma. Also, a few old ones, like Callum, helped run the event. It was a great way to kick off the day.
Now in its third year, the Women in Tech event has grown into a powerful part of the wider festival. Caribbean Kitchen provides lunch, and the organisers provide enough wine to sink a ship. Things are setting up for success, IMO. There are speakeasy vibes. But behind the good vibes and warm food is a mission that really matters.
Why I Came
I attended this event to listen, learn, and immerse myself in the community. As a design leader at AO.com, I’m proud to say our team has achieved a strong gender balance, something we’ve built consciously from the start. Diversity of thought creates better outcomes, and we’ve intentionally supported development and progression.
But I’ll also be the first to admit I don’t have formal training in DEI, and I’m not that involved in the wider community. I care about it. I’ve been lucky to be surrounded by strong women, from my mum, a former partner in a law firm and now chairwoman of the Church of Ireland, to my wife, a world-class surgeon. At AO, I work with incredible women leaders daily, like Laura Hobson, Clare Evans, Arafa Henderson, and Vicky Monk, who’ve helped shape me.
So, this event was the right place to learn more.
AO.com’s tech department deserves real credit for seeing the value in events like this. They’ve sent a brilliant mix of people to attend, not just women, but men too, and that matters. We need more conversations around gender, empowerment, and allyship, and it’s powerful to work for an employer that actively supports that development. AO let'sgo!
What Manchester Tech Festival Is Doing Right
The organisers behind the Manchester Tech Festival have created something awe-inspiring. They’ve made the event accessible by design, offering free tickets to anyone who needs one and relying on sponsor support to lower the barriers to entry.
Co-founder Amy Newton launched the event to address inequality in tech, particularly for working-class people across Greater Manchester’s ten boroughs. The impact goes beyond the tech scene—the community has also raised £31,000 for The River, a charity supporting people of domestic abuse. WIT and its followers have helped them buy a building to expand their services. That’s community power in action.
Our MC for the day is Emma Green.
Emma Green, Managing Partner at CD Lawyers, shared a striking story. A client had been unknowingly targeted by hackers who listened to their emails and then built fake websites to scam customers out of hundreds of thousands of pounds. Her message: even if your business doesn’t deal in money if you handle high-value transactions or data, you’re a target. Security and awareness matter a lot.
Intro to the conference from MP Lucy Powell and her Call to Action
Lucy Powell MP opened the event with a challenge: the next tech revolution must be created by women, for women. Events like these are where those movements begin through talks and chats over coffee, questions during lunch, and the connections made across disciplines.
Talk Highlights
1. Harnessing Hormones – Caroline Canty, Craft Coaching
Caroline spoke about burnout, the myth of consistency, and how most workplaces are built around a male hormonal model that assumes we’re the same every day. For women, that doesn’t match reality. She introduced the idea of cycle syncing and using our body’s natural rhythms to boost focus, performance, and well-being. Oxytocin (the “love hormone”) can reduce cortisol levels; small things like connection and fulfilment at work can make a huge difference. A brilliant reminder: your body is on your side; use it, listen to it, and plan around it.
2. FemTech & Data Privacy – Arohi Naik
This talk unpacked the data privacy risks in femtech. From fertility apps to period trackers, the convenience these tools offer can come at the cost of deeply personal data. Arohi made a compelling case for on-device data storage (rather than the cloud) and called out companies exploiting this space for profit. The bottom line: femtech must be for women, not just about them.
3. Digital Transformation in Siloed Businesses – Shikha Merchant, Royal London
Shikha delivered a practical and insightful session on breaking silos. Successful digital transformation isn’t just about tech; it’s about people. She walked through six stages of transformation, maturity, and highlighted key blockers like fragmented data and unaligned stakeholders. Her message was clear: alignment and shared language transform work, not just AI or tools.
4. Renew the Narrative – Kirsty Bradley-Law, DISC
This session challenged the language we use to describe women and neurodivergent people, from “nag” to “gossip” and how those words are used to diminish and control. Backed by linguistic studies, Kirsty showed how communication styles are shaped by patriarchal culture and how women’s voices are often dismissed or interrupted. The takeaway: start by asking people what they want and rethink how we frame and value different styles of speech and communication.
Final Thoughts
Though I had to leave early due to illness, the day left a strong impression. I came in, unsure of what I’d take away. I found a room full of purpose, energy, and honesty—a clear reminder that change isn’t just about systems or policies; it’s about people.
From the speakers to the organisers to the attendees, this event reminded me why inclusion matters and that the work we do to support it, big or small, is always worth it.