Code: Debugging the Gender Gap 2015|78 min|USA Directed by Robin Hauser Reynolds
Followed by panel discussion with Ren Butler, Atlanta Daniel, Blake Mizzi, Ahmed Salama and Jessica Glenn
Moderator Anna Reeves, CEO That Startup Show
Presented by
A look at the politics, controversies and untapped potential of women in the world of coding.
Code: Debugging the Gender Gap examines the reasons why more girls are not seeking opportunities in computer science and explores how cultural mindsets, stereotypes, educational hurdles and sexism all play roles in this.
Expert voices from the worlds of tech, psychology, science, and education are intercut with inspiring stories of women who are engaged in the fight to challenge complacency in the tech industry and have their voices heard.
Code: Debugging the Gender Gap aims to inspire change in mindsets, in the educational system, in startup culture and in the way women see themselves in the field of coding.
Atlanta is an entrepreneur and startup industry evangelist based in Melbourne. Her professional experience includes venture capital, founding a startup (Tetris Digital), and technology industry advocacy with StartupAUS. She is passionate about the Australian startup ecosystem and is actively engaged in a number of initiatives to grow and develop the industry. She is the co founder of Sugnal Ventures, a new startup fund supporting Australian startups.
A code‐slinging, deal making co‐founder, Jessica got her start flipping Curly Wurlys in the school tuck shop, working in property and banking before finally learning to close her curly brackets properly, prompting her to leave her ‘real job’ for the last time.
Over the years since leaving a big four bank she has exited well from one startup, exited poorly from second, built tech for Reffind (which was the ASX’s most successful tech IPO) and single handedly written the code for the recently launched My Work Phone, a smarter business phone system that leverages integrations to provide supercharged caller ID and contextual information when talking to customers.
Jessica knows a little about a lot and is particularly well versed in building tech for startups and is very gradually weaning off her heavy reliance on Stack Overflow. @JessicaCGlenn
Ren moved to Melbourne about three years ago from the wilds of California to complete her Masters degree at Monash University. She is an outgoing polymath with experience in startups, adventure travel, creative problem solving, and eclectic events. Her motivation comes in the form of whiskey, reptiles, new challenges and chances to getting her hands dirty. She recently spoke at Future Assembly on the tech gender divide. @MsRenButler
Ahmed is the CoFounder & Creative Director & Co Producer of hit web series That Start Up Show a startup show about startups. Ahmed’s passion for startups began when he began designing and selling websites at age 14.
Since then, he’s won numerous awards and nominations (two time Directors Guild Award Nominee, AIMIA Award winner) for his prolific work in design and digital storytelling. With a passion for combining design, technology and storytelling, he’s produced viral hits such as the ‘Free Hugs Campaign’, which gained an audience of 200 million people worldwide and internet cult hit “The Tunnel” – the first feature film to be crowd funded and released for free via BitTorrent, iPad, Cinema, DVD and VOD simultaneously, with over 15 million downloads worldwide. He holds Master of Design degree from the College of Fine Art UNSW.
He currently helms his own UX Design Agency, based in Sydney with offices in Melbourne. Ahmed is on the Melbourne Techfugees team and has been a board member of the Refugee Arts Program.
Blake Mizzi is a Co‐Founder and Director at League of Geeks, with their recently debuted game Armello, releasing on Steam and PlayStation 4. Blake serves as the number cruncher at LoG on both the business and game design fronts.
He has a colourful history now with nearly 10 years games experience, having studied Industrial Design with subjects completed in Germany; He was a Level and Lead Game Designer for years; Worked in Japan; Been a real estate agent; A freelance designer doing everything from marketing assets, architectural renders and bomb disposal units; He also contracted to an oil company designing oil import terminals and fire systems – all the while working on Armello at night – Many many sleepless nights. Genuine workaholic – thinking out loud: Should work less.
Anna is a former in‐house counsel and business affairs/brand manager who has worked for Australia’s leading media production houses including Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder, XYZ Films/Foxtel, ndn Renegade.She has advised for and founded several not for profit & social enterprise initiatives, such as Strategic Partners, an international co‐production program.
In 2011, she was the US Campaign Director for the Global Poverty Project. Returning to Australia, she is currently exploring the intersection between business, culture and storytelling. She has written, directed and produced company culture videos as part of transformative workshops with the STW Group for Australia’s largest organisations such as the Accor Asia Pacific Hotel group, BT, Westpac Group, KPMG, Vodafone and Qantas.
She created That StartUp Show, a Melbourne based web‐series focused on start up culture in Australia. She is passionate about helping female founders reach their full potential through the power of storytelling.
