As operations manager at the B.C. Innovation Council (BCIC), Tarah Ferguson would hit various tech events and trade shows featuring the industry’s most lauded talent.
“I met so many interesting people, but they were pre-dominantly men,” she said.
But the few women in the industry she encountered were just as fascinating, according to Ferguson. She just didn’t get the chance to meet many of them.
“I took it upon myself to say, ‘You know what? I want to know about this and other women want to know about this.’”
In February, she sat down in front of the camera with seven women from Vancouver’s tech sector to talk about the challenges they face in an industry dominated by men.
After spending the summer editing together the web series, Tarah Talking Tech: Women In Tech launched September 9.
Guests include Canadian Women In Technology CEO Sandra Wear and BCIC director of operations Tomica Divic, as well as a number of female CEOs of local tech start-ups.
“I wanted them to really be honest about the experiences they had as a tech entrepreneur working in the industry, working in the ‘boys club,’” Ferguson said.
“The confidence theme was a constant theme. That was really interesting because that was something I struggled with constantly. Just to have almost every woman talk about it at some point was really eye-opening for me.”
But she said there are signs the industry is getting better when it comes to gender representation. As technology becomes more prevalent in everyday lives, Ferguson pointed out it’s natural for more women to get involved in the sector.
But Canada has had difficulty making strides when it comes to encouraging young women to get involved in tech.
Only 18% of those enrolled in Canadian undergrad engineering programs in 2012 were female, according to Ottawa-based Engineers Canada.
That’s a decline from a decade ago when 21% of undergrad engineering students were female.
And in B.C., only 15% of undergrad engineering students in 2012 were women.
Ferguson said she originally envisioned the series appealing to young girls and teens looking for inspiration to get in the industry.
Since the first episode premiered, she said most of the response has been from women between the ages of 25 and 35.
“I thought I was going to get a younger demographic but what I’m totally realizing is that it’s more women that have kind of been through (the challenges of working in the tech industry).”
The series is available on YouTube or at TarahTalkingTech.com . New episodes are uploaded every Tuesday.
