Tag Archives: Women in Technology

Microsoft Ignite interview with Executive Team on #ArtificialIntelligence, #Data, #OpenSource and #Cloud

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There were a number of announcements across Azure Data + AI at Microsoft Ignite, and Im delighted to say that I had the opportunity to interview Rohan Kumar, Corporate Vice President, Azure Data at Microsoft, and Eric Boyd, Corporate Vice President, AI at Microsoft.

In the interview, Rohan Kumar and Eric Boyd give their opinions and thoughts to myself and Cathrine Wilhelmsen on the big picture across Data & AI.  I was super excited since it was the first time that these Microsoft executives had been interviewed together and I was particularly interested to see how Rohan and Eric cross-reference each other’s areas. It’s clear that they are working in orchestration as a team, and I’m glad to see that because I do see that data and Artificial Intelligence impact one another so much.

Rohan and Eric talk about the announcements that excited them both, and there was also a good discussion on the role of Open Source at Microsoft, and what role it plays in Microsoft’s Data and Artificial Intelligence story.

There was a great discussion on Eric and Rohan’s thoughts on its role in making insights, Artificial Intelligence and insight-driven analysis real for organizations. Every organization on the planet has got data, and Microsoft are carving a path for the organizations that want to make use of it.

I’m personally interested in Amara’s Law, which states that “We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run.” So I was interested in Rohan and Eric’s perspectives on what aspects of AI are real versus hype. What is Microsoft doing to make AI real and actionable for customers?

amara

We wrapped up with a great conversation on the Microsoft and Facebook collaboration?, which I personally find interesting.

It was  real life-achievement for me to participate in the Microsoft Ignite Community Reporter team, and it was a real achievement for me to interview the Microsoft Executives. I’d like to thank Rohan Kumar and Eric Boyd for their time and for sharing their wisdom and insights.

I was also glad to be on board with Cathrine Wilhelmsen. Cathrine was a wonderful friend and support throughout the week and she’s not just an expert in her domain, but she’s a very giving person in terms of her friendship and support. So the interview holds special meaning for me since I was glad to have the opportunity to work with her.

What I’m doing this week at #MSIgnite

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I’m delighted to say that I’m doing the Community Reporter role for Microsoft Ignite. This means I get to interview the Microsoft Executive Team, such as Amir Netz, James Phillips and Joseph Sirosh. I have complete stars in my eyes! I don’t often get the chance to speak with them so I’m delighted to get to do that. Also, they are very interesting and they have a lot to say on topics I’m passionate about, so make sure and tune in for those. I’ll release more details about times and how you can watch as soon as I can.

What does a Community Reporter do? During Microsoft Ignite, the Community Reporters will be your go-to’s for live event updates. If you aren’t attending the conference this year, these reporters will be a great way to see what’s happening on-the-ground in Orlando. Check out my content on my blog here and on Twitter and LinkedIn follow me on social to stay up-to-date on all things Microsoft Ignite!

I’d also like to meet some of you so when I get the chance, I’ll tweet out to see if any introverted people fancy sitting at a table with me for breakfast or lunch to talk about all things data.

I am also speaking at Ignite so here are the details:

BRK2280 – Artificial intelligence: Winning the Red Queen’s race with Azure

When? Thursday, September 27 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM
Where? Room W330 West 2 

Artificial intelligence is popularized in fictional films, but the reality is that AI is becoming a part of our daily lives, with virtual assistants like Cortana using the technology to empower productivity and make search easier. What does this mean for organizations that are running the Red Queen’s race not just to win, but to survive in a world where AI is becoming the present and future of technology? How can organizations evolve, adapt, and succeed using AI to stay at the forefront of the competition? What are the potential issues, complications, and benefits that AI could bring to us and our organizations? In this session, we discuss the relevance of AI to organizations, along with the path to success.

 

BRK1084 – Data Science for Good: Tackling homelessness in London with analytics

When? Friday, September 28 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM
Where? OCCC W315

Microsoft Power BI, Microsoft R and SQL Server are being used to help tackle homelessness in London by providing actionable insights to improve the prevention of homelessness as well as the processes in place to help victims. Join this session to see how Microsoft technologies are helping a data science department to make a difference to the lives of families, by revealing insights into the contributors of homelessness in families in London and the surrounding area. Join this session to understand more about finding stories in data. The case study also demonstrates the practicalities of using Microsoft technologies to help some of the UK’s most vulnerable people using data science for social good.

MUP1003 – Diversity and inclusion in technology: Why does it matter, and what can you do about it?

When? Thursday, September 27 2:15 PM – 3:30 PM
Where? OCCC W222

For people who want to build careers and manage teams, it is crucial to understand diversity and how it impacts your organization. Increasing the role of women in technology has a direct impact on the women working in hi-tech, but the effects can go far beyond that. How do female tech workers influence innovation and product development? How do men benefit from having more women working in technology? Can the presence of women in tech affect a company’s profit? Join a lively discussion on diversity, and hear proactive steps that individuals and companies can take in order to make diversity and inclusion part of the organizational DNA.

One last thing!

Remember to download the Microsoft Ignite app to have your information handy on-the-go!

See you there!

 

 

So how many badass female inventors, role models do you know? Here’s a handy starter book list to share and inspire

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How do you inspire girls to make choices that inspire them? How can we inspire girls to be badass and yes, it is a compliment? How do you give them role models?

There is nothing worse in the world that not having any choices. So let’s give our daughters the chance to have options and choices, just like boys. Don’t filter them out before they get started.

I’m in data and technology (my uncle was at Bletchley Park) and I was inspired to learn to program as an eight-year-old girl by a spy who cracked Japanese codes whilst hiding out in India. I was extremely lucky to be taught by someone who knew Alan Turing personally and was friends with Ludwig Wittgenstein, but many folks don’t know where to start. They just know that they have to harness their daughter’s enthusiasm somehow. And there is nothing wrong with boys reading these books either…. or anyone else. My son can read these books and say ‘wow, Hedy LaMarr was awesome!’ and that’s great to hear, right?

On Twitter, I saw the British historian and BBC presenter Dan Snow post the following tweet:

What Mr Snow may not have expected is that there were many responses about the fact that many inspiring women in history get forgotten, or even written out of history. Think Bletchley Park; how many famous women do you know from there? There were thousands of female workers at Bletchley Park there but we only hear about the men.

It’s time to right this wrong, and Snow’s tweet got me thinking. Some mentioned some of their favourite books that focused on women who inspire, in order to show their daughters a different way. Example:

WE NEED MORE OF THIS! We often talk about girls needing role models, and we end up being caught in a paradox.

How do we inspire girls with role models, if there aren’t any role models? How do we get role models, if we can’t inspire girls?

Before you read below… how many women can you think of? A quick poll of people around me produces ‘that woman who invented Tippex and was David Bowie’s mother’ – three things with that; a. stop defining her as a mother b. remember her own name as well c. she wasn’t David Bowie’s mother (!). A quick research shows that Bette Nesmith Graham actually was the mother of one of the Monkees. In a reverse Handmaid’s Tale sort of way, you might call him Michael OfBette. If you haven’t read Handmaid’s Tale, please do; it will make you angry because it is so plausible. It will make you scared for how the world could go, and that’s exactly why you should read it.

Well, the good people of Twitter started to put the world to rights again, when people started to note their own favourite books, which showcase women in a variety of fields. I am listing them here, and please do add more in the comments.

I do not get paid for recommending books because that’s plain grubby and money-grabbing. I’m recommending these because the good folks of Twitter recommended them, and I will be reading them myself.

Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls – recommended by James O’Flynn

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World by Kate Pankhurst – recommended by James O’Flynn

Rejected Princesses: Tales of History’s Boldest Heroines, Hellions, and Heretics by Jason Porath and recommended by Jenny Colledge

Tough Mothers: Amazing Stories of History’s Mightiest Matriarchs by Jason Porath

These books are perhaps more for the adults:

Laurel A Rockefeller writes a series aimed at women in history

As I said, I’m into technology so I have to recommend Programmed Inequality (History of Computing): How Britain Discarded Women Technologists and Lost Its Edge in Computing. Written by Marie Hicks, it will inspire and hurt and you will learn something about how Britain can do better. Plus, WELCOME TO MY LIFE, PEOPLE.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood – If you don’t read it, then you have to watch it. It’s painful because it’s articulate, insightful and it feels so close to the surface that you can almost touch the dark reality that’s not so far away from ours.

So, Mr Snow, if you ever decide to do a series on female badass characters throughout history, I think  you’ll have a very interested audience. #SubtleHint

I want better things for our children, boys and girls. If you are reading this far – Well done you – and it gives me hope that we might miss out on the dystopian future in The Handmaid’s Tale after all.

It’s about giving girls choices. If your daughter wants to be a mommy and wear pink, that’s fine. But if she also wants to be a car mechanic or scientist or save the world through environmental science, she shoudl be able to do that too.