Val Morgan & POPSUGAR Hosted UNSTOPPABLE, Featuring Inspiring Tech Leaders.

On October 11, International Day of the Girl, Val Morgan and POPSUGAR launched our second UNSTOPPABLE event, in support of UN Women Australia.

Amanda Bardas, Val Morgan Digital’s Publisher hosted the event, welcoming the audience and introducing them to theme of the afternoon - the tech industry, the lack of female representation within it, and why it is such an important topic of conversation to be discussed.

Whilst tech jobs represent some of the highest paying positions, less than 30% of the industry is made up of women. The lack of equality is driven by several factors, including the lack of role models, perceptions of the industry, support within higher education, plus workplace support and issues.

UNSTOPPABLE brought together an audience who are interested in learning more about the tech industry with some incredible role models who have already created a wave of powerful change. Together, these women created impactful platform to discuss the issues at play and provided inspiration for further change.

Kate Pounder, the CEO of Tech Council Australia presented the keynote speech, captivating audiences with her stories and inspiring revelations about what it really means to be in tech. Kate shared the insight that working in tech can go so far beyond what many of us assume tech roles entail.

Kate inspired women to not feel limited in their career choices based off false perceptions of the industry. Kate’s words were gripping, highly educating, moving and engaging.

Following Kate’s speech, the room was presented with the latest UN Women ad, which moved audiences in a powerful way. The clip showcased all that is predicted to happen before we reach gender equality, and encouraged viewers to help change that.

We then heard from an incredible panel of inspiring tech leaders, moderated by Sunita Gloster. Among the panellists were Charlotte Anderson, Talent Attraction Lead at Canva, Nicole Liu, Founder of Kin Fertility, Lana Hopkins, Co-Founder & CEO of some.place and Sarah Neill, Founder & CEO of Mys Tyler.

The panellists shared their insights on the industry, what inspired and grew their passion for what they each do within the tech space, and their experiences and learnings within their current and past tech-based roles.

Valentina Todoroska, the Managing Editor at POPSUGAR spoke at the conclusion of the event about our commitment to help drive positive change for women within the tech industry and beyond. Cast upon the screen was the powerful line, “Gender diversity is a weakness in the tech industry. It’s time for us to change that”.

Following the event, the audience gathered together for networking drinks to discuss in greater depths the topics of conversations explored, creating a safe space that allowed the attendees and speakers to connect with one another in the name of a truly important cause.

POPSUGAR’s UNSTOPPABLE series is about powering a brighter tomorrow through creating a brave and trusted space that encourages women to explore everything they’re curious about.

Find out more about the UNSTOPPABLE series, featuring the next generation of inspired thinkers and courageous individuals who are building and manifesting a brighter future - because the next gen is unstoppable.