Women working in the tech sector need to trust their gut and push for what they believe is right.

That was the message from Suki Gill, Director of Education and Quality at School of Coding & AI (SOC) at the inaugural Inspiring Women in Technology event in Birmingham.

Suki joined other tech leaders including Aditi Desai, Consultant in Maternity and Gynaecology at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and co-founder of the iCount surgical safety system, and Hollie Whittles, Information Security & HR Director at Purple Frog Systems, for an event exploring how women can turn the challenges of AI into opportunities.

Suki talked about some of the women she works alongside at SOC, as well as her own journey from working at Marconi to retraining as a teacher and working across the education sector, including grammar schools, private boys' schools, and boarding schools.

Speaking after the event, she said: “For all its advancements, the technology sector is still regarded as a male-dominated industry, but there are countless opportunities for women, and I was delighted to join others in the field to discuss this."

“At School of Coding & AI one of our drivers is to increase those opportunities for women and girls, regardless of their background.”

School of Coding & AI was also the host venue this week for an event held as part of Birmingham Tech Week, while founder and CEO Manny Athwal shared his journey and tips to success at a summit as part of the event.

The SOC campus in Birmingham hosted CyberVerse Unmasked - Shaping the Future of Digital Resilience, a day-long event spotlighting the future of cybersecurity and digital resilience. It brought together professionals, innovators, and thought leaders to discuss emerging threats and breakthrough innovations.

Meanwhile, Manny spoke about the ‘entrepreneurial code for growth in the tech sector’ at the ScaleUp Summit at the STEAMhouse, sharing his story of starting SOC in his bedroom to now operating in 17 countries - and the lessons he learned along the way.

Manny said: “I know from first-hand experience that the road to creating a successful business is never straight. I built School of Coding & AI from a single idea and developed it into a multi-million-pound organisation operating across the UK, India, and Europe."

“Along the way, I discovered that success doesn’t come from the idea alone, it comes from execution, leadership, and resilience. And if my journey can help others to succeed, it’s a story I’m happy to share.”