50 girls learn business, leadership & tech at GLAM London

27^th November 2019, LONDON – GLAM (Girls Leadership Academy Meetup), the Silicon Valley-based nonprofit, debuted in London last weekend (23-24 November) at Cisco’s UK headquarters in Feltham.

At GLAM, women leaders from the tech industry joined forces to inspire 50 girls aged 7-11 to consider tech as a career choice and to aim for senior leadership positions. The goal is to help close the gender gap in STEM and encourage more women to start companies.

GLAM is unique in that it not only teaches the basics of computer coding, but also a full range of business skills to set girls on a path to senior leadership and entrepreneurship. The two-day immersive programme is offered free of charge to enable girls from all socioeconomic backgrounds to participate. It teaches girls basic computer and coding skills, as well as leadership abilities through a business plan workshop and coaching on public speaking and the art of persuasion. The programme culminates in a Dragons’ Den-like activity where teams pitch their business ideas to an expert panel of judges.

“I learned to be confident at GLAM,” said eight-year-old Emma Starkie-Garcia, a GLAM London attendee. “Before, I was very shy. Now, it’s easier for me to speak in front of lots of people”.

GLAM Founder Renée La Londe, CEO and founder of iTalent Digital, said, “I know from experience how life-changing an event like this can be. We have received incredible feedback from the girls and their parents over the years and we are thrilled to make our debut in London this year”.

Host & Emcee:
Shivali Best, Deputy Science and Technology Editor, Mirror Online

GLAM UK Special Guests:
Catherine & Michelle Henn, Founders of Happy Hens

Speakers:
Chelsey Baker, CEO, National Mentoring Day and National Mentoring Awards
Kirsty Gill, Chief People Officer, Arm UK
Tess Gilman Posner, CEO, AI4ALL
Renée La Londe, CEO & Founder, iTalent Digital
Cecilia Landeros, Manager of English/Spanish Division, Leading Tech Company
Denise Lombard, Director, Supplier Diversity, Global Procurement Services, Cisco
Hema Marshall, Director, Small Business and Inclusion and Diversity Officer, Cisco UK & Ireland
Samaira Mehta, CEO Coderbunnyz and Founder, “Yes One Billion Kids Can Code”
Tilda Molho, Director, Electricals and Home Entertainment, eBay UK
Sam Moylan-Heydt, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Cisco UK & Ireland
Ifeoma Nembhardt, IT Manager, Cisco UK
Leslie Ottavi, Chief Transformation Officer, iTalent Digital
Apoorva Panidapu, Founder of Apoorva Art Gallery, STEAM Enthusiast and Social Entrepreneur
Sara Russo, Senior Director, IT Partnering and Planning, Arm UK
Ali Stripling, Senior Manager for Community and Inclusion, Arm
Susan Taylor Brown, Visual Artist, Poppiness
Angela Vaughn, Passionate Brander, Digital Enthusiast, Insights & ROI Fanatic
Telle Whitney, Diversity & Inclusion Expert; Board Member; Former CEO, Anita Borg Institute

Business Plan Pitch Contest Judges:
Jane Hesmondhalgh, CVP, CFO, Global Sales, Marketing & Operations, Microsoft
Denise Lombard, Director, Supplier Diversity, Global Procurement Services, Cisco
Hema Marshall, Director, Small Business and Inclusion and Diversity Officer, Cisco UK & Ireland
Renée La Londe, CEO & Founder, iTalent Digital

Partner:
Cisco

Sponsors:
Arm
eBay
Microsoft
iTalent Digital
CoderMindz
Birch & Bloom
Delta Dental
National Mentoring Awards
Blue Earth Training

Follow GLAM on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to get the latest news about GLAM and its upcoming events, or visit www.glam-readytolead.com for more information about this life-changing programme.

About GLAM

GLAM (Girls Leadership Academy Meetup) is a nonprofit founded in San Jose, California in 2016 by iTalent CEO & Founder Renée La Londe. It was born from a desire to give girls from all socioeconomic backgrounds the opportunity to be exposed to tech and inspired by successful role models from an early age. The annual, two-day immersive leadership programme is always offered free of charge and introduces middle school-aged girls to basic computer coding, as well as business plan development, vision-boarding, public speaking and leadership.

Contact

Michèle Foster michele@italentdigital.com +33 6 8494 9788