The networking event facilitated new connections between alumni and university staff. The group then attended TechFoundHer AI Roadshow at The Mac, where new insights and fresh ideas were shared.
Women have been pioneering advancements in technology since the beginning, but women founders continue to be underrepresented across the tech industry. Is the AI revolution a catalyst to change this trend and lead to equal inclusion of women in tech and tech-entrepreneurship?
What disadvantages are women tech founders facing?
Stark figures collected by TechIreland indicate that women founders represent 19% of tech businesses on the island of Ireland, and compared with 2022 figures, tech businesses founded by women have experienced a 40% decrease in capital investment.
In Northern Ireland, a vibrant ecosystem of individuals, groups, networks and organisations exists with the aim of levelling the investment landscape and encouraging an increase in women entrepreneurship, including within the tech industry. For example, AwakenAngels, TechFoundHer and Women In Business.
Ulster University’s alumni community is rich in innovative, highly-skilled, female entrepreneurs, and our Corporate Engagement Team works with some of Northern Ireland’s leading tech companies through a range of scholarship and research focused partnerships. So, when we heard that TechFoundHer were organising an AI Roadshow in Belfast, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to engage our alumni and supporters community in the women tech founders movement!
In May, it was our pleasure to organise a UU Connects networking event at our campus in Belfast for women within our alumni community who are entrepreneurs or working in tech-related industries. We then headed to The MAC, Belfast to immerse ourselves in TechFoundHer's AI Roadshow; a mini-summit which is all about connecting and getting inspired about the power of AI and women tech trailblazers.
AI Roadshow: Key Insights
TechFoundHer founder, Máirín Murray, kicked off the day by reminding us that women in tech is nothing new; we are standing on the shoulders of giants. Technology, innovation and entrepreneurship have no gender. There is unlimited power in the collective mission to facilitate the inclusion of everyone in the AI revolution.
Dr Lollie Mancey presented some stark statistics that made us all sit up and pay attention. A staggering 81% of 11-18 year old girls cannot name a single entrepreneur.
Fantastic insights were shared by the incredible women on each panel who spoke about their first-hand experience of using tech and AI in the everyday running of their business, from HR to sports biometric analysis and everything in between! It was eye-opening to hear about the variety of applications tech and AI can have across all industries. However, not without a note of caution from Services CTO at Kainos, Aislinn McBride, who talked through the ethics of using AI in tech, the importance of adopting a human-centric approach and most importantly, the reminder that data is precious, and it’s also usually not yours.
It was an uplifting and inspiring day spent deepening relationships with our fantastic community of Ulster University graduates who are passionate advocates for women entrepreneurship and getting more women involved in starting and leading tech businesses. It was wonderful to see new connections flourish, fresh insights and ideas forming, and most of all, genuine encouragement and support for one another’s tech and business innovations and ventures.
UU Connects are delighted to facilitate these opportunities for meaningful connection, networking and inspiration. Check out some pictures from the event below. We look forward to organising more events like this in future with the aim of bring more of our alumni together to engage on themes of shared interest.
Event photos
