Our Mission
Back in 2019, then CEO of Tech Returners Beckie Taylor made a pledge to make tech conferences accessible, a woman in tech herself Beckie had experienced first-hand the restrictions placed on women in the industry from attending tech conferences, from high ticket prices to London-centric locations and the big question around childcare and being able to attend this type of event at all. Teaming up with event partner Natalie Asprey together they sought to make this event and the pledge behind it a reality.
Vision To Reality
The reality was the events which appeared to provide personal development opportunities were actually doing so only for a minority of women in the industry and whilst they may have banged the diversity drum in placing restrictions on those who could attend, they certainly weren’t playing the right tune.
And so Reframe Women in Tech was born, a not-for-profit conference with accessibility and community at its heart. With ticket prices for the first event at just £29 including free childcare, the event also sought to challenge the status quo running an application process for first-time and inexperienced speakers to join the speaker line up
Positive Action
Positive Change
The event created the opportunity to hear more voices and more experiences from women working in the tech industry every day, and to change the narrative around women in tech, not talking about the barriers but instead highlighting amazing women and their successes. Drawing on the ethos ‘ if you can’t see it – you can’t be it’ the theme for the first event was Positive Action, Positive Change. This event welcomed a sell-out crowd of more than 220 women in tech and the scene was set. The event returned post-pandemic in 2022 with the theme Believe You Can for day of empowerment and self-belief shared by more than 500 community members.
2023 and beyond
In March 2023 the event welcomed 750 delegates across a 2-day conference and community experience in Manchester but whilst the event grew the vision remaining the same, ticket prices remained consistently low, childcare remained 100% free and the commitment to supporting first-time speakers remained at the core of the event.
In September 2023 the event scaled to London before returning for another sell-out event in Manchester in February 2024 alongside adding to it's community offer with a podcast and free mentoring programme.
Now almost six years on from Beckie's original pledge it is clear to see that the vision became an impactful reality creating real change but with much more to be done.
This work continues with the creation of Empower, with the same founding mission driven by the same people who made Reframe Women in Tech a reality.
Empower Women In Tech Conference takes place in September 2025
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