How She Did It: Girls, I dropped out of Computer Science, so you don't have to

How She Did It showcases your stories of work success. Here Alexa Glick, 26, reveals how being the only woman on her university course motivated her to start Codess - a network for women interested in computer engineering

Alexa Glick was the only girl in her Computer Science degree, so dropped out

Alexa Glick, 26 from Hertfordshire, was a computer nut at school. But when she started a degree in Computer Science at university, she soon found that she was the only woman on the course. It inspired her to do something top promote women in software engineering, so in March 2013 she created Codess - a community for women in the industry.

Here, she tells us how she did it.

Tell us about your business

Codess is a community for female coders initiated by Microsoft. Codess was established to explore ways to promote gender diversity in the engineering field.

Codess is a community of female coders, sponsored by Microsoft. It was started as a way to promote gender diversity within the software engineering field. Our aim is to inspire and motivate female engineers to stick with their degrees and pursue successful careers within the industry - achieving their professional goals, advancing within the technical field and becoming visible at the leadership level.

We're essentially a forum for women to share their experiences and learn from one another. Since the launch, we have held 14 events in eight countries and brought together technical women all over the world (soon to include China, Bangladesh and Isreal).

What motivated and inspired you to start your business?

When I was 19, I started a degree in Computer Science at Sussex University. At school I'd always excelled in this area and had a passion for computers. I felt like a degree in Computer Science was the path for me.

What I didn’t imagine was the lack of girls who would think the same. In my lectures, I was the only female. There was no one I could relate to.

That sense of alienation forces me to abandon the subject (I signed up to a more gender neutral degree, Cognitive Science and Linguistics).

Because of that experience, Codess was born. My goal is to stop this happening to other young women and to let them know they’re not alone if they are interested in Computer Science.

What were the first few steps you took to get your business up and running?

The idea of Codess came naturally to me, as a woman who had experienced first-hand how daunting the technology industry can be. But I needed to make sure I'd really done my research on the gender gap in computing, in order to identify the problem areas, before moving ahead.

Once that was done, I was able to put together a plan outlining the challenges women faced within the engineering and tech industry - and how Codess was going to address these challenges.

I reached out to my manager and mentors for advice and guidance on how this project might work. I used a lot of data and statistics in my initial presentation and drew out a three year plan for how I thought Codess could grow. I also outlined the resources required to help this programme scale globally to service the international tech communities - and how much this would cost.

While all that is important, what I really needed was drive and passion. I quickly realised that if you set your mind on something, you can make it happen.

Getting Microsoft involved meant that Codess had the potential to reach an even wider range of women. Having their support has been huge and really helped give Codess the global footprint that I originally dreamed of.

How have you raised awareness?

The women we’re trying to reach are incredibly active online and on social media. Because of this, Codess tries to be present across a lot of different social media networks: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and our own website.

Through these networks we can engage with the women who want to be a part of Codess and spread the word about those women who inspire us within the tech industry. Sharing success stories not only boosts the awareness of Codess as a forum, but also the really amazing work that women in engineering and tech are achieving right now.

What has been your biggest challenge so far?

Along with making Codess known within the engineering and tech industry, it’s been attracting young women to participate and informing them that they have this community to support them.

With the government’s recent introduction of coding to the curriculum in schools, it’s more important than ever to let young, bright and educated women know that there are resources out there to help them. In a male dominated arena, sometimes we have to shout a little louder to be heard. Luckily I see that as an interesting challenge, rather than one that can’t be beaten.

The first Codess event in New York

How do you overcome challenges?

Not a day goes by when Codess isn’t faced with a different challenge. But when I feel it’s getting a bit too much, I just think about our mission and goal. It pushes me out of my comfort zone, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.

What do you love about running your own business?

There are many things I love; I love that every day is different, I love meeting new people all the time; I love trying to change the engineering industry in my own way.

How do you stay motivated through difficult times?

I am motivated by my passion for changing the future of engineering. I think that communicating the Codess message to women throughout the world helps me stay motivated and positive.

Do you have a business philosophy?

I’ve had the same philosophy for both my personal and professional life for a long time: “Find work you love doing and nothing is as bad as it seems”

What advice would you give to other budding entrepreneurs?

Be brave and think big. You have the chance to have a real impact on not only your own future, but on society. You can do anything with your life. You just need to want it enough and stick with it.

HOW I DID IT

When I face a big challenge I…

Think of why I started Codess. I envision a time when the number of girls and boys studying Computer Science is equal. That helps me stay true to Codess and work through difficult decisions.

My greatest fear is…

Not doing something I love.

The most courageous thing I’ve ever done is…

Applying for a managerial role without any experience, even when people told me it was impossible. I got the job.

If I could go back in time to when I was 20 I would tell myself…

Don’t worry about what other people think. During my teenage years, I often let the opinions of my peers influence my decisions. At times, those opinions steered me away from the ideas I believed in. Those people are no longer in my life. What others think and say about you isn’t important. What is important is how you feel about yourself.

I believe…

You can be whatever you want to be.

The biggest lesson I have ever learned is…

Trust your instinct. I now realise that if I had stuck with my Computer Science degree, I would have had the chance to work on some really cool projects.

My favourite business tool or resource is…

Skype.

My favourite quote is…

Dream what you want to dream, go where you want to go, be what you want to be. Because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.

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