Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon, CEO and co-founder of the Stemettes, discusses the power of role models for women in tech, how AI for good shouldn’t just focus on boosting productivity, and why a fixation on ‘wokeism’ is a roadblock to the government's science and tech superpower goals.
Imafidon is a British-Nigerian social entrepreneur and computer scientist. She founded Stemettes, a social enterprise promoting women in STEM, in 2013. Imafidon launched the Stemettes after becoming aware of the lack of diversity in degrees like science and maths. The University of Oxford alumna says that while there has been progress in improving diversity in tech, the root cause is yet to be addressed. Elsewhere on the show, Imafidon recalls the backlash she received as a Black woman appearing on Countdown, and why more work is needed on skills to hit the government’s tech superpower goals. Imafidon has previously served as a trustee for the Future of Work and held a board role for the government’s Department for Digital up until 2022. She was awarded an MBE for services to young women and the STEM sector in 2017.
What is UKTN | The Podcast?
Each week, Jane Wakefield sits down with some of the key movers and shakers from the UK tech ecosystem for the UKTN Podcast. Learn growth strategies from both seasoned and up-and-coming founders, hear market sentiments from investors, and understand the tech policy affecting businesses across the country.
The UKTN Podcast provides insight into the most influential people in the UK’s innovation economy, exploring their personal and professional journeys and hearing their views on the hottest tech topics of the day.