Before founding Code Like a Girl, Ally Watson spent the first eight years of her career as a software engineer. Despite her love for the field, she often experienced first hand the isolation and barriers associated with being a woman in a male dominated industry.

Code Like a Girl was born out of Ally’s desire to meet like-minded women who code. She hosted a casual meet-up and was overwhelmed by the response. She quickly saw the opportunity to positively impact the lives of many women who code. Ally never approached it with the intention of finding “the next big thing”. She only knew that there was a need and she could fill it.

What started as a supportive networking meet-up quickly grew into an education startup that is having a measurable impact on tech’s gender imbalance. The rapid growth of the organisation is greatly attributed to Ally’s authentic vision and contagious passion for the challenge that lies ahead of our industry.

In her own right, Ally has become a valued voice and thought leader for diversity in tech. When she’s not supporting her team at a camp or networking event, Ally is workshopping a new deliverables with her exec team or jetting around the globe to compel others to share her vision for equal representation. Her schedule is absolutely chockers. But because Ally truly believes you cannot be what you cannot see, she still finds time to speak at her local primary school about the jobs of tomorrow and to demonstrate to the next generation that the face of success is a diverse one.

Code Like a Girl is not just a business for Ally. Her authentic commitment to the cause is unmatched. Let there be no doubt: when we reflect on this critical time in humanity, Ally will sit squarely on the “right” side of history.

Ally Watson of Code Like A Girl was recently voted in as a Venture recipient in the SheEO second Australian cohort, along with four other female entrepreneurs. The unique global movement supports and funds female founded and female led innovative businesses which provide products or services and address multiple UN SDG’s ( Sustainable Development Goals).

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