Ladies Learning Code

From our November Sponsor: Nascent

 

From day one, Ladies Learning Code has received an unbelievable amount of support from Toronto’s tech community – and we’re so grateful for it. November is no exception! We’re proud to announce that Nascent will be sponsoring our November workshop. To find out more about Nascent, I sat down with Shawn Konopinsky, Nascent partner and CEO, to ask him a few questions about who he is, what Nascent does, and how Shawn views Ladies Learning Code and the broader issue of women in technology.

Heather: So, Shawn Konopinsky – who are you?

Shawn: I am a digital experience designer, solution architect, and proud UX geek. I studied Computer Science at the University of Toronto where I focused mainly on Human Computer Interaction. I am passionate about finding creative software solutions for business problems, and exploring ways to create deeper connections between computers and people through the use of better interfaces.  I am also the founder of Nascent, a UX design and software development company in Toronto.

Heather:  What is Nascent?

Shawn: Nascent is a boutique design-led software company specializing in developing ground-breaking mobile and touch experiences. Our passion is to understand how people use technology, and focus on outcome-based design. Mobile and touch are both an important part of our interaction philosophy because they remove the keyboard and mouse from the interaction equation. Doing this enables a more direct and intimate interaction with the user which creates more personalized experiences.

We are a growing team of twelve designers and developers, including four women. Together with our partners, we’re changing the scope of what a digital experience can be.

Heather: Why are you supporting Ladies Learning Code as a Workshop Sponsor?

Shawn: Ladies Learning Code is a movement in turning the trend of the low numbers of women in technology. There is wide gap between the low female enrollment in computer science education and the high demand for talented people in the technology sector. Ladies Learning Code plays an important role in filling the void by providing a unique and supportive learning environment to give women a launch pad for developing core tech skills.

Heather: Enrollment of females in university first-year computer science courses is typically between 15-20%. Why do you think this is?

Shawn: In my opinion, it would be the male-centric environment. There is a low number of female computer-science professors and an overall low percentage of female students. I would imagine this makes for a strange environment for women who walk into their first year computer science and are mostly surrounded by men. It may also be much more difficult to form a support network, given the lack of diversity, which is so important for students coming into a new program and in most cases a new school.

Heather: From your perspective, how big of a problem is the lack of women in core technology roles in Canada?

Shawn: It’s a big problem. Overall there is a shortage of great development talent in the Canadian market. We are consistently looking for talented software designers and developers, and so are most of the technology companies we talk to in Toronto. The shortfall stems in part from the male dominance in the technology sector. There is a huge amount of potential female technology talent that is streaming into other industries. It may also be cyclical – as the lack of females in technology dissuades other females from entering the tech job market. In order for Toronto and the rest of the country to continue growth in technology we need to bridge the gap of the number of women technologists in the field.

Thanks to Shawn and the whole team at Nascent for their support of Ladies Learning Code. Shawn will be stopping by the workshop on November 26th, so be sure to say hello if you see him! Shawn and Nascent will also be hosting us and 20+ of our awesome instructors at their office for our Workshop Dry Run on November 17th. You can find out more about Nascent at http://nascentdigital.com and you can follow them on Twitter at @nascentdigital.