Meet Gauri and Sophie—Women in tech who broke stereotypes
Thomas Courtley
Education Specialist
At LessonUp, we're committed to supporting teachers with our online platform designed to encourage student engagement, interactive learning, and inclusivity.
In honour of International Women's Day—and of every day—we'd like to share insights from interviews with colleagues Gauri and Sophie, two inspiring women in technology. What drove them to break through gender stereotypes and pursue careers in STEM? What challenges did they face, and what tips do they have for young girls and women interested in technology?
Being a woman in a male-dominated field
Gauri, Quality Assurance Team Lead: "Working in a male-dominated tech industry can be challenging, but I’ve been fortunate to have supportive colleagues and mentors who value skills over gender. They have always encouraged me and given me equal opportunities. In my current and previous workplaces, I’ve worked with many female managers who successfully balance both personal and professional responsibilities.
It’s crucial that women in technology start believing in themselves. Creating an inclusive work environment that values gender diversity benefits everyone, and I’m proud to see this shift happening more and more."
Let yourself be guided by curiosity
Gauri: "When I was at school I used to play chess or other games on the computer, and was curious to understand the relation between human input and technology. I decided to let myself be led by all the questions I had. Now I work as a test engineer, and truly enjoy testing applications and spotting things that are not working or can be improved for our users.
💡 TIP! My advice for all children would be to explore different technologies and STEM fields before choosing a career path."
Getting into tech was the hardest part
Sophie, Software Engineer: "In my day-to-day work, being a woman isn’t something I constantly think about. I join our morning standup meetings like everyone else and work on new features or fix bugs just like the other developers. No one, to my knowledge, has ever disrespected me because of my gender. There are subtle cues, though. Whenever I mention that I enjoy a yoga class now and then, a common response is, 'Oh yeah, (name of female partner) does yoga too.' When I bring up that I’m vegetarian, I regularly hear, 'Oh yeah, (name of female partner) is vegetarian too.' I also notice that I often approach problems differently from my male counterparts.
The biggest impact my gender had on my career was initially steering me away from tech. The only computer science class offered at my school was predominantly attended by boys. I’m glad I eventually became a software developer, and I believe that diversity makes our team more well-rounded."
Don’t let your initial lack of skills stop you!
Sophie: "At first, I wanted to follow my father’s example and become an entrepreneur. I tried many different jobs, such as real estate and eventually as an account manager, but nothing felt quite right. Then, at 27, I started working at a software company. That’s when I found out that with just a few lessons, and with some trial and error, I was able to learn enough about coding to actually execute my own ideas and bring them to life. That was so cool and inspiring!
💡 TIP! Don’t let a lack of experience hold you back! Coding is a field where you can learn by doing. If you choose coding, you’re not working with physical objects—so there's nothing to break."
Gauri and Sophie work to support teachers with LessonUp, an online platform for teachers to find, edit, and create engaging, interactive lessons. Here are some online lesson examples.👇
