IWD 2023 embracing equity: Meet the Ticket Tailor women
Did you know that the UK tech workforce is only 26% female? We want to change that.
“Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated.” - The International Women’s Day website states that it’s possible, when we work together for gender equality.
Did you know that the UK tech workforce is only 26% female? We want to change that.
Here at Ticket Tailor our team is 48% female, which we think is pretty good going. And today, on International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating the brilliance of women: in our community of event organisers, our team, and beyond. Keep reading to hear from some of the women that make up our team, about challenges we’ve faced, achievements in our careers and personal lives, and our future ambitions and advice for women looking to work in the tech industry.
IWD may only be a one-day event in the calendar, but taking strides to forge a gender equal world is a year-round, long term commitment. And we firmly believe that together can forge gender equality, and #EmbraceEquity.
Now, settle in with a cuppa and get ready to meet the team.👇
Meet Olivia
Introduce yourself
I previously worked at Mindful Chef as their Brand and Comms Manager. I started my career there in Feb 2016 as their third employee (!) when the annual turnover was £80,000. By the time I left the team had grown to 130 and an annual turnover of £100M+. This alone demonstrates the huge growth and change I was exposed to - my time there was totally invaluable.
I absolutely love working for a certified B Corp. Like Ticket Tailor, Mindful Chef was also a B Corp, and I hadn’t realised how much of a dealbreaker this was for me until I interviewed for my current role. B Corp’s balance purpose with profit, and this aligns with all my personal values, as it gives me a bigger picture motivation behind why I’m doing my job.
Outside of work I’m a HUGE foodie, I love cooking, creating new recipes, exploring the restaurant scene and hosting dinner parties. I’m also very family-focussed, my sisters are my best friends and biggest role models (they’re who I’m celebrating this IWD!), and I absolutely love being an Auntie to their four little ones.
What’s a fun fact people don’t know about you?
I used to compete in International ski racing for over a decade!
Why do you enjoy working for Ticket Tailor?
As a marketeer It’s important for me to work for a brand where I believe the product and the service is the best out there. I love working for a challenger brand - taking on the likes of Eventbrite - and am really excited to know that I’m having a direct impact on how we grow over the next few years on our journey to becoming the market leader. The autonomy in my role is wicked.
What career challenges have you faced as a woman entering the tech industry?
Before starting last May, I was worried that perhaps tech wasn’t the industry for me. I’m a passionate foodie and was leaving behind not only a company I’d spent many years at, but a team of women I was fortunate enough to call close friends. Fortunately I’m not someone that’s ever struggled with imposter syndrome, and I was ready to throw myself into a more senior role. But I still found it challenging facing change: a new commute, new working environment, new terminology (I didn’t have a clue what an API was for months), only two female colleagues, the list goes on. It’s a classically male dominated industry, but that shouldn’t stop women from working in tech - it’s the best career decision I’ve ever made.
What’s your biggest achievement in your career so far?
A standout achievement was overcoming the challenges we faced going into lockdown in 2020. Traffic on the Mindful Chef website tripled overnight and I had to throw our Q2 comms plan out the window and start a new one from scratch that was sensitive to the situation and provided reassurance, confidence and light-hearted relevant content. In the first lockdown I onboarded a new community management agency to handle the influx of social comms, hired and trained a social media manager, and pulled off two restaurant partnerships with Nando’s and Hawksmoor all while working from home.
What’s your biggest achievement in your personal life?
It’s hard to pinpoint just one - but my food Instagram @healthy_olivia was recently featured on Mob Kitchen and their new recipe app Peckish - that was definitely a proud moment!
What are you hoping to achieve this year?
I’m really excited to be launching ‘Our Event Creator’ this March, which is a mini docu-series created with the awesome OCD studio showcasing our community of event organisers (and why they love using Ticket Tailor for their ticketing!). Bringing more videography and photography into the mix has been a goal of mine since starting at TT. I’m also eager to revamp our website (and 40+ landing pages!), grow our social channels and onboard a PR agency.
Outside of work I’m hoping to grow my Instagram to 10,000 followers and create more collab content, which should be achievable as I work a 4-day week at TT. I’m also looking forward to travelling more with my Boyfriend Justin who works in international events.
Please share one piece of advice you'd give to other women wanting to work in tech
Only 26% of the UK tech workforce are women - this is a gross misrepresentation of the UK workforce (which is 52% female). I’d encourage anyone wanting to move into the tech industry to take the plunge and never be afraid to network, ask for help, or discuss further training and qualifications with your Employer. Everyone has to start somewhere and there’s no shame in admitting you don’t understand something or need more support to help you get there.
Meet Karishma
Introduce yourself
I’m a business student turned graphic designer (almost 5 years ago). I previously worked for a Starter Kit company, noah, where I got to see the team grow from 7 people, to over 20 within the 2 years I was there. The challenges of scaling that startup really allowed me to understand the role design plays within brand and marketing for a business.
The thing I love most about my job at Ticket Tailor would be working with a great group of people and the fact that TT is purpose driven and genuinely adheres to the values of being a B Corp.
And my biggest passion would probably be my love for making art. I still frequently enjoy creating artwork with both digital and traditional mediums. I also love cooking and music.
What’s a fun fact people don’t know about you?
I grew up in a house full of girls- I have 4 sisters, including a twin sister.
Why do you enjoy working for Ticket Tailor?
What excites me most about working for Ticket Tailor, is doing business for good. Having gone to business school, I know the type of mindset that typically drives entrepreneurs, and unfortunately it’s rarely to do with being able to give back to your community and environment. It’s refreshing to work in a space that makes decisions that are not just focused on scaling for the sake of profits.
What’s your biggest achievement in your career so far?
My biggest career achievement so far has been successfully transitioning to a career I’m passionate about and absolutely love. I’ve always been creative and enjoyed it, so allowing myself to do that for work is something I’m really proud of.
What’s your biggest achievement in your personal life?
Learning to be a proud queer woman.
What are you hoping to achieve this year?
Now that I work a 4-day week at TT, I’m hoping to have more time to work on personal projects that’ll help foster my creativity, and to also allow myself down-time to just enjoy time with friends and family.
Please share one piece of advice you'd give to other women wanting to work in tech
There’s a range of roles available in the tech space - if you’re not into the ‘backend’ side of the business, there’s several other opportunities within tech to explore. As a designer, I don’t feel like I’ve had to compromise the creativity of my role while working in tech, in fact, I’ve found myself in a position where I’m able to breathe more creativity into a brand.
Meet Rhio
Introduce yourself
My job has ‘Experience’ in the title, and I’ve always been passionate about creating the very best experiences for people, and bringing community together.
This started in my ‘epic-house-party’ era and transitioned into more formal roles. At university I was a society president, overseeing weekly dance classes, club socials, performances and our first ever live-streamed varsity. After that, I moved to Japan, and put on events where ex-pat language teachers could meet the local community, for example cooking lessons taught by a local farming association. Currently I’m involved in organising local cabarets and festivals, as well as hosting dance workshops and experiences where I live (selling tickets on Ticket Tailor, obv).
I’ve been lucky enough to combine my love of experiences with a tech career. Before Ticket Tailor I worked in hospitality-tech, in the Airbnb space, at a company called Lavanda. We built tech products to help Airbnb hosts deliver luxury hospitality more easily. At Lavanda I built out the onboarding department from the ground up. Moving to Ticket Tailor was a natural progression of that role, and felt pretty cyclical, as my first paid job was selling half-price theatre tickets in Leicester square!
What’s a fun fact people don’t know about you?
Outside of work I’m a burlesque, pole dance and cabaret performer - totally obsessed with (biodegradable) glitter!
Why do you enjoy working for Ticket Tailor?
Ticket Tailor is the best place to work; every day I have an opportunity to improve something for an event organiser, and I love seeing all of the imagination and community live on our platform. Not to mention giving back to the environment is such a great cause.
What career challenges have you faced as a woman entering the tech industry?
There’s a noticeable gender gap in tech companies. Often you’ll be the only female in a meeting, or even a company! When I started my career, I felt that there was a bit of a stigma about women being able to understand tech or product ideas, and being designated to other kinds of roles. For instance, I have an understanding of basic CSS (thank you MySpace) which used to generate a lot of surprise. I think that’s changing a bit now, as there are more female developers coming through, and female-led tech companies, creating a more level playing field.
What’s your biggest achievement in your career so far?
At the start of the year I was promoted to the Head of Customer Experience. I’m really proud to have achieved this, and love to think strategically about the best way to advocate for Ticket Tailors users.
What’s your biggest achievement in your personal life?
Last year I performed in my favourite club for halloween, which was a total dream, and a great night!
What are you hoping to achieve this year?
Career-wise I’m excited to welcome a diverse range of event creators to Ticket Tailor, making sure all of our features are well explained, through improving the product based on feature requests and creating more interactive help, like webinars and TikToks.
Personally, I’d like to put on my own cabaret this year, giving space to intersectional feminist and LGTQIA+ performers. I’d also like to be able to do the splits…
Please share one piece of advice you'd give to other women wanting to work in tech
The tech industry is a great industry to work in if you love creating impact and making change. If you’re interested in the coding side of things check out schemes like Code First Girls, who offer free coding to fight gender-stigma in STEM. Other than that, don’t be afraid to network! There are so many great online communities and in-person meet-ups where you can find out about and learn how to forge the best tech career for you!
Meet Alice
Introduce yourself
Since graduating from the University of Nottingham summer 2022, I started my Sales career in a marketing technology company based in central London, selling an SEO platform to marketers across Europe.
I love speaking to people of all backgrounds and walks of life and really love the personable nature of sales. It’s super satisfying to be able to convert a lead and the little adrenaline rush that comes with it! This is definitely something I love most about working in Sales, alongside the opportunity to use my creativity to make new opportunities for myself.
On a more personal level, having studied languages at University, I love travelling - I studied both in Valencia and Paris as a part of my Year Abroad and truly believe in the importance of understanding and appreciating cultures from all over the world - it makes a rounded person! In my spare time, I love going to music gigs, exhibitions and museums with my friends, alongside the odd cocktail!
What’s a fun fact people don’t know about you?
Last summer, I camped in Serengeti National Park in an open campsite with my friend - there was a hippo outside the toilets in the middle of the night and two wildebeests had a fight by our tent.
Why do you enjoy working for Ticket Tailor?
I’m super excited to be one of the first BDRs here at Ticket Tailor - I think it’s a great opportunity to use my creativity, and work with more experienced colleagues to further my skill set. Furthermore, the closeness that the team works in provides someone like me with a really unique opportunity to learn from people from all areas of the business.
What career challenges have you faced as a woman?
I’ve previously found there to be a lack of female role models in the workplace. This is really important to give me something to look up to, furthermore the style of women can differ from men so I find it really valuable for me at this early point of my career to be able to see and emulate the work of other female colleagues.
What’s your biggest achievement in your career so far?
Having my first deal close! A milestone for me in my Sales career.
What’s your biggest achievement in your personal life?
I’d say doing a year abroad during the height of covid - it was a scary prospect as I knew no one in the countries I was moving to and it was definitely harder to meet people due to covid restrictions, but it was an incredibly enriching and invaluable experience, beyond just the academic benefits.
What are you hoping to achieve this year?
I’m hoping to firstly further my current sales skillset as I can only draw reference from one previous sales role, so I’m excited for what I can learn here! I’m also hoping to get more involved with the fuller sales-cycle and hopefully start running some demos myself! On a personal note, I’d like to start saving some money for the future as University overdraft hit me hard!
Please share one piece of advice you'd give to other women wanting to work in tech
Have confidence and ask questions - curiosity will drive your career! As Emily mentioned, don’t let imposter syndrome get in the way of your own progression, everyone has their own end goals so take agency of yours!
Meet Emily
Introduce yourself
I’ve spent 15 years now working in tech, over 10 years of which were in Customer Experience for the concert platform Songkick and then the SaaS product Hotjar. At both organisations I was focused on building out teams and processes at scale, something which I really enjoyed the challenge of, as I love making things efficient and I’m passionate about providing world class customer experiences. There’s no excuse for not treating your customers well! That’s one of the things that attracted me to Ticket Tailor – where I still work closely with the Customer Experience team on scaling our stellar customer support and success departments.
My role now at Ticket Tailor has been a bit of a shift for me career-wise, with a focus on more general business operations, which alongside Customer Experience includes overseeing our B Corp certification, scaling our People/HR and other business processes, whilst making sure we have a great working culture.
What’s a fun fact people don’t know about you?
I renovated a house during the pandemic, rescuing it from its 1960s time-warp.
Why do you enjoy working for Ticket Tailor?
Being a part of a company that truly cares – about its people, its customers, and its impact on the planet. We have a very clear mission, and it’s awesome to be a part of something that feels like more than just a job. We have a very relaxed but focused working culture and it’s alway enjoyable coming to work every day – not something that can be taken for granted!
What career challenges have you faced as a woman in the tech industry?
Often being in the minority, particularly at the management level has sometimes had its challenges. I‘ve had trouble with imposter syndrome in the past and I think these two things have gone hand in hand at times.
What’s your biggest achievement in your career so far?
Scaling customer support at Songkick to handle the ticket sales for Adele’s record breaking world tour and Wembley shows in 2016/17 is something I’m still really proud of. It was a massive challenge, with a very small team and a lot to figure out on tight timeframes and budgets – there were definitely some bumpy moments but I learnt a ton from it and look back on it as a success!
What’s your biggest achievement in your personal life?
Becoming a mum! It’s definitely a challenge balancing parenting alongside a busy role, but we’re very lucky to have a family-friendly culture here at Ticket Tailor.
What are you hoping to achieve this year?
At work, we’ve really only just started on our B Corp journey, so I’m really excited for our next steps there – there’s loads of exciting things we can work on and improve in doing business for good. Our team size has also increased quite a bit, so I have some fun challenges to think about in scaling how we operate alongside maintaining our culture and making Ticket Tailor an awesome place to work.
Personally, more sleep?! Getting back into some yoga and fitness would be nice as well.
Please share one piece of advice you'd give to other women wanting to work in tech
Don’t let imposter syndrome affect your progression, always make the most of networking with other amazing women in tech if this ever creeps up on you.
Meet Jade
Introduce yourself
I recently graduated from the University of Manchester. I studied History and Spanish which meant I got to spend a year in the wonderful sunny city of Seville where I became fluent in Spanish and made lifelong friends. I have a passion for language, foreign travel and cooking. I am currently learning Italian as a way of gaining a deeper knowledge of my family's history as my dad is from Tuscany - hence the love for cooking! I have always worked in hospitality alongside my studies which has really grown my appreciation for the importance of customer service and how the way you interact with people can transform outcomes. I am also passionate about the gym and weight training, there's no better feeling than trying to better yourself and sometimes squatting heavier than some of the men in the gym!
What’s a fun fact people don’t know about you?
My boyfriend and I drove 1 and a half thousand miles across the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico this December. We managed pretty smoothly despite the flat tyre, a burnt out wheel arch and the bumper falling off!
Why do you enjoy working for Ticket Tailor?
Having recently joined TT, what excites me is the prospect of growing as the company grows. I can’t wait to help bring in new and exciting customers and watch their events unfold with the help of what TT has to offer. Also, the fact that Alice and I form the first ever sales team at TT is super exciting, I can’t wait to see the influence this has on growth and ticket sales!
What career challenges have you faced as a woman entering the tech industry?
I can’t speak specifically about tech as this is my first tech role. However, in hospitality roles I have always been treated differently being a woman. Generally being talked down to or flirted with by customers.
What’s your biggest achievement in your career so far?
The restaurant I led the opening for in Tooting Bec was fully booked every weekend in the time that I was there. My running of the social media page, regular leafleting outside the tube station and general customer interaction meant that people would be queuing at the door with a complimentary glass of Cava on Friday and Saturday nights waiting for a table.
What’s your biggest achievement in your personal life?
Like Alice's, it would certainly be the fact that I spent a year living alone in Seville, Spain at the height of the pandemic. Meeting people was much more difficult given the more hostile, anxious world that Covid had fostered. I would attend any sort of cultural event I could to meet Spaniards, whilst finding all of the great little local bars and restaurants to hang out in, in order to fully immerse myself and become fluent in Spanish. I came home after a year with lifelong Sevillano friends and fluency in the language which I thought to be a great achievement.
What are you hoping to achieve this year?
This year I am hoping to meet and exceed all of my targets, bringing in some big and important clients for TT. I also hope to progress in my career at TT, hopefully giving the demos myself by the end of the year.
Please share one piece of advice you'd give to other women wanting to work in tech
To not be afraid and realise that there is a place in tech for women. It is a great opportunity to earn money and progress in your career and especially as technology is ever evolving. The idea that the tech world is a man’s world is very outdated.
Meet Therese
Introduce yourself
Although an introverted extrovert at heart - I’ve always loved meeting new people and making new friends! So, from starting my career as a Flight attendant where I’d meet passengers and colleagues from different walks of life on a daily basis, I naturally transitioned into working in Customer Success after I hung up my wings. This way I could still build relationships with customers, without the constant jet lag.
Right before Ticket Tailor, I worked for an events platform selling music and travel experiences around the world. Coming to Ticket Tailor, I’ve been exposed to events I never knew existed, and I absolutely LOVE IT. Not only Music Festivals but anything from Santa’s Grottos, and Pumpkin Patches to Abba-themed bottomless brunches.
What’s a fun fact people don’t know about you?
I’m a qualified Personal Trainer.
Why do you enjoy working for Ticket Tailor?
The first thing I always tell people when they ask about Ticket Tailor is that it is without a doubt, the kindest group of people I’ve ever met. The culture is one of a kind, and I come to work every day wanting to do well, not only for myself but for the success of the whole team.
What career challenges have you faced as a woman entering the tech industry?
I’ve been lucky to work for tech companies where I’ve been very supported and had equal opportunities as all my colleagues, however, I know many who have not felt as lucky.
What’s your biggest achievement in your career so far?
Not being afraid to move countries and start my career afresh. It has made me very resilient and taught me lessons I’d never learn otherwise.
What’s your biggest achievement in your personal life?
I’ve travelled to 55 different countries and lived in 5. I have very itchy feet!
What are you hoping to achieve this year?
I’m excited to see where my career at Ticket Tailor will take me, and how I can evolve my role. In my personal life, I want to spend lots of time with my gorgeous little niece and nephew who are growing up too fast!
Please share one piece of advice you'd give to other women wanting to work in tech
There are so many diverse opportunities in the tech world, don’t be afraid to explore!
Meet María
Introduce yourself
My background is in journalism, hospitality and events. I recently left my current role at Future London Academy as their Events Producer where I learned loads about the start-up environment and their ever-changing present plus running educational events for a very international crowd! Previously, I organised a good variety of events from weddings, corporate, big birthday parties, themed parties,... anything you can imagine!
My passion is having a positive impact, even though it sounds a bit cheesy. I really think my career is just driven by making people happy and seeing how things can be made better for everyone around us and our beloved planet!
Things that I love most about my job, mmmh. This is my first week so... so far: the people around me! Everyone seems really nice and purposeful.
What’s a fun fact people don’t know about you?
I once had a pizza named after me, so if you have ever ordered a 'Maria Flames pizza'... You should know it was one of the most unexpected presents ever!
Why do you enjoy working for Ticket Tailor?
It's truly incredible to be surrounded by people sharing the same mindset, driven by purpose and determination. Ticket Tailor being a B Corp, has an unwavering focus on making a tangible difference. As if that wasn't exciting enough, I am thrilled at the prospect of being able to contribute to the positive impact it has on both people and the planet.
What career challenges have you faced as a woman entering the tech industry?
I think the challenge I have faced is finding women at the top! Part of my previous role was looking for inspiring C-Level suite speakers and believe me when I say there are not enough women out there. This is essential for the diversity of the future workforce.
What’s your biggest achievement in your career so far?
Very hard to choose one but I’d say getting my side-hustle business up and running when we were in lockdown. It was a very scary time for all of us but I’m proud I managed to turn some of my energy towards making a positive change in small independent businesses in London.
What’s your biggest achievement in your personal life?
Not sure if the biggest but the hardest was to leave my home country to come and pursue a new life here. It was hard because I barely spoke any english! I will never forget all that time google-translating names of fish at the supermarket. Haha
What are you hoping to achieve this year?
Career-wise I want to completely immerse myself in Ops & Sustainability and advance my skills and expertise, in order to make a meaningful contribution towards creating a more sustainable future for all!
Personally, I'm hoping to do my next level on my Sailing Training and improve my yoga moves!
Please share one piece of advice you'd give to other women wanting to work in tech
I'd say: "Remember you're not alone" and if you ever feel like it... I will recommend listening to a podcast and networking. Everything is much easier when you have a forest of strong people (that get it ;) ) around you!
If you got this far, thank you. You might be interested in some of our other IWD content:
We sell ticket events of all shapes and sizes!
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