In this episode of ASM Connected, our host Iain Tomkinson chats to Jillian Kowalchuk about what it’s like to be a Woman in Tech, the use of AI, and influencing digital legacies for years to come. Jillian is an award-winning social entrepreneur, most well-known as the Founder and CEO of Safe & the City. She was born in Canada but spent her childhood in Yemen, until escaping a civil war. Her TEDx, Equality By Design, described her vision of the future where technology is human-centric and improves people’s right to stay safe. Jillian has been recognised as a global young leader, including being one of only one hundred women to be awarded the UK Home Office’s Exceptional Talent in Technology visa, the Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Most Inspiring Role Model, and the Top 20 Women in Data in the UK. She is also a keynote speaker and the author of Wired Influence: Make Tech Work for You Again.  

Topics discussed in this episode:  

2.04 – What is Safe & the City? 

5.14 – A background of Jillian’s travels  

8.59 – Jillian’s perspective of being a Woman in Tech 

13.48 - Is the pace of social change keeping up with innovation and emerging technologies? 

17.46 - There is still a large gap of women working in technical roles. What do organisations need to do to address this or do you feel that it stems from school and if so, what changes can be made? 

28.11 – How can we make technology more human-centric? 

31.16 – Tech for Good 

38.10 – Jillian’s advice for future female business leaders 

40.20 – Jillian’s favourite tech gadget 

42.01 – Should we be afraid of AI or should we embrace it? 

Resources: 

33.40 Wired Influence: Make Tech Work for you Again https://www.jilliankowalchuk.com/wired-influence 

44.28 Scary Smart https://www.mogawdat.com/scarysmart 

44.36 Invisible Women https://carolinecriadoperez.com/book/invisible-women/ 

Where to find us: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asm-technologies-limited 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ASMTechnologies 

Website: asmtech.com 

Connect with Iain Tomkinson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iainjtomkinson/ 

Connect with Jillian Kowalchuk: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillian-kowalchuk/