How did you get your job?

“In 2014 I quit my job as New Blood Programme Manager at D&AD to learn how to code. I completed Makers, an intensive 12 week coding bootcamp. And then worked at two agencies, building workflow-management software and MVPs for startups before deciding I wanted to move product side. I really believe in Bloom & Wild's concept. I love that it’s female focussed and I could tell from the interviews that the team and culture was going to be a great fit for me.”

Did you always want to be in tech?

“I’ve always loved making things. As a child it was lego, at school DT was one of my fave subjects and putting together ikea furniture brings me joy (sad but true). So I’ve always enjoyed the process of logically building things, but my pathway into tech has been pretty non-linear. I worked with horses, did ski seasons and worked in bars before going to study Media Communications at Goldsmiths University. After that I landed a job at D&AD and was there for 4 years before deciding to take the leap into tech.”

What do you get up to on a normal working day?

“At Bloom & WIld I have a split role of Scrum Master and Developer, so what I’m doing can vary depending on what support the team needs. We start the day with stand up, where we look at the board, work through in progress stories and ensure there are no blockers. Then it could be working on a new feature in our rails app, liaising the product team to plan upcoming work or writing up the notes from our team’s latest retro.”

What’s the best bit about your job?

“As my job is two fold I’ll say two things... As a developer I still get a thrill when something I’ve built works for the first time. As a scrum master I love it when the team’s ticking along, there’s good positive vibes and I can slink into the background (basically when I don’t have to do anything)!”

Who do you admire in the industry?

“My friend Denise Yu. She was super talented and impressive when we did Makers together, but has just continued to go from strength to strength. She’s a bloody amazing developer, an accomplished conference speaker and does loads to support diversity in tech. Denise you rock!”

What’s the best thing about working at Bloom & Wild?

“The culture and diversity at Bloom & Wild is just amazing. In my cross-functional development team of 8 we have people from 5 different countries and are 50% women. Having worked in all-male tech teams for the first 3 years of my career this is a welcome change!”

How do you help empower other women in tech?

“Representation has a key role to play in diversifying the tech community. So I try to make myself visible. This includes instructing for Code First Girls and coaching at Rails Girls, leading Bloom & Wild’s sponsorship of the event in 2018. I co-organise the London Ruby User Group (LRUG), a monthly tech meetup for Ruby users. And regularly assist Makers by judging Craftathons and serving on adjudication panels. One of my absolute favourite things to do is volunteering with i-inspire, getting primary school children coding with Scratch. There’s nothing like seeing a 7 year old’s face light up when they get something working!”

What advice would you give to someone wanting to start a career in tech?

“If you have the grit and determination to learn how to code it’s well worth it. Tech is an amazing industry to be in. There’s innovation, money, growth, and endless opportunities. However, you must enjoy coding - the learning curve is steep and infinite!”

Now for some really serious questions... What’s your favourite flower?

“White hydrangeas. They’re classy, simple but bold. Love ‘em.”

What’s the best thing you’ve ever done?

“Getting meters away from a wild orangutan in the Bornean rainforest.”

Who’s the last person you sent flowers to?

“The Mums. Mine and my partner’s Mum have very close birthdays which makes remembering nice and easy.”

Hula hoops or hummus?

“Hula hoops and hummus...”

What’s the strangest fact you know?

“Tulips can grow up to 17cm after they’ve been cut (a random fact learnt since joining Bloom & Wild).”

And finally, what’s your guilty pleasure on Spotify?

“Whitney <3”