Mary Lee Berners-Lee, a remarkable woman in computing
Julie Kenny SpeakerNet Sponsor
- Regions:
- Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex
- Notice Period:
- Short (maybe less than one month's notice)
- Type:
- Professional/ Hobby
- Fee:
- Paid: £60, expenses outside Ipswich area to be agreed
- Category:
- History
- Updated:
- 9th January 2024
Mary was a talented mathematician who worked as a programmer at the birth of the British Computer Industry. Less well known than her son, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, who invented the world wide web but equally interesting.
In this talk I dive into the life of Mary and the early programmers. How did women break into this role and how did they get the education to start with. What challenges did Mary face as a woman in this industry and what was life like for her and other women programmers in the 1950s.
A talk to learn something new and change perceptions
Views: 1655 | Enquiries: 8About Julie Kenny
My long career in software development inspired me to look into why this is such a male dominated industry. The answers I found led me to explore more deeply the history of women's education and place in society and how women have always played a much bigger role than we are often led to believe. My findings are now shared in the talks I give and spill into some of my poetry themes.
My poetry also reflects on life in general, getting older, childhood memories and looking on the light side of what's around us. I believe poetry can be a way to be silly, creative and engage with our emotions, it doesn't have to be an academic exercise, so if you're not into poetry but want a laugh I might have something for you too. I'm found at open mics around Ipswich when I can get to them and a few online ones too.
When I am not giving talks I help women building businesses speak confidently and effectively to connect and build relationships.
What to expect from my talks
I aim to inform and entertain in a way that invites discussion.
Most of my talks can be delivered with or without a presentation either in person or online. The poetry sessions are always tailored to the group for poetry selection and desired participation levels.
Background
I was a software developer from 1987 to 2017 and still retain an interest in seeing more women enter the profession. These days I help people speak confidently in public and relax by writing poetry. I'm also a keen member of Toastmasters International whose members guided me from petrified to performing.
Testimonials
"Thank you so much for your talk this evening. It has certainly inspired me to do more in my community to encourage girls to pursue Computer Science at school and beyond. I really liked the way that you interwove general facts and statistics into the life story of Mary Lee. Lots of these facts were uncomfortable to hear and, as so many of us in the audience thought, why have women not moved on further?"
"Members found your talk interesting and entertaining – made many think of those times"
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