Authentic Tech Leaders Mentorship Programme

Develop the self-belief and connect with the resilience you need to speak up and be authentically visible, so you can make your difference in the world of tech. 

12 months access to online leadership training and coaching amongst a supportive community of women in tech. 

Doors are currently closed to join this programme.
The next cohort is planned to kick off in March 2024, sign up to be informed as soon as doors reopen and for other offers and opportunities relating to the programme. 

Do you want to be a leader who makes a Positive difference?

The Authentic Tech Leaders Mentorship programme is for you if:  

  • you want to have more impact in your day to day work. 
  • you have ideas that could make a difference to the world of tech, but struggle to get them heard. 
  • you are tired of adapting who you are so people will listen to you.
  • you find yourself torn between fitting in and staying true to yourself. 

I will help you connect more deeply with who you are, what’s important to you and share an understanding of state of mind which will give you the resilience to lead from your heart and soul to make your difference in the world. 

Hi, I’m Emma, 

I’ve worked in tech for the last 20 years, mostly at the forefront of new tech development and supporting the adoption of innovative new ideas into the industry. 

Having seen how the tech world is evolving, and the huge potential it has to impact on our lives, I think it’s more important than ever before that this tech is developed by people with a diverse set of perspectives. 

Technology has the potential to change our lives for the better, but to do so, it needs leaders who are coming from a place of authenticity and resilience to influence its development and how it is applied. It needs a diverse group of leaders who are true to themselves and able to represent and listen to different perspectives so that they make decisions which serve us all. 

But when you’re in the minority in an industry it can be hard to speak out and be heard. 

I know – I’ve been there. While the number of women in the tech industry is slowly growing, the diversity of perspectives is lagging behind. When you’re busy and overworked it’s hard to find the energy to speak out and stand up for what you believe in. It’s much easier to fit in. 

But it doesn’t have to be this way. 

Over the last few years I’ve been introduced to an understanding of our psychology that has given me new insight around stress and overwhelm, as well as connecting me with a deeper resilience and self-belief. This has given me the strength to tune in to what’s important to me, speak out more, and make the leap into setting up a business. It’s also helped me see that I can do all this in a fun, playful and enjoyable way.

This is the motivation for my mentorship programme: 

  • It’s about helping the future leaders of the tech industry tune into what’s important and find the resilience to speak out, so that they can influence the development of tech to the benefit of us all. 
  • It’s about sharing with you the understanding that has helped me to find my voice, and take a leap into the unknown. 
  • It’s about helping you find your path, and to know that you are resilient enough to follow it too.
  • And it’s about having some fun, being playful and finding balance along the way. 
Join me and a small community of other women working across the tech industry to explore the impact this can have on your approach to life. 

This 12 month programme will...

  • help you reconnect with who you are, what you stand for and the difference you can make in the world
  • give you the space to explore what leadership means to you, and develop your own leadership style
  • help you find your innate resilience, so you are better able to cope with whatever life throws at you
  • introduce you to a new and simple understanding of state of mind which will have a revolutionary impact on your life
  • shift you from feeling stressed and overwhelmed to becoming more playful and adventurous.  

If you’re interested in finding out more, book an obligation-free 30 minute conversation with me at any time to talk through the programme and how it might fit your needs.  

"The programme really helped me clarify what is most important to me, enabling me to say no to much more and clear my lists of things that are not leading me in the direction I know I want to go."
Tanya Widen
Senior Fraud and Security Engineer, Bulb
"This course has been an eye-opener for me. I'm less embarrassed of being myself, being fairly technical, being the only woman in board meetings, etc... and through the process I've discovered I can be a mentor to many women looking at technical roles. It's been fantastic."
Priya Samuel
VP Engineering, Dotscience
The programme helped me make some pretty important life decisions! Particularly the 1-1s. I couldn't be more thankful for having that face time with someone during this crucial time.
Kyra Hills
Senior Environment Artist, Bonsai Games

Do you have ideas you want to get into the tech world, if only “they” would listen?

Do you find you have to be someone you’re not in order to be heard?

Have you ever thought about how much of a toll this is taking on you? It may start as something small, but over time, continuously having to prove yourself to be someone you are not, builds up and drains your energy. It makes you less creative and intuitive, affects your performance and your ability to shine.

When we show up in life with authenticity, we take on a different persona. The people we engage with see this and are drawn to us in new ways. 

When we’re proud of who we are, believe in ourselves and feel like we can deal with anything life throws at us, we lead differently.

We are less controlling, more open, more innovative and more creative.

Things just seem to flow, we are less attached to making things happen, and we have more impact.

This is what’s inspired me to set up my Authentic Tech Leaders mentorship programme. 

 The combination of training and coaching is designed to deepen your understanding of yourself, what’s important to you and to build the confidence and resilience you need to take your message out into the world.

You’ll learn alongside a community of other women in tech facing similar challenges, giving you a place where you can show up, be authentic and fit in and helping you connect with a new energy to take your authentic self into the world.

The next cohort kicks off in March 2024. Sign up here and I’ll let you know when doors are open to join them.

Here's what People are saying about the programme

"Since finishing the programme, I've learnt a ton of ways to better manage my time, take the pressure off myself and as a result be more productive but also more content! I'm really grateful to have met so many accomplished people and see everyone's different approaches to the programme content too."
Sally Blake
CEO, Silent Games
"As a result of the programme I'm more mindful to how I'm allocating my time, more able to identify when I need to take time for myself and I am definitely more confident in myself."
Julie Osborne
Head of Customer Security Services, Vodaphone Business
"The programme has helped me begin to view each situation as a passing moment. When I'm in it, it doesn't feel as severe as it used to. It also gives me guidance when I feel stuck."
Bekka Shadoan
Director of Technology, k-12 Private International School, Phnom Penh

The Programme

This mentorship programme is designed for women who are in, or ready to step into, a position of leadership in the tech world, and who want to do this in a way which is truly authentic to them. 

There are three main elements to the delivery of the programme:

  • sharing of new ideas via training,
  • coaching and reflection to help you integrate these ideas into your life, 
  • access to a community of other women who bring new perspectives and additional support throughout your journey. 

You will get the most out of the programme by taking the ideas shared and experimenting with them in your everyday life. As you explore and apply these ideas, you will get moments of insight, and your understanding will deepen, leading to changes in the way you show up in the world.

Training:

Training content is delivered via a combination of pre-recorded training modules and monthly workshops sharing an underpinning understanding of state of mind and applying this understanding to core leadership challenges faced by you and other members of the community.

  • Five modules are delivered through a series of easily accessible 5-10 minute videos each sharing an idea or concept, with suggestions of how you take them and apply them into your work. These are easily accessed at any time via my online portal
  • A workbook is available to download for each module to help you navigate them and capture your learning.
  • Monthly, one-hour workshops, held via zoom, are based around a core leadership skill or challenge, and help you understand how the ideas shared apply across all areas of your work. These workshops are all recorded and  you’ll also get access to recordings of all previous workshops run as part of the programme via the online portal.

Coaching:

Three coaching sessions are included in the programme to provide you with personalised one-to-one learning support:

  • a one-hour one-to-one coaching call (bookable at any time over the 12 months), designed to help you to connect with your mission, get clarity on your values, and develop a greater awareness of what’s really important to you. 
  • 2 x 30-minute one-to-one coaching calls to discuss any topic of your choice.

You will also receive 20% discount on any further coaching calls booked with me while part of the programme.

Community:

You will join a small (< 30) community of other female leaders in tech, with the opportunity to connect and provide support and advice to one another via: 

  • Weekly reflection calls (held on zoom) for you to drop-in and share your experiences and get advice and support, helping you to get to know the other members of the community at the same time.  
  • A private community on slack, where you will be able to connect, share your learnings, and celebrate with others as you go through your journey. I provide active support in the slack group answering questions, sharing resources and encouraging discussions around core topics.

For £995 you receive access to the community, training content and coaching for 12 months, meaning there is no pressure to “do” everything straight away. You can take your time to absorb the ideas, returning to them as needed as you integrate them into your daily life.

At the end of 12 months, you will be given the option to remain a part of the community for a monthly subscription. 

There Are Just 12 spaces available In Each Cohort.

Don’t miss out! Make sure you’re on my mailing list and you’ll be the first to know about special offers and when the doors reopen. 
 

If you think you might need help getting your organisation to fund the programme, this pdf overview is designed to help you present your case to your boss.  

I also offer 3,6 and 12 month payment plans, book a call and let’s find the one that suits you.  

Core Modules

The five core training modules are designed to share underpinning ideas around how your mind works and how it impacts the way you show up, as well as helping you connect with who you are and what’s most important to you. 

The modules are all stand-alone and can be taken in any order, depending on what feels most relevant to you.

These modules are accessed via my online training portal

Module 1 - Getting To Know Yourself

How often do you step back reflect on what makes you you? 

Your identity has been shaped by all the experience you’ve had since you came into the world. Over time you have created your own values and belief systems. You’ve picked up knowledge and skills. And you are continuously using these to understand and navigate the world you live in. 

You’ll work through a range of exercises to encourage you to explore who you are and notice the journey you have been on to get here, providing you with a more solid foundation from which to show up authentically. 

Module 2 - Discover Your Mission

In order to show up authentically and champion the things you believe in, it’s important to know what’s important to you. 

These exercises are designed to help you to uncover the difference you want to make in the world.

Knowing who you are and what you believe in gives you the foundation to turn up authentically, be consistent and be you.

In addition to the videos and exercises, you’ll also have access to a one-hour one-to-one coaching session, which can be taken at any time during the 12-month programme, to help you consolidate your ideas around your mission and identify how they translate into your work and your career. 

Module 3 - Enhance Your Productivity

As leaders, there is always more to do than there is time to do it. 

Prioritisation of tasks, and where to invest your energy to have the most impact is an important leadership skill. 

But while there are plenty of systems, tools and techniques for time management, we can end up spending a lot of energy getting caught up in the analysis and processes, losing what we really need – the space and time to ourselves to let our thinking to settle. 

The exercises will encourage you to explore productivity from different perspectives, with the aim of helping you to discover how much more impact you have when you prioritise your wellbeing. 

Module 4 - Understanding State Of Mind

Our state of mind impacts the way we see and interact with the world.

In a high state of mind we are clear, calm, creative, resourceful and productive. In a low state of mind we may feel insecure, overwhelmed, defensive and everything feels like hard work. 

Noticing the way that your state of mind fluctuates allows you to make better decisions, have more impact, be more productive and tap into more creativity – all things we need to be a good leader. 

This module is an introduction to state of mind, what it is, how it is created and how it affects the way that you show up on a moment-by-moment basis. 

We build on these ideas throughout the rest of the programme to help you incorporate them into your work and life. 

Module 5 - See Your Innate Resilience

Being a leader is tough. You need to put yourself out there and you will fail at times. People will disagree with you, judge you, and have opinions about you and what you do. 

It will hurt at times. At others it will feel scary. But you will always bounce back. The content shared in this module is all about helping you to see that you are ok, even when you think you aren’t. 

These ideas are introduced using a range of example scenarios, with the opportunity for you to apply them to your own challenges and experiences through the workshops, reflection calls and one-to-one coaching sessions. 

Workshop Topics

Each month you will get access to a live, one-hour workshop, held via zoom, where we will explore a leadership topic, providing the opportunity to apply the ideas shared in the core modules. 

You will be encouraged to bring along your own challenges in relation to the topic so that you start to understand and experience how the ideas shared apply to your world.  

Topics will be adapted to the requirements of the group, examples include:

  • Pitching your message powerfully.
  • Building your influence (across the organisation).
  • Who am I? Discovering your authentic self. 
  • Dealing with difficult people. 
  • Overcoming imposter syndrome.
  • Creating time for the important stuff.
  • Where do you bring most value? 
  • Setting  boundaries and saying no. 
This video is an example of the first 15-minutes of a workshop to give you an idea of the format and the types of ideas we explore. 

If these topics resonate with you and you’d like to explore them in more detail with my support and a group of other amazing women, click the button to sign up here and you’l be first to know when doors reopen. . 

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Win A Free Place?

Having run this programme for the last few years, I’ve seen the amazing difference it has made to the lives and careers of those who have taken part, and I know that funding often acts as a blocker.

For the Sept 2023 cohort I am therefore offered members of organisations that I work closely with and members of my network the opportunity to secure a place on the programme at no cost. These were offered to:

I was so overwhelmed by the quality and thought put into the applications, that it is likely I will offer similar opportunities in future. If you’d like to be alerted to offers like these make sure to sign up for my mailing list
 
Please note that the programme is focused on creating a community and support for those that identify as female to develop their leadership skills in the tech and games industries, and so these are be the main criteria used to filter applicants. I also encourage all applicants to get the support of their manager and/ or organisation where possible, and have created this pdf to download and share to help you to start the discussion.  
 

Do you offer a payment plan?

Yes, I offer the option to spread the payments for the programme over 3, 6 or 12 months for a small additional fee. 

I can also help you prepare a case to take to your organisation to get them to cover the costs of the programme. Download this pdf to get you started. It is designed to send on to your boss or HR team and outlines why this programme is different from standard corporate leadership training programmes. 

I know it can sometimes be hard to pull together this level of funding in one go. If you’d like to explore options, get my help preparing your case or want me to set up a payment plan that works best for you, please book a call here

What Level Of Commitment Is Necessary To Get The Most From This Programme?

The programme has been designed so that there are a range of activities with different levels of commitment that you can mix and match to suit you over the period of the 12 months.

  • The training modules have been designed so that you can take 10 minutes to watch, then apply them throughout your day. If you are able to find 15-30 minutes a day for 5-6 (non-consecutive) weeks at some stage over the 12 month period, you will get plenty of new insight and learning. 
  • The workshops will be 60 minutes once a month, and while they will build on ideas in the core modules, you won’t need to have completed the modules in advance. The workshops are not essential to attend, but they will help you incorporate the ideas in the core modules into your life and work. 
  • the weekly reflection sessions will last for 30-60 minutes and are there for you to attend when you need them.
By creating this as a 12 month programme where you can pick and choose your level of involvement throughout the year, my intention is that you are able to absorb the ideas and integrate them into your life, rather than feeling the pressure to learn everything immediately. 
 

You will get the most learning out of this programme if you have got things going on in the background – because it will mean you have real things to go out there and apply it to. This training isn’t theoretical. The more you can apply it to the tough situations, the more insight you will get and the more you will learn. 

The main question to ask yourself now is if this is something that you would like to do? If the answer is yes, then if not now, then when? 

What are the times of the workshops and reflection calls?

The timing of the workshops and reflection calls are arranged to try to accommodate as many of the community as possible and are reviewed at least every 6 months.

The current timings are: 

  • workshops take place on the 2nd Monday of the month, from 17:30-18:30 (UK time), and are also recorded and shared in the online portal. 
  • reflection calls alternate each week between Tuesday at 17:30 – 18:30 (UK time) and Friday at 12:30 – 13:30 (UK time).  

If you are unable to make any of these times, but are keen to join the programme, please contact me and to discuss options. 

With members of the community joining from across the world, some having the support from their work and others attending the programme outside of work, as well as others managing childcare it can be a challenge to find a time that suits everyone, but I will do my best to ensure you get the support you need from the programme. 

How does all of this fit with my current role or job, especially if I'm not a manager or a leader?

It’s too easy get caught up in the delivery what we think our role is, but roles can have many different interpretations and perspectives. If someone else was doing your role I’m sure they would do it differently – so there is a different way! 

This programme will give you the opportunity to step back and take a look at what’s important to you, and then look at your job from a new perspective. In particular it will encourage you to look at how you can use the role as an opportunity to achieve the things that are most important to you, and give you the tools to have conversations about how you can shift your job to do more of the things you really care about. 

You’ll come away from the programme with a better understanding of the different ways your role could evolve and decide which works best for you, and if you discover your current role is not working for you, it will create a solid foundation on which to take the next step in your career. 

Is this programme exclusively for women?

One of the core elements of the programme is access to a community of people who have an understanding of the challenges each other are facing, and that they feel safe to open up and discuss these challenges as they emerge. Finding a community of female leaders to bounce ideas off is rare in tech, and so this is my focus for the programme. 

In addition, the programme has been designed from the perspective of my experience of a woman working in the male-dominated environment of tech – so I know that this is who the content is most relevant to. 

While the underpinning ideas are universal and could be useful to anyone, there are topics that I don’t cover that I might include if the audience were broader. I want to be as inclusive as possible while ensuring that all those that join the programme find the environment they need to thrive. 

If you do not identify as female, but the programme resonates, I’d love to talk it through with you and understand your needs, and figure out how you would fit. You can book a chat with me here

What's this understanding of psychology of mind that underpins the programme?

The understanding that underpins this programme was first shared by a Scottish welder named Sydney Banks. It is a simple description of how our minds work and how we experience the world. 

It is has been referred to as the “inside out understanding”, the “three principles”, and “health realisation” amongst other things. You may recognise elements of mindfulness, of neurolinguistic programming (NLP), and cognitive based therapy (CBT) alongside other treatments and approaches that are out there. 

I’ve explored many of these alternative approaches and have found them useful. The thing I find most useful about the 3 principles understanding is that it’s not trying to “be” anything except a simple description of how our minds work. It doesn’t say what to do – that interpretation is up to you. What it continuously does is point you to look towards what is true, and be open to question anything that isn’t. 

I won’t be asking you to just accept anything I share. I will be encouraging you to maintain an open mind, test things out, see if they could be true – and decide whether or not to absorb it into your life. 

What happens at the end of the 12 months?

At the end of the 12 months you will have the option to remain a part of the community, continuing to access the workshops and reflection calls for a monthly subscription. 

If you choose to leave the community, you will always have the option to re-join for as long as it exists. 

I'm interested, but I'd like to speak to you about it first, how do I do this?

I know there are likely to be plenty of questions that I haven’t answered here. 

I’m always happy to have a chat and talk you through any of your questions or concerns. Book a call with me and I’ll help you figure out if this is right for you.

I promise there will be no hard sell – just an exploration of how this might fit with whatever is going on for you right now! 

"There's a great bunch of girls, and I don't ever want to be without them because we are amazing women supporting women. I really love this part of the group and its been really amazing to see everyone flourish."
Joyce Stack
Architect and API Advocate, Elsevier
"Going through this process I've discovered I'm much more resilient, joyful and courageous than I gave myself credit for."
Alison Kellom
Senior Cinematics Artist, NetherRealm Studios.
"The programme was much more open and natural than I expected. I really enjoy the fact that I can choose the way I interact with the material/calls and therefore use it in the best way I can for me at any given time."
Karen Hunt
Lead Narrative Designer, Genjoy, a Scopely studio.

Does this sound like it fits what you need?

We’d love to have you join our community!