Happy International Women’s Day! This year’s theme is ‘Be bold for change.’ At Tech North, our contribution to transforming the world for the better is launching our Northern Voices programme.

We know that a mix of ethnicity, ability, class, global experience and language helps companies capture new markets, create new products and improve the bottom line. We also know that by 2020 we could need more than 750,000 new people working in the tech industry. So it’s crucial that we inspire more women to get into digital jobs.

How are we going to Be Bold for Change?

The Digital Minister, Matt Hancock MP speaking to some of our Manchester Northern Voices.

Over the past seven days we have held our four speaker training workshops for the Northern Voices programme. In Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle 28 women have had expert coaching to prepare them for stage and screen. Our trainers were Penny Haslam, an award-winning public speaker and media trainer, and Sandy Lindsay MBE, Chair of Tangerine PR and The Juice Academy.

The women selected as the first cohort of Northern Voices are all pioneers who have carved their own unique paths into the tech industry. They are bold, they are brilliant and we are really excited to present them to you today. Over the next six months we expect you to see them everywhere.

Presenting The Northern Voices

Here they are, the first Northern Voices! Please head over to our Northern Voices page where you can find out all about them, their specialisms and their incredible stories. Their specialisms are as diverse as they are, covering innovation in healthcare, gender diversity in banking, using tech to end food waste and the explosion in augmented reality.

If you’re planning a panel, need a speaker, or are looking for a quote from an expert then please contact our Northern Voices to provide their perspective.

If you’d like to keep up to date with their activity, or contact them directly, you can also follow our Northern Voices Twitter list.