Dr Sue Black left home and school at 16, married at 20 and had 3 children by the age of 23. A single parent at 25 she went to university, gained a degree in computing then a PhD in software engineering. She set up the UK’s first online network for women in tech BCSWomen and led the campaign to save Bletchley Park. Sue was awarded an OBE for “services to technology” in the 2016 Queen’s New Year’s Honours list. She is now a UK government advisor, thought leader, honorary professor of computer science at UCL, social entrepreneur, writer and public speaker. Her current startup #techmums teaches mums tech skills enabling them to become tech savvy. Sue now has 4 children and has recently become a grandmother. Sue’s first book Saving Bletchley Park details the social media campaign she led to save Bletchley Park from 2008-2011, it is an Amazon UK bestseller.
Chapters:
- - Dave introduces the show and Dr. Sue Black
- - #techmums - Sue's startup and story around empowering mothers via technology
- - Balance, facing reality, and overcoming obstacles
- - Education and persistence as the path from welfare to a brighter future
- - Standing out in the crowd, the discomfort of being in the minority and advice building confidence and dealing with difficult situations
- - The importance of memtors, including formal and explicit mentoring relationships
- - The things that "light Sue up"
- - Sue's story of failure - starting too broad and too technical in business and teaching
- - Sue's success story - acheiving a PhD in software engineering
- - How Sue stays current with what she needs to know
- - Sue's book recommendation and the incredible story of the history of Bletchley Park, codebreakers, involvement of women, and Sue's campaign to preserve the rich historical site
- - Sue's top 3 tips for delivering more value
Resources:
Sue's book recommendation:
Sue's top 3 tips for delivering more value:
- Follow that about which you are passionate
- Find people like you
- Just keep going