Girls in Tech Luxembourg: Redefining an industry
A movement started by Adriana Gascoigne in 2007, Girls in Tech has a global footprint that aims to redefine women and girls’ place in the tech industry through networking, mentorship programmes and much more.
In the lead up to the first anniversary event of the Girls in Tech Luxembourg chapter, which the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSE) is proud to sponsor, we sat down with Vasiliki Moschou, Co-Managing Director of the Grandy Duchy’s division of the network to hear more about the work they do, how it all came to be and what they hope to achieve now that its first year of existence is being celebrated.
The journey towards establishing Girls in Tech Luxembourg actually started in Vasiliki’s home country when, in 2021, she attended the launch event of Girls in Tech’s Greek chapter. Eager to pursue some volunteering that might tie in well with her professional work, she got in touch with the founder of the Greek chapter to see what her options were.
From there, Vasiliki was guided by her soon to be counterpart in Girls in Tech Greece to apply to set up a Luxembourg chapter. After virtual meetings with Girls in Tech Global Chapter Manager and founder of Girls in Tech herself, Adriana Gascoigne, Vasiliki and Girls in Tech Luxembourg’s other co-founder Patricia Souza were hard at work from then on finalising their application to Girls in Tech – with the Luxembourg chapter’s application finally being approved in March 2022.
“Even though it was a small virtual event, it was very powerful and gave us the opportunity to meet inspiring people and establish our first partnerships a few months later. Now, more than 12 months on, our agenda and ideas are full, and our energy is as high as ever. The more we grow, the more motivated we become to continue this amazing journey.”
Today, Girls in Tech Luxembourg counts 300+ members and 20+ volunteers – made up of both men and women - who work tirelessly outside of their 9 to 5s to grow the network and build a schedule of events that covers all groups of Girls in Tech.
“Confidence is often a problem that we see with women working in tech and with girls who want to get into tech. That’s why we’ve dedicated a lot of our time so far to setting up all kinds of events, from technical trainings, soft skill workshops, mentorship programmes, and networking events.”
“Creating a community that is sustainable and supported will always be the priority. We want to make sure that there’s a wide variety of events available for all groups within our network – that there’s always something to look forward to and to work towards.”
Girls in Tech Luxembourg wants to cover the whole journey of young girls’ first interest in tech all the way up to women having the confidence and skills to assume management positions within the Grandy Duchy’s tech industry.
“Working in tech can start from developing software, to so much more than writing code. There are many different areas to explore, and we want to show women and girls of all ages the various possibilities that are available to study and work on.”
From kids in classrooms, university students, jobseekers and working professionals, or even career changers, the future of Girls in Tech Luxembourg is setting out to break the biases that have been present in the industry by creating opportunities for women and girls to find support, to feel empowered, learn and meet all types of other girls in tech.
In the lead up to the first anniversary event of the Girls in Tech Luxembourg chapter, which the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSE) is proud to sponsor, we sat down with Vasiliki Moschou, Co-Managing Director of the Grandy Duchy’s division of the network to hear more about the work they do, how it all came to be and what they hope to achieve now that its first year of existence is being celebrated.
From the very beginning
Originally from Greece, Vasiliki has been living in Luxembourg for 6 years – 5 of which she has spent working as a Software Engineer & Business Analyst at ArcelorMittal.The journey towards establishing Girls in Tech Luxembourg actually started in Vasiliki’s home country when, in 2021, she attended the launch event of Girls in Tech’s Greek chapter. Eager to pursue some volunteering that might tie in well with her professional work, she got in touch with the founder of the Greek chapter to see what her options were.
From there, Vasiliki was guided by her soon to be counterpart in Girls in Tech Greece to apply to set up a Luxembourg chapter. After virtual meetings with Girls in Tech Global Chapter Manager and founder of Girls in Tech herself, Adriana Gascoigne, Vasiliki and Girls in Tech Luxembourg’s other co-founder Patricia Souza were hard at work from then on finalising their application to Girls in Tech – with the Luxembourg chapter’s application finally being approved in March 2022.
Launching Girls in Tech Luxembourg
With March 2022 was when the stamp was finally pressed to Girls in Tech Luxembourg’s application, they really consider 21 June 2022 as the chapter’s true launch date – when after months of setting up a team in Luxembourg, they finally celebrated their official launch event.“Even though it was a small virtual event, it was very powerful and gave us the opportunity to meet inspiring people and establish our first partnerships a few months later. Now, more than 12 months on, our agenda and ideas are full, and our energy is as high as ever. The more we grow, the more motivated we become to continue this amazing journey.”
Today, Girls in Tech Luxembourg counts 300+ members and 20+ volunteers – made up of both men and women - who work tirelessly outside of their 9 to 5s to grow the network and build a schedule of events that covers all groups of Girls in Tech.
“Confidence is often a problem that we see with women working in tech and with girls who want to get into tech. That’s why we’ve dedicated a lot of our time so far to setting up all kinds of events, from technical trainings, soft skill workshops, mentorship programmes, and networking events.”
The sky’s the limit
When it comes to what the future may hold for Girls in Tech Luxembourg, it’s all about building the chapter in a sustainable way that will continue to support the community for years to come.“Creating a community that is sustainable and supported will always be the priority. We want to make sure that there’s a wide variety of events available for all groups within our network – that there’s always something to look forward to and to work towards.”
Girls in Tech Luxembourg wants to cover the whole journey of young girls’ first interest in tech all the way up to women having the confidence and skills to assume management positions within the Grandy Duchy’s tech industry.
“Working in tech can start from developing software, to so much more than writing code. There are many different areas to explore, and we want to show women and girls of all ages the various possibilities that are available to study and work on.”
From kids in classrooms, university students, jobseekers and working professionals, or even career changers, the future of Girls in Tech Luxembourg is setting out to break the biases that have been present in the industry by creating opportunities for women and girls to find support, to feel empowered, learn and meet all types of other girls in tech.
Want to get involved?
When it comes to supporting Girls in Tech Luxembourg, Vasiliki sees this as a two-way street:
"We want support, but we also want to BE a support to the local tech industry and beyond. We want to be able to provide more to companies that want to share our mission, to be more inclusive in our language, to fight biases together, and be there to provide learning initiatives that will help reshape women’s role in our tech industry in a sustainable, fair way."
If you’d like to get involved in Girls in Tech Luxembourg, they’re currently looking for volunteers and sponsors – a dedicated group of individuals working to create a more diverse and inclusive tech workforce is just a click or two away.
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