tbk’s Principal Inspires WomXn to Enter a Career in Tech

London, ON – Kylie Maisonneuve, tbk Principal & Director of Accounts, was recently interviewed as part of Fanshawe College’s Ignite HER WomXn in Technology program. Kylie shared her thoughts about gender imbalance in the field of technology, and the ways in which tbk is addressing the problem by empowering women.

In the recorded video interview with Kari Townsend, a Professor of Communications/English at Fanshawe College’s School of Language and Liberal Studies, Kylie stresses that women can provide value in all areas of the industry—everything from copywriting to web development to product design to account management, and more.

Kylie and tbk as a whole try to lead by example. Defying industry odds, half of tbk’s overall staff, three-quarters of tbk’s leadership team, and two-thirds of tbk’s ownership team are women.

“I really try to push for gender balance on projects because I know a high percentage of women are making that final purchase decision and using the products and platforms,” says Kylie. “We have the power as women to build online tools and campaigns that truly speak to the needs of women.”

There is still work to do to break the gender bias within the tech industry, which is why Kylie says “it’s important for organizations in tech—and in all sectors—to put systems and tools in place to ensure women have the same opportunities as men.”

tbk, which stands for tagged by kindness, actively monitors its workforce statistics to ensure the business has gender-balanced staff. Further to that, tbk is proud to have donated $30,000 to its Women in Tech scholarship at Fanshawe College. It covers the first year of tuition for female students entering the Interactive Media Design program each year for the next five years. tbk hopes this will help more women pursue a career in technology.

Kylie’s advice to women entering the IT field is this: “Know your value, know your worth, and know that you have experiences and perspectives as a female that men just don’t have.” She recommends surrounding yourself with people who uplift you and who celebrate each other’s successes.

“I think if more women in tech get out there and self-promote and share their stories, young women and girls will be able to see that they belong in tech—careers in coding, product design, video game development, and business development,” says Kylie. “I’d like to see more programs and events brought to young girls in elementary school and high school because when we plant that seed early, they’ll truly believe that path is available to them.”

“When they see it, they know they can be it,” says Kylie. “It’s all about creating a space for people to thrive.”

Ignite HER WomXn in Technology is a partnership between Fanshawe Corporate Training Solutions and The Gender Equality Coalition of Ontario, that helps women, women-identifying, and non-binary individuals develop their technology skills.