London Tech Week Under Fire After Barring Woman Tech Founder Who Had Baby in Tow
Davina Schonle, the founder of AI company Humanvantage, has urged business events to become more inclusive after being refused entry because she had her baby with her at the event. A Mother's Exclusion: The London Tech Week Incident
Davina Schonle had planned to attend London Tech Week with her young daughter, who was in a pram. However, after a three-hour drive to the event, she was disheartened to be denied access due to having her daughter with her.
In a LinkedIn post, Schonle explained that she limits how long she's away from her baby, believing she should be able to 'build my company with her by my side.' Her post detailing the experience quickly ignited a discussion about inclusion within the tech industry on the platform. After a three-hour drive, Davina Schonle felt 'humiliated' and 'angry' by the incident, which she shared in a viral LinkedIn post.
A McKinsey report from 2023 highlighted a clear gender imbalance, revealing that women held approximately 35% of entry-level tech roles but only 14% of senior leadership positions. Meanwhile, research carried out by Prospects in 2024 showed that 29% of IT professionals in the UK identify as female or non-binary. Sparking Debate: Inclusivity in the Tech Sector
'As someone passionate about innovation, tech and the future of work, I was excited to attend, connect, have meetings, and contribute,' Schonle wrote in her LinkedIn post. 'In today's age shouldn't we be more inclusive? This moment was more than inconvenient. It was a clear reminder that as a tech industry, we still have work to do when it comes to inclusion beyond buzzwords,' she added.
Schonle highlighted that parents are integral to this ecosystem, noting that caregivers are also innovators, founders, investors, and leaders. Then she posed a crucial question: "If major events like London Tech Week can't make space for us, what message does that send about who belongs in tech?'
She said, 'I don't necessarily mean make it a kid-inclusive event in general, or do I? Doesn't our future belong to the kids?' Towards the end of her post, Schonle highlighted the excellent inclusivity efforts of individuals like Shaa Wasmund MBE and Vasily Alekseenko, then asked, 'shouldn't these large events be doing more?'
Schonle later told The Times that the incident left her feeling 'absolutely humiliated' and 'angry.' Calls for Change: Challenging Industry Norms
Davina's LinkedIn post garnered over 3,800 reactions and 1,000 comments within two days. Many commenters proposed boycotting London Tech Week unless the organisers revise their policies regarding parents attending with children.
'Say WHAT? This is a disgrace. Someone at Informa needs to address this,' one LinkedIn user wrote.
Another user expressed their dismay, stating, 'Absolutely appalling. It can be easy to forget within the echo chamber of female founder networks that things like this happen - there is still SO MUCH work to do. So sorry you had to go through this, well done for calling it out with such grace.' Others expressed gratitude to Davina for championing the cause of parents within the tech industry. London Tech Week Responds to the Incident
London Tech Week told The Independent: 'We're aware that one of our attendees wasn't allowed to enter with their child yesterday. As a business event, the environment hasn't been designed to incorporate the particular needs, facilities, and safeguards that under-16s require.'
'We want everyone in the tech community to feel welcome at London Tech Week. We've reached out directly to the person involved to discuss what happened and use this experience to inform how we approach this at LTW in the future.'
Originally published on IBTimes UK
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Local Germany
06-08-2025
- Local Germany
'Get uncomfortable': 5 expert tips for your job search in Germany
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'People become less focused and less clear on what they're looking for, and how it meets their qualifications,' Nock said. People often fall into the trap of seeing jobs that don't quite fit and thinking 'I'll just apply – what does it hurt?' It does hurt, however, when a half-hearted application turns into yet another rejection, which adds to a sense of desperation and hopelessness. It also hurts in the sense that it's wasted energy, which could have been put towards an application for a position that's a better fit. 2) Don't hesitate to aim high Another common complaint seen in comments on social forums is that companies appear to be seeking the impossibly perfect applicant e.g. listing C2 level German language skills and ten years of experience among other qualifications for an English speaking, low-level position. A person writing out a job application on an Apple computer. 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Advertisement A recent study by MIT looked at a large amount of LinkedIn data and found that statistically, weak ties performed better than strong ties for job mobility in most cases. 'If you have less than ten connections with someone [on LinkedIn], those people are actually more useful than your best friend, for example, to help you find a job,' says Nock. In this sense, being new to Germany, or existing in a minority community, can actually be favourable to having a robust network of strong ties, Nock suggests. But he adds that, 'It then takes the courage to reach out and ask for support.' 5) Use the resources that are available Finally, any and all job-seekers in Germany should absolutely use the resources that are available to them, Nock emphasised. Advertisement A big advantage to living in Germany is that there are numerous social benefits and safety nets in place, including those intended to help transition between jobs and find new ones. 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Int'l Business Times
22-07-2025
- Int'l Business Times
Top 5 IT Asset Management solutions
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Local Germany
15-07-2025
- Local Germany
'Don't lose hope': How to navigate Germany's painful job market
It's well documented that Germany is suffering from a shortage of workers across a wide range of jobs and industries. But despite labour shortages in sectors ranging from tech and IT to healthcare and hospitality, people looking for a job in Germany are quickly made painfully aware that it's a tough market out there. Many large employers in the country have recently put freezes on hiring, and others have even announced layoffs. As the German economy has failed to climb out of a slump month after month for years, more recently unemployment figures have slowly began ticking upward . Meanwhile job-seekers, especially non-German job-seekers, complain that decent opportunities are hard to come by and getting an interview is even harder. So what exactly can you do, as a foreigner in Germany to improve your odds of finding and securing a good job? In a recent survey, we asked our readers about their experiences job-hunting in the country. Asked how they found their last job, responses were varied: readers cited Indeed, LinkedIn, recruiters, personal connections and even in-person visits to businesses. A couple sentiments that were shared by nearly all of our respondents were that 1) job-hunting is very difficult right now, especially for non-German speakers, but that 2) there are opportunities to be found if you are thorough, focused and persistent in your search. Not what you know, but who you know Reading through the responses to the survey, it quickly becomes clear that foreign workers in Germany are struggling less with a lack of open roles, and more with a complex web of invisible obstacles that combine to filter out foreigners, regardless of their qualifications. One respondent, a research assistant based in Berlin, who identified himself as John Doe said that nepotism is a particular problem: 'I believe the hiring process here is more focussed on who you know than on your actual technical skills and credentials." "I've seen people in management positions in technology who…aren't from the field and only got hired because they knew someone," he added. READ ALSO: Five hard truths foreign job seekers in Germany need to know Advertisement Lisa Quatmann, a senior engineering manager from the US, saw a similar problem in the German startup scene. "Most of the startups I interviewed with were all run by white German men who went to university together and had no real work experience, let alone founder experience,' she said. It's a language thing Mastery of German, even for English-speaking or multinational workplaces, remains the single most frequently cited challenge. 'Even international companies who use English every day ask for good German skills,' said Komal Vaghamshi, who added that he's job hunting in Germany on a Chancenkarte . Sourav Dey, a software product manager in Berlin, referred to it as 'the language filter.' Roshni Dlomen from Mumbai added that part of the problem is the number of employers who are unwilling to invest in foreign employees. "Managers don't have patience for 'work-in-progress' employees. They want someone already fluent in German and with relevant work experience," he said. And when employers are willing to take on foreign staff, it seems these relationships are more likely to become exploitative. Victorina Francis Walter, who comes from Mumbai and works in hospitality at Frankfurt airport, described poor working conditions for herself and her non-German colleagues. 'We are pushed to work overtime of my Asian colleagues are threatened with job loss if they don't work extra days. German and European colleagues are not treated in this way, regardless of whether the managers are Germans or immigrants,' she told The Local. In addition to the language barrier are bureaucratic barriers. Even in sectors facing acute labour shortages, many foreign job seekers in Germany need to have foreign qualifications recognised in the country. "As I'm in education, which is a highly regulated sector in Germany. Getting my diplomas recognized took a while," said Cansu from Turkey, who lives in Leipzig. Advertisement The secrets of success Look for jobs online, but try and attend networking events in person as well. Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash Respondents to our survey did offer some cause for hope, however, agreeing on a range of measures that can improve foreign jobseekers' chances of finding gainful employment. Do tap into your network Multiple respondents talked about the importance of networking in person wherever possible. 'Network network network!' said Lisa Quatmann. 'Not just on LinkedIn. Show up at meetups and conferences, volunteer, speak, coach, meet people, tell them what you're looking for and keep in managers tend to interview referrals first, so try to be one of them." "Many lasting, meaningful jobs come through honest networking," agreed Stephen Nock, an American coach and teamwork facilitator who has been living in Berlin since 2017. She added that "weak ties", or "people you know but not super well, can often be the most valuable relationships.' REVEALED: The jobs and skills growing in demand across Germany Taking advantage of online networking services can also be helpful. The most useful tools mentioned by respondents to our survey include: LinkedIn, Xing, Indeed, Stepstone, and Respondents also noted the importance of moving quickly when good opportunities appear. Stefano Piccinelli, a hiring manager based in Düsseldorf, said he receives more than 70 applications for every position advertised. "I have time to go through the first 20, usually those which arrive in the first week," Piccinelli said. Advertisement Sarah in Stuttgart, who works in HR, adds that however much you network and however fast you move, you still have to produce an appropriate CV. 'The CV should be meaningful and suitable for the offered position, as recruiters take a special look at that,' she said. Speaking of CVs, when applying to German companies, it may be help to adopt a German CV format, including a photo . Be clear about what you want to do While it's vital to try and take advantage of a wide variety of potential opportunities, respondents agreed on the importance of being goal orientated. "Know what you want to do. Really narrowing your goals if it's more frustrating to search for fewer jobs," said Kelly, a project manager from Sweden. READ ALSO: German unemployment hovers under 3 million as economy stagnates Victorina Francis Walter advises applicants to do their own 'deep research' rather than relying on what other people say, however well-intentioned. 'Most people don't know what they're talking about,' she added. She and Roshni Dlomen both encouraged applicants to drop CVs off in person where possible. Harini, who lives in Siegen, also said he found his last job by making a direct approach. Advertisement It takes patience and persistence 'Don't lose hope,' said Minna from Finland, who lives in northern Germany, 'even when the process lasts a long time.' Patience is particularly important because of how difficult it can be for newcomers in Germany to learn how to strike the right balance between "standing out" and "fitting in", Stephen Nock explained. 'For many expats, including myself and the job-seeking clients I coach, the hardest part is balancing how to stand out while still 'fitting in.' You want to get noticed in the stack of applications, but you also want to be seen as a fit, possibly in a German company. It's not always clear how much German is required or whether they're open to transferable skillsets, and navigating those grey areas can be tricky.'
