‘Learn how to say no’ – Empowering Women Through Women in Power
Inspiring Inclusion: Empowering Women in Emerging Tech
Last week, we at Launch Pad welcomed two phenomenal women to speak at our latest Women and Multicultural event alongside our phenomenal-in-residence Entrepreneur in Residence, Lucy Lin, discussing everything from personal journeys to their work with emerging technology and important soft skills to top tips for success.
Meet our speakers:
Lucy Lin
Lucy Lin is the Entrepreneur in Residence for the Women & Multicultural Program at Western Sydney University, Launch Pad. She is also the host of the Emerging Tech Unpacked podcast that demystifies emerging technologies and features women in STEM leadership. A strategic marketing expert, Lucy has spent the past 20 years driving change and scaling growth for startups, universities, and corporations. A global citizen and female founder of Forestlyn, she has lived and worked in 5 countries (Australia, Japan, Canada, Taiwan & the UK) and champions diversity and inclusion in everything she does.
Niina Matthews
Niina Matthews is a PhD candidate at the Gentile Lab, School of Biomedical Engineering at UTS. Niina investigates how to 3D bioprint cardiac patches using cardiac spheroids in alginate-gelatin hydrogels and with a patient-specific design for localised treatment of heart failure. She is a self-proclaimed 3D printing and bioprinting geek who loves 3D design, making eye-catching graphics, and communicating scientific ideas with a dash of humour blended in. Niina is a mum, an Ally, and an eternal advocate for creativity and diversity.
Dr Louise Brown
Dr Louise Brown is the CEO and Founder of HydGene Renewables, a deep-tech synthetic biology startup. Prior to her role at HydGene, Louise held an academic position at Macquarie University. She has over two decades in bioengineering complex protein systems and has played a key role in establishing Synthetic Biology in Australia with a focus on chemical manufacturing. HydGene are leading the way in sustainable ‘green’ molecule production, with a focus on green hydrogen, offering a clean and eco-friendly alternative to traditional fossil fuel-based methods. HydGene’s groundbreaking bio-engineered catalyst technology efficiently transforms waste biomass sources into green hydrogen, delivered on-site and on-demand, contributing to the global transition towards net-zero economies.
Share in their empowerment:
Advice on switching careers – With each of our panel speakers making multiple career changes throughout their life, both needing to feel like they continue to add value to society and solve real problems in their work, Niina and Louise offered forth invaluable advice on switching careers, advising participants to “take the chance to contact people”, “get out there” and to remember that “you start to learn by doing”.
Valuable soft skills for women and women in STEM – During this part of the panel, our inspiring women shared nuggets of gold with participants on important soft skills to take into the workplace and when switching careers, including to “be true to yourself”, “learn how to say no”, “be open to feedback and don’t take it in a negative way”, and to “not ever overlook the skills you learned from your previous career”, both Louise and Niina emphasising authenticity in oneself, the importance of continuous learning and the “very normal” experience of feeling like an imposter.
Success-driving main takeaways – These phenomenal women wrapped up our Women & Multicultural event with some key takeaways of their career so far that they believe should inspire and empower the other women in the room, including “say yes to the change”, “fail often”, “listen to that inner voice”, and “don’t overthink it”. It was these words that truly resonated with our participants, inspiring them as drivers of inclusive innovation.
The evening ended with the announcement of the $250 lucky door prize winner, courtesy to JD Sports Australia. Networking continued well after the event, where both attendees and panellists were able engage in meaningful conversations and connections.
Having participated in last night’s event, my key takeaways were:
- Recognising that failure is a part of the journey and not something that should be shrouded in negativity
- Emerging technologies are something to be embraced, not feared
- Getting out there and being authentic is a key facet of being successful in any endeavor
Join in on the empowerment at our next Women & Multicultural event – Mastering Professional Networking – at Launch Pad on 27 March 2024. We hope to see you there!
Learn more about the Women & Multicultural program below.