GirlCode co-founder Adeola Haruna shares how she got into tech, the experience of being a minority (a woman) in tech, and what motivated her to founding a non-profit coding academy to give back.

GirlCode Academy is a volunteer-powered organisation that is rapidly becoming a movement. Headquartered in Lagos Nigeria, they have off their own backs created courses that have given hundreds of women the chance at a career in tech. Whether the students opt for Product Design, Frontend coding or perhaps Product Management, they have had an incredible impact on the people involved, many of whom return as volunteers to help others.

This is an awesome story and includes the ability for us too to help - by donating a used laptop or supporting a woman in learning to code.

About the show:

Problem Busters is a show that explores solutions to the biggest and the smallest of problems. Hosts Jonathan Goodwin and Oliver Happy discuss making the world a better place with guests from far and wide.

About our guest:

Adeola Haruna is the co-founder of GirlCode Academy - a volunteer organisation in Nigeria that has trained hundreds of women in Frontend coding and Product Design. She is a Project Manager, now a Product Manager and has a background in Fintech. Adeola is from Lagos Nigeria, and now resides in Aberdeen Scotland (for the castles, what a great reason to move anywhere!).

• Website: https://girlcode.academy/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/GirlCodeAcademy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GirlCodeAcademy
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlcodeacademyng/
• Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adeola-haruna-24490434/

Show mentions:

• Adeola is the co-founder of the GirlCode academy, and by day is a product manager and former software engineer and graphic designer.
• 03:00 What is the GirlCode academy?
• Being the only woman in every technical team, from company to company
• In 2016: In Lagos Nigeria - decided to find a solution to being the only technical woman in tech
• Women were interested in technology but didn't have the opportunity to participate in tech.
• The idea: train women in coding.
• 2017 - GirlCode academy was launched.
• 2017 - 25 women trained
• We have 100 applications in the first batch, then 300+ for the second.
• 2018 - 66 women trained in a bigger office
• Why do girls want to learn to code? "I tried to learn online, but I didn't get it, so I want to be in the class"
• 2021 - now over 1,000 applications each time
• We added more classes; front-end engineering, product design.
• 09:30 Is there disparity between men and women in Nigeria? Yes. We grew up with mothers with roles such as nurses, catering, fashion.
• In Nigeria you keep hearing "this is for men, this is for women"
• The problem we wanted to solve - having the right information and the right opportunity.
• We want to place a