#11 Supporting Women in STEM and Careers in Digital Identity

Air date: March 7, 2023

Host: Joni Brennan (President, DIACC)

Engineer/Producer: Chris Ferreira (Sr. Program Manager, DIACC)

Topic: Supporting Women in STEM and Careers in Digital Identity

Summary:

In recognition of International Women's Day, we hear from some amazing women leaders who share their perspectives on the importance of encouraging women and girls to pursue their interests in STEM (or STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) and careers in the digital identity space.

According to Statistics Canada, 34% of Canadians with a STEM degree are women and they make up only 23% of Canadians working in science and technology. This gender imbalance in STEM is well reflected in digital identity, a tech sub-field still to this day widely dominated by men. Through our “women in identity” spotlight series, the DIACC has been amplifying the voice of its women members and digital id practitioners. During this discussion, we will explore the obstacles women face in STEM, but also the changes they’ve seen throughout their career towards bringing gender equality at the workplace, and most importantly how we can support younger generations and female identifying students to pursue STEM, and specialize in digital identity.

Join host Joni Brennan, President, DIACC, as she dives into the conversation with the following guests:

Elena Dumitrascu, Co-Founder, Credivera

• Elena is a leader in digital identity and credentialing trends across industry and geographical boundaries. Credivera, the company she co-founded, embodies Elena's passion to explore and push traditional boundaries of how we use technology every day.  As a thought leader, she’s developed software for the energy and automotive industries in the form of multi-party, open network solutions for business spend management, electronic consumer wallets, and e-commerce, which inspired her current focus on global digital identity and credentialing.
• Her passion is growing the capabilities of the next generation of Canadian innovators. She contributes her research and industry expertise to leading associations such as the CompTIA Blockchain Council, the International Council of Badges and Credentials, the CIO Strategy Council; as well as entrepreneurial foundations such as the Firehood, the A100, Platform Calgary, and Alberta Innovates and Technovation. She serves on public company boards and held executive roles in public and privately held companies.

Alexa Abiscott, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, ApplyBoard 

• Alexa is the Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of ApplyBoard Inc. and is responsible for ApplyBoard's global legal operations, privacy, compliance and risk management portfolios and acts as Secretary of the Board of Directors. Alexa is also on the Board of Directors of CoinSmart Financial Inc., an OSC-registered restricted dealer and marketplace crypto-currency trading platform, which is also publicly traded.  Alexa is a proud founding member of the Women’s General Counsel Chapter (WGCC) of the Women’s Law Association of Ontario and member of the Executive of the WGCC and is committed to supporting and mentoring women in their professional pursuits. Prior to her current role at ApplyBoard, Alexa created and led the Office of General Counsel and Board Secretariat at Sheridan College. Prior to her General Counsel roles, Alexa practiced as a litigator at a Bay Street law firm. She lives in Toronto with her husband and four children.

Dr. Louise Maynard-Atem, Board Member and Research Lead, Women in Identity

• Louise is the Research Lead & Director at Women in Identity and is an experienced innovator with a demonstrated history of working across multiple sectors including information services and cyber security. She also serves as Deputy Director, Data & Insights at the UK Government Digital Service organization. Skilled in Data Analysis, Evidence-Based Decision-Making and a passionate STEM advocate. Highly analytical professional with a PhD focused in Materials Chemistry from The University of Manchester.

Questions asked:

1. Each guest was asked to introduce themselves and talk a bit about their interests in STEM and digital identity.

2. Elena, could you explain to our listeners what Credivera, the company you Co-Founded, is all about and share from your own experience whether there are more women in digital identity today compared to when you started on your career path? 

3. Alexa, you work at the intersection of tech and education at Applyboard. Could you briefly explain what Applyboard does for students and share your views as to why women are less inclined to pursue a career in STEM and digital Identity related fields? 

4. Louise, can we learn more about some of the amazing ways that Women in Identity helps drive the digital identity industry to build solutions while helping to promote diversity and inclusion across the identity industry?

5. Each guest. The tech industry has come a long way to promote women in STEM and we now see a much higher female representation in this field vs. 30 years ago. What are some of the great things happening right now in Canada or abroad in this area either at an organizational or academic level?

6. Each guest. Can you share with our listeners your views on some of the many programs and ways in which women in STEM are top of mind for companies in the digital ID field or courses offered by post-secondary institutions?

7. Each guest. Closing thoughts, how can we encourage more women students to pursue STEM and a career in a digital identity?

Resources referenced in this episode:

• DIACC
• Credivera
• The 51
• ApplyBoard
• ApplyInsights: Top STEM Programs for Women at ApplyBoard Partner Schools in Canada
• Women General Counsel Canada
• Women in Identity 
• Findings from User and Expert Interviews on the Human Impact of Identity Exclusion (Women in Identity)
• Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)
• Environmental Careers Organization of Canada (ECO Canada)

About the DIACC

Created as a result of the federal government’s Task Force for the Payments System Review, the Digital ID & Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC) is a non-profit coalition of public and private sector leaders who are committed to developing a Canadian digital identification and authentication framework that will secure Canada’s full and secure participation in the global digital economy. To learn more about the DIACC, please visit diacc.ca.

Music: Kesta - Comings and Goings (License)

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