Lina Tranevall – Product Director
Four years ago, I attended my first Women in Tech conference in Sweden. It was a relatively intimate gathering – optimistic, hopeful, but very much centred around future possibilities. Fast forward to 2025 and that same conference has transformed into a powerhouse of action and innovation, attracting over 3,000 participants and showcasing the power of diversity in tech.
What struck me most this year wasn’t just the scale, but the shift in focus. The era of just talking about change is behind us. What we’re seeing now is real, tangible progress – led by women at every level of the technology ecosystem. From startups to global corporations, we are not only innovating but driving structural change in how the industry recruits, retains, and celebrates diverse talent.
The event was filled with powerful demonstrations: cutting-edge technologies led by women, initiatives designed to bring young girls into STEM, and candid discussions about what inclusive leadership really looks like. The conversation has broadened, too, with male allies such as Accenture Sweden’s Patrik Nylander recognising that diversity isn’t just good PR, but something essential to business success. As he put it, “We can no longer show up to a client pitch with a bunch of middle-aged white men. We get knocked off the table. We need inclusive teams – striving for 50:50 – to even get a ticket to play.”
This isn’t just a moment of change. It’s a movement with momentum.
But challenges remain. Despite all the progress, we still struggle to attract – and retain – young women in tech. Career breaks, caregiving responsibilities, and a lack of visible pathways back into the sector are real barriers. Encouragingly, this year’s conference highlighted some promising solutions: early engagement programs, return-to-work initiatives, and creative outreach efforts like tech-meets-fashion workshops and TikTok-viral hackathons hosted in public libraries. One standout was Christina Ernst, senior software engineer at Google and creator of She Builds Robots, whose work bringing coding to girls through fashion-focused courses is not only brilliant, but also wildly popular online.
Another highlight? An all-female coding team representing Sweden at the EU Coding Competition – and bringing home a bronze medal. Proof that when given the opportunity, women don’t just participate. They excel.
I left the conference re-energised – not only by the incredible talent on display but by the clear message that inclusivity is no longer optional. It’s expected – by employees, customers, and shareholders alike.
As I return to my role at Hansen, I do so with pride in the work we’re doing in AI and LLMs, and in creating an environment where diversity isn’t just a goal; it’s part of our DNA. But like many companies, we still have work to do. And we’re committed to doing it.
Watch this space.
