Navigating the Industry as a Woman

Aleisha Amohia @ IAASysters NZ 2025

Ko wai au?

• Aleisha Amohia (she/her)
• Māori & Asian
• Technical lead, activist, organiser

Holding the tino rangatiratanga flag at the NZ Mission to the UN in New York

Where it all started

Baby Aleisha at the computer

Wellington East Girls College students at the Catalyst Open Source Academy 2014

Wellington East Girls College students visiting Dreamworks (top) and Google (right) in Silicon Valley in 2014

Wellington East Girls College Technology Club 2015

Graduation 2020

Representing VUWWIT at WITcon (below) and the VUW Gold Awards (right)

At the petition delivery for mandatory pay gap reporting (right)

At the Zonta International Womens Day breakfast (left)

Mentoring at the Catalyst Open Source Academy (left)

Bug squashing workshop (right)

Presenting at KohaCon24 in Montreal (left)

Presenting online at NetHui 2020 (right)

Why does diversity in tech matter?

Being a 'minority' in tech looks like...

• Workplace discrimination
• Income inequality
• Isolation and loneliness
• Emotional labour
• Assumptions about experience, ability, or role
• Tokenism
• Physical harm

Diversity in tech benefits all of us

Diversity in tech looks like...

• Enhanced innovation and creativity
• Improved problem solving and decision making
• Nurturing a skilled and engaged workforce
• Facilitating valuable relationships
• Community-driven solutions
• Greater psychological and cultural safety

Pillars for navigating the industry as a woman

• Take responsibility for your own success
• Be intentional with your time and energy
• Leave nothing at the door
• It takes a village
• Find the fun

Taking responsibility for your own success

• Going to meetups, events and conferences

At a National Council of Women event

Taking responsibility for your own success

• Learning and upskilling

Mentoring at the Catalyst Open Source Academy

Taking responsibility for your own success

• Challenging yourself

Keynoting at NZ Tech Rally 2023

Taking responsibility for your own success

• The importance of preparation

Speaking on a panel about pay gaps at UN CSW68

Taking responsibility for your own success

• Protect your health and wellbeing

Sunrise at Bronte Beach in Sydney

Taking responsibility for your own success

• Toot your own horn

New Zealander of the Year Local Hero Medallist 2025

Taking responsibility for your own success

• Define success for yourself

Closing the first WITcon

Be intentional with your time and energy

• Enforce boundaries

NBA game at Madison Square Game

Be intentional with your time and energy

• Make contributions that make you proud

Oral submission against the Treaty Principles Bill

Be intentional with your time and energy

• Make contributions that solve problems

Puritia platform for Māoriland Film Festival

Leave nothing at the door

• What do you uniquely bring to the table?

Māori Design Group for InternetNZ

Leave nothing at the door

• Make the most of each other's strengths

Establishing committee for YWCA Greater Wellington

It takes a village

• Find likeminded people (community)

Volunteers at VUWWIT's Tech Day 4 Girls

It takes a village

• Strength in numbers (allies)

VUWWIT Committee at WITcon

It takes a village

• Role models, mentorship, tuakana-teina

Students at a previous Catalyst Open Source Academy

It takes a village

• Safe spaces and unspoken understandings

Te Hapori Matihiko meetup in Te Whanganui-a-Tara

It takes a village

• Taking the light and passing it on

Presenting at IILF2023 in Honolulu with Chris Cormack about Indigenous data sovereignty in libraries

It takes a village

• Find your cheerleaders

Aleisha, mum, friend Wainui, and sister Jasmine

It takes a village

• You are never alone

National Councils of Women from around the world

Find the fun

• It's easier when you love what you do

Librarians at Jessie Street National Women's Library

Find the fun

• It's easier when you know who you're working with

Rōpū kohinga at Catalyst

Find the fun

• Where in the world can your work take you?

New York, Honolulu, Vancouver (left to right)

Pillars for navigating the industry as a woman

• Take responsibility for your own success
• Be intentional with your time and energy
• Leave nothing at the door
• It takes a village
• Find the fun

Ngā mihi / thank you

Aleisha Amohia

aleisha@catalyst.net.nz

@aleishaamohia