Startup Grind to host tech advocate in fireside chat

StartupGrind Gibraltar will be hosting an online fireside chat with Founder of Tech London Advocates and Global Tech Advocates, Russ Shaw, this Thursday.

The group aims to empower lives through tech and the chat will be moderated by Bayside School Head of Physics and Cybercenturion Team Leader Stewart Harrison.

The hour-long event will be held on Thursday, October 15, and is set to start at 10.30am.

Anyone wishing to attend can register online via: www.startupgrind.com/gibraltar

Tech London Advocates is a network of more than 9,000 tech leaders, entrepreneurs and experts in London, across the UK and in over 50 countries worldwide.

Mr Shaw founded Tech London Advocates (TLA) in 2013 to ensure an independent voice of technology sector was heard, but with a focus on the private sector.

Amongst many of the minority working groups launched through TLA is Tech for Disability. Mr Shaw is also a founding partner of London Tech Week, a London Tech Ambassador for the Mayor of London and Advisory Board member for Founders4Schools and the UK Government’s Digital Skills Partnership.

He is a Trustee for Modern Muse Charity, which supports young women and girls who want to study STEM subjects.

Mr Shaw is one of the world’s leading experts on the success of London’s tech ecosystem and has been invited to tech hubs around the world to share his experience.

He will be talking to Mr Harrison, a local teacher championing digital skills education in Gibraltar, about using technology to empower people with disabilities, the digital skills gap and the role of tech and startups.

This event is aimed at private sector businesses and HR, public sector departments in education, special needs and equality, startups, social enterprises, organisations and anyone interested in understanding the work carried out by stakeholders locally and internationally for: transformational impact of tech to unlock people’s potential in the areas of both visible and invisible disabilities, diversity and inclusion efforts given to disability challenges and gaps, supporting learning through tech and tech in education, tech and startups as a career choice.

The event will also see the launch of Synergise built by Gibraltar startup Cobovec.

The platform dedicated to support students and or young persons to overcome their individual challenges and achieve personal and educational growth by three women Valli Fragoso Founder of local startup Cobovec, creators of Synergise, Nicole Torres Byrne the Department of Educations Supported Internship and Supported Employment Coordinator, and Debbie Borastero Chairperson of the Gibraltar Disability Society.

“One of the invisible challenges, Dyslexia affects the way the brain works and processes information,” Startup Grind said in a press statement.

“This can make reading, writing and spelling difficult but can also come with talents. Normally dyslexics are very creative, think outside the box and great problem solvers.”

A lot of these traits are very good for the future workforce and can be seen in both EY reports via www.dyselxia.gi .

“Dyslexics can at times find change very hard, so things like moving school or house can be extremely upsetting.”
“Going from a school setting to a work setting is challenging for anyone, but for a dyslexic, it may just mean a bit more time is spent helping them settle and getting accustomed to a new routine.”