28th November 2022

Celebrating Black Tech Fest at Vodafone

Black Tech Fest is a milestone event in the Vodafone calendar, as tech companies come together to celebrate Black culture, showcase innovation and create pathways for underrepresented talent. It’s a fantastic opportunity to connect with more people who have so much to offer our business, and tap into vast talent from communities that may have previously found it challenging to enter our industry.

Below, Suki and Nana discuss what Black Tech Fest has meant to them personally, and the impact they see it having on a wider scale.

Suki Adewetan

Performance Assurance Manager

I care about people. All people. Hearing experiences of exclusion motivated me to be an advocate of change, as well as confront the reality of statistics that showed that I too am likely to be excluded. Black professionals have value and skills that organisations need, especially tech ones – after all, technology is a sector that needs diversity internally to create excellent products for diverse customers.

Black Tech Fest is a demonstration that we are finally being recognised. It provides a platform to showcase achievements of black professionals which were previously unattainable. I know that for me, hearing the talks and the roles that people held made me realise that as a young professional, I can have a successful career in the tech industry. I’m aware of the difficulties and glass ceilings that exist for black people like myself, but this event gave me hope that I can make it. It also encouraged me to continue these conversations internally.

Vodafone is so good at having conversations and increasing awareness of the difficulties and education barriers that exist for various groups. I’m encouraged to know there are a lot of opportunities for diverse professionals, including those in the black community, in the future.

Nana Oti-Boateng

Senior Innovation Manager

Being black, female and in tech, I have had many experiences in my career, both positive and negative, which I would like share with others to help them navigate their careers more easily. I believe in fairness and want there to be better outcomes for everyone irrespective of race, gender, orientation, or any other lines. Vodafone strives to do this and gives me a true sense of belonging. It offers me an environment where I feel truly valued for my skills and intellect, and that’s what I would want for everyone.

Attending Black Tech Fest has had a profound impact on me. Historically, there has always been this notion that there are not many black people in tech. So, discovering such a huge pool of us making waves in the industry and all under one roof, was incredible. The added fact that so many of these talented people were eager to join a company like ours was great and showed our efforts in the area are being recognised.

It was inspiring to see that many other huge companies have also made a deliberate effort to push their black tech communities. Through Black Tech Fest I realised how many of these companies have black people in senior roles creating truly diverse managements teams and driving change in their own ways. Great things happen when efforts are combined and Black Tech Fest is a manifestation of this.

Being a of positive agent of change and a voice for others are true drivers of mine. I really want to engage more with the community to inspire others to choose tech and know they belong. The narrative needs to change – Tech is truly for all.

Vodafone’s teams are as diverse as they are skilled, with an inclusive environment that gives everyone an opportunity to shine. If you’d like to explore open roles you can head to our careers page for the latest openings, and for more info on Black Tech Fest, check out their website here.

Diversity & inclusion