I was encouraged by my high school teacher to consider engineering as a degree - at that time, I didn't know a single female engineer and thought it was about building bridges or working in factories. I was wrong! Engineering taught me a structured, logical way of thinking and a good work ethic. I loved my degree, it was industrial engineering so it combined business thinking with the more traditional engineering subjects. The only subject I wasn't very good at in engineering was technical drawing - I just couldn't imagine things in 3D! Engineering also gave me the credibility and confidence I needed to enter the job market. I knew that if I could handle a difficult and time-consuming challenge like engineering, I could replicate that hard work in the workplace. It also gave me incredible colleagues and friends who I really look up and admire. We've all gone off and done very different things but I think that's the beauty of a STEM degree is you don't have to do that one thing for life (i.e. be an engineer, scientist or mathematician) but it opens so many doors.

So my early career was in strategy consulting, helping big corporates think about what a tech-enabled future would look like. I've always been fascinated with the latest tech trends and the new, most innovative companies. When I saw an opportunity to combine my experience with my passion and interest, I took it and started my own business.