Spotlight: Amira Dhalla
Each month we spotlight a woman or girl in tech who inspires us. This month we are highlighting Amira Dhalla. Amira works at the Mozilla Foundation as the Lead for Women and Web Literacy. Like many others, she loves the Internet and the power it gives to individual people. And like Mozilla, she wants the Internet to remain an open and innovative place that is accessible to all people. Amira has worked for many years building communities and movements among nonprofits, startups, social enterprises and technology-focused organizations.
How do you work with technology today? I’m lucky enough to work at a technology company where I get to continuously expand my own skills while also developing programs and resources for those who want to teach the web. I help our communities and organizations around the world teach digital literacy and the importance of the web. In my role I get to work on programs that allow women to develop the ability to read, write and participate—equitably and safely—on the Internet through increasing Web Literacy, encouraging women in tech and developing inclusive practices. One of the programs we’re working on is Mozilla Clubs, which are on-going events that teach digital literacy in local communities. Since we launched in 2015, we have 220+ Mozilla Clubs in over 100 cities around the world. I also love to teach. In my spare time I like to mentor and teach HTML, CSS, Scratch, and other hands on making/learning activities to young girls who are interested in technology.
What drives your interest in technology? With technology, the opportunities to learn, grow and share are endless. That is what excites me. The fact that we can collaborate, innovate and teach with individuals around the world 24/7 is exhilarating. It means we can connect, share and create at a much greater and faster rate. And it means the possibility of what we build is endless.
What do you remember about your first coding experience? Many years ago I worked for a start-up called My City Lives. Since we were small there were only a handful of us on the team and we had limited resources. I was itching to create and didn’t have the skills, people or funds to do it so I started teaching myself how to design and code. I remember the excitement I felt when I would think of an idea, prototype it and share it with others. I felt empowered to do more and teach others how to build their own confidence online.
What was your pathway to working in technology? I wrote an article about this in the Metro! The backstory is that I used to work for some great companies where I managed popular brands including Unilever, P&G, Kraft and Disney and while I liked the products and programs that I worked on I felt like I didn’t have a voice or wasn’t creating the impact I desired. I remember the moment when I suggested the brand I worked on, Dove Body Wash, should get a Facebook page or start developing a mobile app and everyone brushed aside my idea. Little did they know how important technology and online platforms would be! I quickly jumped to small start-ups to work on mobile turnkey solutions and digital media platforms with social missions. Once there I knew I was in a place where I could continue to grow and build my skills, while creating products/programs I cared about.
Why is it important to get more girls and women interested in technology? Where do I start? Well, we make up 50% of the world’s population and yet we are not equal owners of resources, access and development. We need more women and girls in technology to ensure that more technology lands into the hands of women and that it is being built to support women. We’re seeing technology that was not always built for our needs and in turn pushes women further away from technology. When we have more knowledge and representation in technology we can innovate better and faster.
Who inspires you to pursue your passion? The global community of volunteers I work with at Mozilla are continuously surprising me with their dedication to breaking down barriers for access and equity in technology. And the many allies (there are too many to list!) I have in my work and life that are constantly encouraging me to push the boundaries on issues I care about hold on to my passion. Allies, mentors, role models; they are so important to have for continuous support and guidance.
What most excites you about the future of technology? As people become more empowered and have a greater sense of how to be producers (not just consumers) of technology, we will unlock the next wave of possibilities. If we can continue to advocate for digital literacy to be a core part of on-going education than everyone has the potential to be a technologist in the future and understand how to use technology to improve upon their ideas or enhance existing ones.
What advice would you give to your younger self? I really liked my younger self. She was eager and overly ambitious. I would tell her to hold on to that but to learn how to find her voice and understand how she can use it to have the biggest impact. To understand what are the issues she cared most about, that she was willing to not sleep for, and understand how she can bring change to those issues. I would remind her that failures happen, and it happens quite often but it’s not such a bad thing and while you’re so eager to make things don’t be afraid to break things along the way.
Join Amira at MozFest! If you, like Amira, are passionate about ensuring the Internet remains “an open and innovative place that is accessible to all people”, you should definitely check out MozFest! The MozFest Call for Proposals is open now through August 1. MozFest 2016 happens October 28 thru 30 in Ravensbourne, London.