Entrepreneur Davina Schonle, a founder of a new tech startup in the region, was thrown an unexpected curve ball. On Monday, that restriction meant she was denied entry to London Tech Week. She stepped into the first meeting pushing her eight-month-old daughter in a stroller. After all, these were people who had just spent three hours on their first plane trip. This disappointing experience led her to cancel appointments with possible new vendors. It ignited an unprecedented fury in the tech world.
When Schonle checked in on her first day, another attendee turned and asked her if she was a VIP participant. This question foreshadowed the fight she was about to find herself in. When she tried to enter the event, she was told by security guards that she would not be allowed to bring her child into the event. This rejection came at the height of the scandal, during the visit of new Prime Minister Keir Starmer, shining even more light on the unfolding debacle.
Shortly after the incident, Schonle took to LinkedIn to process and share her experience. Her post spread like wildfire through the industry and was shared widely among her peers. She emphasized that the experience brought her worst fears about being a woman in the tech sector into sharp focus.
“This moment was more than inconvenient. It was a clear reminder that as a tech industry, we still have work to do when it comes to inclusion beyond buzzwords.” – Davina Schonle
Her post generated a lot of discussion. Julia Hobsbawm was quick to weigh in, describing the incident as “shocking,” and condemning the response from London Tech Week as “the worst sort of tin ear.”
London Tech Week organizers addressed the incident in a statement, saying that they were aware of Schonle’s situation. They told us how the event’s family-friendly environment did not accommodate attendees with kids from 0-15 years old. That oversight severely hampered the experience of those families. The agency said they planned to contact Schonle soon to talk about the incident and ensure better accommodation next time.
“As a business event, the environment hasn’t been designed to incorporate the particular needs, facilities and safeguards that under-16s require,” – London Tech Week
The whole incident has unfortunately overshadowed this year’s London Tech Week. It has focused national attention on raising and answering important questions about inclusivity in the tech industry. Often the sector has been on the defensive against charges of sexism and of treating women like second-class players. Even now, Schonle’s experience is a reminder that unfortunately women still have to tread carefully in male-dominated spaces that have yet to create inclusive public spheres.