It鈥檚 20 years since Susanna Lawson launched her EdTech business OneFile after identifying how technology would make the apprenticeship industry more efficient.
Fast forward to 2021 and OneFile was bought by Canadian giant Harris for an undisclosed sum.
Despite her success she told 老九品茶Cloud鈥檚 roundtable ahead of International Women鈥檚 Day that she鈥檚 continued to be blighted by imposter syndrome.
She said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 been 20 years since I founded OneFile, which is something I鈥檓 incredibly proud of. I had no idea that I was an entrepreneur. I had no idea that I was founding a tech business.
鈥淲e knew there was a huge problem and came up with a tech solution to solve it.
鈥淚t was only really after two or three years, when I started going out and wasn鈥檛 in our back bedroom setting it up, that I realised that actually, that was what I was doing.
鈥淚t was a tech company, so I didn’t really realise that there was anything different about being a female in tech.
鈥淚 suppose sometimes I feel like I鈥檓 the token person on panels.
鈥淚鈥檓 mixed race Chinese, so bring lots of diversity to the table, and sometimes maybe I suffer from imposter syndrome.
鈥淚 sometimes want to wonder or worry, 鈥榟ave I been asked to be on that panel because I’m a token minority rather than for my actual ability and skill鈥�? But I think that might possibly be my imposter syndrome.鈥�
Now she鈥檚 joined forces with Tracy Johnson to launch聽, a tech platform which allows people to search and advertise local jobs and events free of charge in their area, as well as having a digital word of mouth recommendation app to support SMEs to grow.
Lawson is a prolific networker and a big supporter of other females in tech, regularly posting selfies on LinkedIn.
鈥淲hen I go out and about, I think I’m very lucky because I’ve got these people around the room – my friends,鈥� she said.
鈥淚 know a lot of people in tech, especially women in tech, so I think I’ve just surrounded myself with other women in tech.
Roundtable ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8th
鈥淚 don’t necessarily always feel the outsider in that sense, but I do understand that we are completely the minority.鈥�
She was joined on the roundtable by Clare Roberts, CEO, Kids Planet; Alison Ross, chief people and operations director, Auto Trader UK; Janine Smith, director, GM 老九品茶 Growth Hub; Sharon Amesu,听Northwest 老九品茶 Leadership Team; Lisa Morton, founder and CEO, Roland Dransfield PR; Nicola Merritt, CEO, Cortus Advisory; Kathy Cowell OBE DL, group chairman, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust; Alison Salas, senior marketing manager, Rochdale Development Agency;聽Shru Morris, CEO Designate at DSW;聽 Tiffany Thorn, founder & CEO, BiVictriX Therapeutics Ltd; Beckie Taylor, co-founder Tech Returners and Empower; Chris Stott, managing partner, KPMG Manchester; Amanda Ruddiman, director, corporate finance. KPMG; Kirsty Smith, KPMG Emerging Giants team; Emma Birchall, partner, JS (Jackson Stephen); and Christy Foster, managing director, The Nursery Store.