The UKTN Podcast is back for a new season with another stellar lineup of guests from the world of UK tech. First up, we have Ashleigh Ainsley, co-founder of Colorintech, a non-profit focusing on increasing access, awareness and opportunities for underrepresented groups in the technology industry.
In this episode, Ainsley discusses what steps companies can take to build diverse teams, explains how Big Tech can do better on inclusion, and shares what he would like to see from the government’s digital skills agenda to encourage more people from ethnic minority backgrounds into tech careers.
You can listen to the full episode here.
Elsewhere on the show, Ainsley tells UKTN Podcast host Jane Wakefield about growing up in the diverse London borough of Lewisham and going to Oxford University as “the only Black Caribbean boy to go in that year”. After securing an internship at Google, he realised that the tech world “felt more like Oxford than Lewisham.”
In 2016, following roles in the startup and consulting world, Ainsley set out to address that imbalance. He co-founded Colorintech, which has grown to a community of over 30,000 people. He is also the founder of Black Tech Fest, a three-day event in October showcasing Black culture and innovation.
Ainsley believes that organisations should view diversity and inclusion as a talent issue first and foremost.
“Fundamentally, every business wants to hire the best people,” he explains. “And if we take this view that actually you can be talented and capable regardless of your background and where you come from or what you look like, then businesses are just losing out on really good people, because they’re not making the requisite effort to get them.”
This season of the UKTN Podcast is sponsored by HSBC Innovation Banking, which offers flexible banking solutions for startups, scaleups, growth businesses, investors and those working towards IPO.
“At HSBC Innovation Banking, we’re proud to be a trusted partner for those reshaping the world, from startups to venture capitalists,” said Arpit Gupta, managing director at HSBC Innovation Banking. “We believe innovation needs different and that’s why we’re partnering with the UKTN Podcast, which provides valuable insights to the UK’s tech entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers.
“I’m personally excited to hear from an inspiring lineup of guests on key tech trends; from regulating AI, fixing tech’s diversity problem and the role climate startups can play in reaching net zero.”
Listen to the full episode here, along with all previous episodes of the UKTN Podcast.
Over the next twelve weeks, we’ll be speaking to some of the key movers and shakers from UK tech. We’ll learn growth strategies from both seasoned and up-and-coming founders, hear market sentiments from investors, and question policymakers on the decisions shaping technology businesses across the country.
New episodes of the UKTN Podcast are published every Tuesday morning. Sign up for our podcast newsletter to ensure you don’t miss an episode.