Ghanaian digital Techpreneur and programmer Ivy Barley recently announced her role with tech-giant, Microsoft as a Program Manager.
Ivy Barley is the co-founder and CEO of “Developers in Vogue“, an organization helping women embrace the digital technology industry by training and equipping thousands of women in Africa with digital skills.
In a largely male-dominated domain, it’s fair to say Ivy Barley is breaking barriers and challenging the narrative.
She won a $10,000 investment prize as one of the 10 finalists of the Strive Masiyiwa KweséInc#GoGettaz entrepreneurship competition and was named one of the Top 50 Most Influential Young Ghanaians in 2017 and 2019 (Science and Technology).
Ivy has previously been featured in the Women in Tech edition by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development as well as the Founding Women book by the Africa Technology Business Network.
Ivy holds an MPhil. in Mathematical Statistics and a Bachelor’s Degree in Actuarial Science from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology recently became one of the youngest Commencement Speakers at 2019 KNUST Congregation.
Ivy Barley speaking at the 2019 KNUST College of Science Congregation
The DiV Dream
In 2017, Ivy became a teaching assistant in maths, statistics, physics and computer programming at the African Science Academy (ASA), an all-girl advanced magnet school for science and mathematics. Before she started teaching, Ivy had heard many people claim that women could not excel at technology. Now though, she was experiencing the exact opposite: “The girls were very enthusiastic about coding and had a lot of great ideas. They made a great impression on me, and inspired me to start a sustainable initiative to create the ideal environment where females could code, connect and collaborate.”
Ivy’s Developers in Vogue initiative was born in 2017. In addition to creating a sisterhood of amazing women in tech who encourage and support each other, Ivy and her team train women in the latest technologies using a practical and project-oriented curriculum. They also connect them to real-time projects and jobs, enabling them to apply their skills and earn an income.
Ivy has trained the more than 100 women currently involved in the Developers in Vogue community and exposed them to opportunities in the tech ecosystem.
Kudos Ivy Barley!