#ChooseToChallenge for 2021 International Women's Day

#ChooseToChallenge for 2021 International Women’s Day

As a force for showcasing innovation that lives here in WA, today, on 8 March 2021, we celebrate International Women’s Day be celebrating WA women innovators and those in the background who are working hard to make the 30th INCITE Awards a success!

International Women’s Day is a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

It is also an acknowledgement of women’s role in the ongoing pursuit of worldwide equality.

In 2021, the theme for IWD is #ChooseToChallenge. The theme encourages a number of MISSIONS to help forge a gender equal world, including:

championing women forging tech innovation
applaud quality for women athletes
forge inclusive workplaces so women thrive
support women to earn on their own terms
empower women through health education
increase visibility for women creatives

A challenged world is an alert world and from challenge comes change. So let’s all choose to challenge.

Here at The INCITE Awards we’re helping to forge a gender equal world by celebrating our women innovators achievements from our recent 29th INCITE Awards and those who are helping the 30th INCITE Awards a success for all.

Lucy Cooke, SpaceDraft

Lucy is the founder of SpaceDraft – a cloud based web application designed to help anyone create & share a common ‘mind’s eye’ understanding of how any space (virtual or physical) can change over time. Lucy’s company won the Startup of the Year award in 2020, and since then has continued to advance her passion for technology. Lucy strongly believes that women are just as capable of being tech entrepreneurs as men and she is determined to carve a wider path for young female tech enthusiasts.

“WHEN WOMEN HELP OTHER WOMEN…NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. I’M VERY GRATEFUL TO THE AMAZING WOMEN WHO ENCOURAGED ME TO GO FOR THIS EXTRAORDINARY PROGRAM. TEAM SPACEDRAFT IS A COLLECTIVE EFFORT. I JUST WANT TO LEARN TO BE THE BEST LEADER THAT I CAN BE.”
Lucy Cooke

Claire Orange, DiGiiSocial

As a former speech pathologist and counsellor, Claire is passionate about helping children navigate their digital lives, reducing incidents of body shaming, cyber bullying and youth suicides. Claire founded and is managing DiGiiSocial – an online school-based subscription, aligned to the national curriculum, to teach children the skills to stand ‘DiGiiTALL’. In addition, Claire is aan Ambassador for R U OK?, The Valuing Children Initiative and Director for Best 4 Kids.

My mission – personal and professional – is to help young people (mine and the families with whom I am privileged to work) to be the very best version of themselves that they can be.
Claire Orange

Monique Guest & Sarah Thomas, ConsMin

Monique and Sarah are part of the team who created Quoll! Quoll – a finalist for the 29th INCITE Awards for the category of Smarter Communities. Their innovation focuses on detecting and monitoring the endangered Northern Quoll and a range of other species.

Dior Etherton, Curtin University

Dior was the winner of the Peter Fillery Undergraduate Student Project for her 3D Reconstruction of Abnormal Viscera, improving the way in which a patient is managing the ongoing symptoms of situs ambiguus. Dior’s innovation has impressed so many, including her current employer, Singular Health.

Meet the women leading INCITE Awards

Behind the scenes are the INCITE Awards Committee, led by digital leader and connector, Niamh Toohey. Supporting the rigorous judging and coaching component of the Awards is Chief Judge Celia Jordaan, while storyteller Petra Vanessie (Marketing Lead) ensures that innovation in WA is shared and celebrated. Tracey Wilkinson engages all of us to ambassadors for WA technology, and tech leader, Andrea Dearden ensures we work within the governance of WAITTA.

Meet our INCITE Ambassadors

Our INCITE Ambassadors are passionate about supporting and showcasing innovation that lives here amongst us! Within our Ambassadors group are inspirational women whose work and commitments encourage all of us to choose to challenge, including:

Let’s continue to #ChooseToChallenge

Let’s help continue to forge a gender equal world through sharing, celebrating and supporting women in innovation and technology.