Our new series of events kicked off with an intimate Q&A with one of the most inspirational women in the tech industry…
In association with Penguin Business and Campaign, Zone was delighted to host an evening with Dame Stephanie (Steve) Shirley CH, during which she discussed her bestselling book, Let It Go, which charts her extraordinary journey from refugee to entrepreneur to philanthropist.
Described as a workplace revolutionary, Dame Stephanie is a successful IT entrepreneur turned ardent philanthropist. Her life story begins with her 1939 arrival in Britain as an unaccompanied Kindertransport refugee. In 1962 she started a software house, Freelance Programmers, that pioneered new work practices and changed the position of professional women, especially in tech. She went on to create a global business and a personal fortune that she shared with her colleagues; she made 70 of her staff millionaires at no cost to anyone but herself.
Since retiring in 1993, her focus has been increasingly on philanthropy, based on her strong belief in giving back to society. In 2009/10 she served as the UK’s first Ambassador for Philanthropy. Her charitable foundation has initiated and funded a number of projects that are pioneering by nature and strategic in impact, giving away a total of £67m to date. The focus is on IT and autism, a condition her late son suffered with.
The evening’s discussion was chaired by Maisie McCabe, deputy editor at Campaign, and attended by more than 100 digital professionals, who got to hear Dame Stephanie’s inspirational story, which is now being adapted for the silver screen.
“The word ‘inspiring’ is greatly overused, but Stephanie Shirley’s story is one of those rare cases in which it truly applies. This book is an extraordinary tale of creativity and resilience, and of the power of well-targeted philanthropy to transform the world.” — Oliver Burkeman, Guardian journalist and author.
To get your copy of Dame Stephanie’s book, please visit let-it-go.co.uk
