I work with female tech leaders to break the glass ceiling and help them achieve their career ambitions

Results women in tech have gotten from working with me

Three things are keeping you from getting the tech career you deserve

Your Brain * Your Education * Patriarchy

Your brain is wired for survival. It loves the status quo

If it was for your brain, you’d spend your days in bed with a hot chocolate

Your brain is scarred by any uncertainty and it avoids new experiences

Any change is seen as a threat rather than an opportunity

You’ve been told that if you work hard, you’ll be rewarded

You’re convinced that the higher you go, you’ll have to work harder

You’ve been indoctrinated that you have to give 150% to all you do

You believe should aim for perfection

• You don’t ask for a promotion because you tell yourself that you’ll have to work more.

• You spent uncountable hours on a report until looks perfect only to shame yourself when you find a typo after submitting it, rather than aiming for a good — not excellent — report that would have taken much less effort and time.

• You keep doing courses, getting certifications, and pursuing degrees whilst others network and find sponsors to get the roles you deserve.

Patriarchy is about believing that men are superior

Tech is ruled by patriarchy

And you bear the brunt of it

•  You don’t negotiate your salary because you think you’re not worth it, even if statistics show that 94% of job offers made are upheld after candidates negotiate them.

• You get drowned in “naturally female” tasks such as admin and glue work — taking notes in meetings, bringing birthday cakes, and providing emotional support — while your male peers focus on promotable activities.

• You buy on the trope that imposter syndrome is a “female thing” and spend time binging on webinars and books promising to “cure you”, rather than learning how to use it to your advantage.

You’ve learned to narrow your ambition and blame yourself for it

The good news: It’s all a lie

• Jeff Bezos doesn’t work billions of hours more a week than Amazon’s warehouse workers, but he makes more money in a second than they make in two months.

• Neither Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg, nor Bill Gates finished their undergraduate studies.

• I balance my corporate role as Director of Scientific Support at a Tech Corporation with my business, ​getting the best of both worlds​.

What if you learned to treat yourself like your best friend?

• You’d define and achieve success on your terms

• You’d see uncertainty as an opportunity rather than a risk

• You’d celebrate your wins

• You’d get help to accomplish your goals

• You’d have confidence in what you already know and in your ability to overcome obstacles as they present

The Feminist Tech Career Accelerator will teach you how to always have your back

What makes the Feminist Tech Career Accelerator different from any other program?

Coachering©

A unique combination of coaching and mentoring

As a coach

• I provide a confidential and non-judgmental space with no distractions to uncover the reasons behind your behaviors, enabling true change

• Unlike self-help or quick-fix programs, I address the root cause of the issue and give you tools you can use for life

• I know how to motivate you to do things that you thought were impossible and keep you accountable for massive action.

• I have a library of techniques to help you overcome anxiety, procrastination, self-doubt, overwhelm, and self-criticism

• I continually show you how you are growing and improving and tell you the truth without holding back

In brief, as a coach, I help you to do what you want to do but you’re not doing.

As a Mentor

• I share with you valuable insights, knowledge, and experience gained from my own career journey, helping you to avoid common pitfalls, navigate challenges, and capitalize on opportunities more effectively.

• I give you guidance on developing specific skills relevant to your career goals. Whether it’s leadership, communication, technical expertise, or other competencies, I can offer you advice, resources, and feedback to help you enhance your capabilities

• I believe in your potential, boosting your confidence. I provide encouragement, validation, and support, helping you overcome self-doubt and imposter syndrome, and empowering you to take on new challenges and pursue ambitious career goals.

• I can advise on your career path, educational opportunities, and professional development initiatives, helping you to make informed decisions and progress more rapidly toward your objectives.

As a mentor, I leverage my knowledge, experience, and support to help you accelerate your career progression and achieve your goals more efficiently.

Coachering©

A personalised experience for bespoke results

You’re much more than a woman in tech

You’re an inimitable human being among 8 billion people in the world

You have unique dreams and challenges

That’s why the coachering© experience is designed to suit your specific circumstances – from assessing your current situation to envisioning your goals, making a plan to achieve them, and feeling supported when you face obstacles in your way to success.

Frequent Asked Questions (F.A.Q)

1.- How much time commitment does the program require?

The Feminist Tech Career Accelerator is bespoke so we work around your commitments and time constraints. Depending on the client, we meet weekly, biweekly, or monthly for a session with email support as needed.

2.- How much does the program cost?

The Feminist Tech Career Accelerator packages start at £2,000. Payment plans are available.

3.- How do I know if the Feminist Tech Career Accelerator is right for me?

We start by having a free consultation call (apply below) where we discuss your vision for your career and your current blockers.

Then, I design the Feminist Tech Career Accelerator package that addresses your needs and works around your constraints, so you know exactly what the program looks like before signing up.

4.- Shouldn’t I leave it to my manager to decide what’s best for me?

I have more than 20 years of experience as a manager and I’ve had excellent and terrible managers myself.

The reality is that no matter how amazing your manager is, you cannot delegate your career to them.

On one side, it’s not advisable  to disclose all your challenges and dreams to your manager. On the flip side, their recommendations are bounded by their responsibilities to the organisation. For example, they cannot suggest you go work for a competitor, even if that’d be your best career move.

By signing up for the Feminist Tech Career Accelerator, you ensure you’re receiving unbiased career advice and support.

Meet your coach and mentor: Dr Patricia Gestoso

I’m a technologist, a certified coach, and an award-winning inclusion strategist with 20+ years of experience in digital transformation.

I’ve spearheaded multiple initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion in tech products and workplaces and have been recognized with the UK 2020 Women in Tech Changemakers award. I’ve been featured in the 2022 and 2023 longlist of the most influential women in UK tech.

My DEI work was prompted by my dismay at realizing in 2015 that fantastic women who had started with me in tech had either quit the sector disappointed by the lack of promotions or been given unappealing jobs when they came back from maternity leave. In 2020, I published the research report Life under lockdown: Report on the impact of COVID-19 on professional women’s unpaid work.

I’m writing a book about how women succeed in tech worldwide summarising the insights from 450+ women in tech from 60+ countries.

Testimonials

Patricia’s coaching was truly transformative. After returning from maternity leave, I struggled to focus on my progress amidst various challenges. Her insightful and compassionate approach helped me reframe my situation and refocus on my goals.

Thanks to Patricia, I achieved milestones I once thought were out of reach. I am incredibly grateful for her exceptional coaching and unwavering support.

Hanlin, Head of BI & Analytics.

I am happy that I’ve met Patricia in time. I am going through a career change period, which has become less frightening and more strategic.

She helped me see the patterns of how my mind is holding me back, and by the end of the coaching program, I noticed a shift in my self-confidence and resilience. In our sessions, we uncovered the root causes of my inaction, and solutions emerged naturally from her insightful questions. She also shared her wisdom and vision when I needed it.

She is passionate about coaching and empowering women and has all the necessary expertise to help. I enjoyed every session. Thank you, Patricia!

Alena Sheveleva, Research Fellow

I started the program a little apprehensive as I was in a deflated and an unmotivated mindset. However, after the first session I came away feeling quite positive and excited at the prospect of working together.

Patricia, you have been such a pillar of insight and encouragement and I come away from your guidance, with clarity on my career path and with the tools needed to grow and achieve my goals. This has been an extremely rewarding experience – thank you for all your help!

J.K, Senior BI Analyst

Patricia has excellent knowledge and expertise on mentoring / coaching, in particular leadership for women. I greatly benefited from working with Patricia and found the experience & learnings extremely valuable for my own personal development and overall career growth.

Aisling Mulhall, Events Senior Manager, Software company

Patricia was able to look at my experience, and then where I was right now. It literally felt like she was weaving together different strands to then hone in exactly on career blocks and give me some ideas to move past them.

Her style was to ask questions rather than give me a simple a to-do list, I also liked the way I felt I could trust her professional experience. She knew what I was talking about from inside my chosen sector.  

Ruth Westnidge, Software Engineer

Patricia was instrumental in guiding me and my manager toward a homeworking arrangement, allowing me to better cope with my lifelong Asperger’s traits.

From the start, Patricia gave inspiration to consider the true “best case scenario” for my circumstances, and was then able to give concrete step by step guidance. Ultimately this led to a solution which my manager supported, and which also works well for our employer.

J.T., Software developer

“Patricia knows how to ask the right questions to let you come to the right conclusion and decide on next step in the journey. Patricia dared me to step out of my comfort zone”

Jolanda Bussner, Project Manager, Sotware company

I had the opportunity to work with Patricia through a coaching scheme at work.  I personally got a lot out of the joint coaching sessions. Patricia has the skill to come across as supportive so you feel safe but she also will challenge you about why you think that way or what made you approach it from that angle, not this. There’s no judgment from her as she questions you, you can tell she’s just trying to understand everything.  I hope to have the opportunity to work with her in the future.

R.B., Senior product designer

I had the opportunity to work with Patricia through a business scheme. Patricia set the environment to create supportiveness and safety. She was transparent at all times so you feel safe. Through the session, she gently challenged my thinking and conclusions by asking the right questions to help me see there’s another way to do things which might be more effective for me. Patricia quietly led me into greater awareness of the things that were not working for me and how to head out of that.

Founder, Educational platform

You deserve the Feminist Tech Career Accelerator because you’re an ambitious woman in tech who wants to achieve success on your terms without burnout

#CareerCoaching #CareerPromotion #CareerProgression #CareerSuccess #WorkLifeCoaching #LifeCoaching #Coachering #Mentoring #WomenInTech #WomenInSTEM #WomenInBusiness #WorkLifeBalance