Diversity as a driver: AI entrepreneur helps women find their footing in tech

Rasmus Hørving-Mulberg
October 2, 2024

Rasmus Hørving-Mulberg

@Rasmus

This post is also available in: Danish

She had never considered that she could be a mentor to someone. But when a message arrived at Nanna Bach Munkholm’s door, it was a scenario she had to consider. It was also the start of a fruitful collaboration with ReDI School, which works to give women with foreign backgrounds better job opportunities through tech. The message was from Silvina Nasisi, who was a student there and needed to expand her network.

“I first got involved with ReDI School when Silvina wrote to me on LinkedIn. She asked if I could mentor her. I had never mentored anyone before, so I thought: “Can I really do that? Can I mentor someone?” I had just started working for Trifork and at the same time started a new project that later became Roccai, so I was really busy at the time. But she had the courage to reach out to me, so I thought we could meet and see where it would lead. That’s how I joined ReDI School,” says Nanna Bach Munkholm.

Nanna Bach Munkholm is now CTO and co-founder of AI startup Roccai in Aarhus. And it was immediately clear that she just had to throw herself into the role of mentor for women who want to get a foot in the door in the tech industry. Often, it’s not technical skills that are a barrier.

“I love seeing these amazing women grow and fulfill their potential. I’ve seen how their confidence is often very low because they’re new to a new country and are met with so many rejections when they apply for jobs, even though they’re actually talented and have the necessary skills. I have mentored several women and helped them believe in themselves so they can go to job interviews with confidence,” says Nanna Bach Munkholm.

She replied the same day!

Silvina Nasisi had arrived in Denmark from Argentina a year earlier. She has a background as a translator, but quickly realized that her future should be more in the direction of coding and programming.

“I was working as a freelance translator, but I quickly got tired of it. I could also see how machine learning and AI were taking over that type of work. So I decided to learn how the technology behind it works so that I could secure a job in the future,” says Silvina Nasisi and continues:

“I had been in Denmark for a year and was completely new to coding. One of our tasks at ReDI School was to find a mentor so we could start building a network. The other part of the task was to find a company where we could get data to work with. I felt completely lost as I didn’t know many people in Denmark.”

Silvina Nasisi had previously come across Nanna Bach Munkholm online and decided to contact her.

“Nanna popped up as a suggested contact on Instagram, so I checked out her profile and thought: “She never replies to me.” But I decided I could try anyway. However, I didn’t post on Instagram as it seemed too unprofessional. Instead, I found her on LinkedIn, because at ReDI School I had heard that LinkedIn was important for networking in Denmark. I had one. I wrote her a message and to my surprise, she replied the same day! We agreed to meet and that’s how it started,” says Silvina Nasisi, who is currently studying a master’s degree in linguistics at Aarhus University.

A white man in a blue shirt

At ReDI School Aarhus, there is great enthusiasm for companies that, like Roccai, provide resources in the form of mentoring or internships.

“It means everything. Companies like Danske Bank, Grundfos and many others have taken women from ReDI School on internships and it gives them the experience they need. It makes a big difference when our students can go out into the workplace and use the skills they have learned. This is where they really get an understanding of how Danish society works and it gives them a chance to get a foothold in the labor market,” says Leonel Barbe, Head of ReDI School in Aarhus.

He calls for a higher degree of openness in Denmark, as many of the students at ReDI School are highly qualified and have good educations. Yet they are still being excluded from the labor market.

“We’re trying to get more companies to open their doors to our students. A lot of recruiters tend to look for the same ‘type’ of person – often a white man in a blue shirt. We want companies to give a little more space and take a chance on people who don’t necessarily fit the traditional profile. Diversity brings innovation and it’s an investment in both companies and society as a whole,” says Leonel Barbe.

Can grow personally and professionally

The mentor meeting was an eye-opener for both Silvina Nasisi and Nanna Bach Munkholm. They were both in an unfamiliar situation.

“I was very open to Silvina and said it was my first time as a mentor, so we had to figure it out together. My job was mainly to motivate her and help her with coding. She was struggling to find a company where she could get data for her tasks, so I opened up my network to her and introduced her to a colleague who helped her further. For me, it was mostly about giving her confidence and showing that she was actually super good at coding,” says Nanna Bach Munkholm.

After the mentoring program, they still met occasionally, and Nanna Bach Munkholm continued to mentor a number of other women at ReDI School. When Silvina Nasisi needed an internship in connection with her studies, she had no doubt who she should write to. So, of course, a LinkedIn message landed with Nanna Bach Munkholm and her AI startup Roccai, where Silvina Nasisi is now an intern.

“Being at Roccai means a lot to me. I learn not only about programming, but also about soft skills like teamwork. It’s a place where I feel I can grow both professionally and personally. I look forward to being there even when I’m tired as it’s a great place to be and learn,” says Silvina Nasisi.

UGENS STARTUP:

Aarhus