Dr Nora Khaldi, founder and chief executive of Dublin-based Nuritas, has been honoured with the Grace Hopper Award at the recent Diversity in Tech Awards, in partnership with JP Morgan in Dublin’s RDS Concert Hall. Khaldi was among 17 recipients at the inspirational ceremony, which shone a light on individuals and organisations striving to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace.
Grace Hopper Award Sponsored by AWS in Communities
Named after the pioneering computer scientist, the Grace Hopper Award pays tribute and recognises a female STEM professional whose exceptional achievements have made a lasting impact on technology, society, and their profession. Khaldi’s passion for mathematics, biology and science led her to create Nuritas in 2014.
In a rousing speech, Khaldi said that diversity was at the core of how she grew up: “I was born in Africa to an Irish mother and a Pied-Noir...Early on, I decided that I wanted to improve human health.”
She emphasised that diversity was at the core of her culture and her way of working. She dedicated the award to her mother: “Think differently, and don’t be afraid to think differently. She instilled that in me.”
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Diversity Impact Award sponsored by Tata Consultancy Services
Lauded for its work with marginalised communities, the Dublin-based Open Doors Initiative was presented with the special recognition Diversity Impact Award, sponsored by Tata Consultancy Services. The not-for-profit organisation works with Government departments to create pathways to education, employment and entrepreneurship for marginalised people.
Jeanne McDonagh, chief executive of the Open Doors Initiative, spoke about the impact of their work: “I’d like to recognise the 58,000 people we’ve worked with since we began. We take an equitable and holistic view of those who come to our door.
“Some people see work as a necessity to be endured. At the Open Doors Initiative, we see it as a joy and a challenge and a means to help others succeed. Our passion is seeing people from all walks of life overcome barriers and challenges, progress and find their calling.”
McDonagh introduced Barialai Khoshhal, an Afghan refugee living in Ireland since 2021 and has been working with the initiative. Khoshhal has an artist residency at Photo Museum Ireland, supported by Open Doors. He is also currently completing an internship at Wilson Hartnell PR.
Panel discussion
The highlight of the evening was a panel discussion led by Business & Finance deputy editor David Monaghan. The line-up featured inspirational speakers who are known for championing D,E and I causes, including Mary Garvey of JP Morgan, Sandra Healy of Inclusio, Melissa Bosch of EY Ireland, and Siobhan Sweeney of HubSpot. All explored the theme of “The Future of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion”.
Conversation centred on how we can all encourage and promote diversity to ensure workplaces really engender respect for all. The panellists encouraged the audience to raise their voices to champion D,E and I; to be brave and use privilege for the betterment of marginalised peoples; to be uncomfortable and do the difficult thing by engaging in such discussions.
The inspirational panel finished with Melissa Bosch calling the audience to arms: “Be a disruptive voice. Be committed to the process. You need to use the kill switch when you are in situations where you find yourself being biased.”
Other winners
Dublin based Cognizant,was the first winner of the night, taking home the Diverse Company of the Year award, sponsored by Oracle. Cognizant was recognised for driving a people-first culture and striving to cultivate an inclusive work environment in which all employees feel valued, are engaged, and have the opportunity to develop and succeed.
The Data Scientist Award, sponsored by JP Morgan, was awarded to Yen Phan of CodLad in Dublin.
Speaking at the event, Dermot Mackey, CTO for JP Morgan Europe and Dublin head of technology, said the company was delighted to be involved. “JP Morgan is supporting the Diversity In Tech Awards because being an employer of choice for all is our goal. We want everyone to feel welcome and able to contribute to the best of their ability as we make a difference for our clients. Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives are specifically designed to help underrepresented communities chart stronger paths towards high quality careers, economic success and empowerment.
“The work we do in communities is a fundamental part of how we operate and, as announced in early 2018, we will have deployed $1.75 billion in philanthropic capital around the world by 2023.”
The Diversity Role Model Award, sponsored by Verizon, was won by Carmel Owens of Sidero.
LGBTQ+ Inclusion Award was awarded to Oracle. The award was sponsored by Legato.
Kildare-based company Access Earth won the Social Impact Award, sponsored by EPAM Systems.
The Disability Inclusion Award, sponsored by Onclusive, was awarded to Fiserv.
The UCD Smurfit-sponsored Cultural Inclusion Award was won by Dublin-based eBay.
Axonista took home the Health & Wellness Award, sponsored by Unicef.
Dr Mary Coghlan of EY was the winner of the Tech Leader Award, sponsored by FTI Consulting.
The Entrepreneur Award, sponsored by Fiserv, was awarded to Ellen Gunning of Mettacomms.
Rena Maycock of Cilter Technologies was awarded the Trailblazer Award.
The Rising Star Award, sponsored by LEO Dublin, was presented to Alma Tarfa of Workhuman for her work and strength of purpose in her Voices in the Shadow project.
The Digital Transformation Award, sponsored by Search Talent, was awarded to Nitheen Kaperi Sanyal of Merck.
The Mentorship Award, sponsored by CWIT, went to Alison Treacy of Tangent, Trinity’s Ideas Workspace. Her clear and structured approach to mentoring has had a great impact on diversity in funding.
The Young Female STEM Pioneer, sponsored by Dublin Tech Summit, was awarded to Uditi Sharma of Elevate Tech who is based in the United Arab Emirates.
Congratulating the winners, Tracey Carney, managing director of the Diversity in Tech Awards, said: “This is a really special event and we are so excited to finally be able to bring the Diversity in Tech Awards to life, in-person. Originally created by the Dublin Tech Summit team in 2018 as the Women in Tech Awards, the event focused on promoting better balance in tech. In 2020, we pivoted to the Diversity in Tech Awards, and while continuing to keep women in tech as a core part of the agenda, it has grown into a programme celebrating all facets of diversity within the tech industry.
“The event is not only about celebrating excellence but also about sharing knowledge and experience. The calibre of entries this year was exceptional and I want to congratulate each and every one of the amazing finalists and winners who have joined us here tonight.”
Tracey Carney went on to thank the Diversity in Tech Awards’ partners whose support made the event successful and accessible to all. Thank you again to JP Morgan, Oracle, Legato, Tata Consulting Services Ireland, FTI Consulting, AWS in Communities, Fiserv, Verizon, Local Enterprise Office Dublin City, Search Talent, Connecting Women in Tech, Permanent TSB, EPAM, Onclusive, Unicef Ireland and UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate School for your continued support and dedication to driving diversity in the tech industry.