Leeds has a thriving digital health ecosystem – we are home to 160 med-tech and health informatics companies; we have the largest concentration of health informaticians in the UK; we have 22% of all digital health jobs in the UK in our city.

But how diverse is that ecosystem and what can we do to make it inclusive for everyone?

Diversity in tech is regularly in the headlines, and for good reason. Gender and race bias have been shown to predominate in data driven algorithms – here is just one recent article on the topic from MIT. There is a case that diverse teams have more chance of spotting and correcting bias in data driven digital products and services. We know that diverse leadership at the top of organisations results in better performance. Lastly, we have a skills gap in tech and we need women as well as men to join the sector and, once they are in it, to stay in it. There is both a societal and a business case for more diversity in tech.

Brought to you in partnership with One Health Tech, this event is for anyone who is interested in contributing to making our city the best for a diverse and thriving digital health ecosystem. Join the conversation about how we make this happen.

Chaired by Victoria Betton from the mHabitat team, speakers include Eve Roodhouse, chief officer for economic who will share what Leeds City Council are doing in respect of this important agenda.

Dr Sundiatu Dixon-Fyle is a Senior Expert and the Global Client Development Lead for McKinsey & Company’s Inclusion and Diversity (I&D) service line, which supports clients in designing and delivering tailored strategies to capture the benefits of diversity as a business performance enabler, through increasing representation of diverse talent and fostering inclusiveness.

Louise Sinclair will share the growing international movement that is One Health Tech – promoting diversity in digital health. Louise is the co-founder of One HealthTech, an international community-based network established in 2015 that promotes diversity and inclusion in the healthtech industry. One HealthTech now represents more than 13,000 members engaged in a movement to harness the power of technology for health and care benefits to all.

Lorraine Jackson, deputy director for data policy at NHSX, will talk about how this new unit aims to contribute to the digital health ecosystem in Leeds and current thinking about how we increase diversity in the health tech sphere.

Cleveland Henry, director of Cloud at UK Cloud Health and trustee at Leeds Community Foundation will share his journey in digital health and talk about the work of the Foundation in promoting digital inclusion.

Lianne is a self-taught software developer, cyber security evangelist and entrepreneur who is advocating for equality and accessibility in digital spaces. Following a career change, Lianne is a graduate at NHS Digital at NHS.UK, the UK’s biggest health website. Lianne is passionate about encouraging others to consider a career in tech from non-technical, or underrepresented backgrounds and fights to remove barriers in tech. Promoting her journey into tech through public speaking, Lianne organises successful code clubs for non-technical NHS Digital staff to support digital inclusion across the organisation. She is currently working on an action plan to address NHS Digital’s gender pay gap.​

Tickets are free, but please register to reserve your place.