Fostering diversity in tech: Tech Central’s trailblazing approach to inclusivity and innovation
Sydney’s Tech Central innovation hub is turning an entrenched lack of diversity and inclusivity in the tech industry on its head through progressive initiatives aimed at changing the status quo.
According to a 2022 Australian Tech Council Report, a staggering 74% of the tech industry’s workforce are men. But the lack of representation extends beyond women alone. Minority groups such as First Nations people, people with disability, refugees, and LGBTQIA+ people are vastly underrepresented in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) in Australia.
To combat this inequality, a transformative shift to increase diversity in tech is needed, and Tech Central is playing a key role in driving this change.
Welcome to Tech Central
Positioned strategically between the Sydney CBD, world-class universities and Sydney Airport, Tech Central spans six inner-city neighbourhoods and boasts substantial net lettable space. This burgeoning tech hub is not confined to physical infrastructure but also encompasses a visionary plan for the future.
Tech Central welcomes visitors to an innovation ecosystem that stands as a beacon of opportunity and growth. With an estimated value of $68 billion and an influx of $1.3 billion in early-stage funding, Sydney’s tech scene has solidified its position as a formidable player on the global stage.
Ranked as the 20th top startup ecosystem worldwide and holding the prestigious title of number one in the Oceania region, Tech Central embodies the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurial drive that defines this dynamic city.
Inaugural Executive Director of Tech Central, Annie Parker’s vision is for the precinct to be the most welcoming and inclusive innovation district on the planet
A hub of inclusivity and consultation
Inclusivity is woven into the fabric of Tech Central. Under the leadership of inaugural executive director Annie Parker, the precinct prioritises meaningful consultation with diverse communities and minorities.
From the outset, Ms Parker had a vision for Tech Central to become “the world’s most inclusive, sustainable, welcoming, and creative innovation district on the planet”.
“It can be as simple as when we’re hosting a conference or an event, making sure that there is childcare available, making sure there are closed captions on screens so that people who take information in differently don’t feel like they’ve got to sit there and listen to every word and write it down,”
Annie Parker
Executive Director of Tech Central
The Sydney Startup Hub provides 17,000 square metres of affordable office space for startups and scaleups. Encompassing eleven floors of an inner-city building, it’s the highest-density startup space in the Southern Hemisphere and offers a prayer room, a feeding room and a baby-changing room.
“It wasn’t hard,” Ms Parker says. “We didn’t have to build anything completely differently. We just had to consider the needs of all audiences, not just the obvious audiences.”
Importantly, Ms Parker acknowledges the significance of the land on which Tech Central stands, having been a place for First Nations peoples to connect, trade and share knowledge for 65,000 years. Regular consultation with First Nations representatives is an integral part of that acknowledgement.
“We’ve been in consultation with the New South Wales Indigenous Chamber of Commerce in Redfern and with other Indigenous leaders to try and understand some of the ways we can ensure that we’re creating economic outcomes and skills for their community.”
Liam Ridgeway, Co-Founder at Indigitek, is amplifying First Nations participation at Tech Central Creator: Joseph Mayers | Credit: Joseph Mayers Photography
Forging new pathways into STEAM for First Nations peoples
Liam Ridgeway is Co-Founder at Indigitek, a not-for-profit organisation based at Tech Central that aims to increase the participation of First Nations peoples in the tech industry through building awareness in communities, working with quality training providers to create job readiness and partnering with top tech companies to facilitate internships and ongoing job opportunities.
A proud descendant of the Gumbaynggirr and Dunghutti in northern New South Wales, the Kullilli people of central Queensland and the Wakka Wakka people of southern Queensland, he says Tech Central has opened up new pathways into STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) for First Nations people both in the city and in remote communities.
“Over the last five years, the changes that have taken place include more access to STEAM learning pathways and a lot of organisations wanting to explore, support, and invest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” he says. “I use ‘STEAM’, incorporating arts into STEM, because it’s a pathway for some people in community, along with the technology pathway. So an artist might become a graphic designer as a career pathway.
“STEAM is, internationally, a massive and growing space, and the goal is to be able to look at how we’re bringing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people along on that journey.”
Liam Ridgeway
Co-Founder at Indigitek
Mr Ridgeway says Tech Central transcends the physical boundaries of Sydney and operates as a dynamic space where First Nations people feel welcome and free to come and go, or connect remotely.
“What you’re doing is creating a safe space for someone who can potentially be there permanently, but also creating a space for young people who live in regional and remote areas to feel comfortable and safe to actually come in when they need to and create that opportunity for exposure. The more you create that exposure, then you start to kind of stretch that comfort zone a little bit at a time.
“Someone might not travel to Sydney for a few years, but they have a relationship with Tech Central online. So by the time they physically arrive, they’re like, ’Oh, okay, I’m familiar with this because I have this relationship digitally’.
“Spaces like Tech Central enable anyone to have a conversation about their challenges and problems, free from judgement – and also the opportunities that come with that,” Mr Ridgeway says. “Everyone can walk into the space to connect and share. Everyone is equal. I think it’s important to make sure that Tech Central is a place for people to actually start building themselves up.”
“Spaces like Tech Central enable anyone to have a conversation about their challenges and problems, free from judgement – and also the opportunities that come with that. Everyone can walk into the space to connect and share. Everyone is equal. I think it’s important to make sure that Tech Central is a place for people to actually start building themselves up.”
Liam Ridgeway
Co-Founder at Indigitek
Sally-Ann Williams, CEO of Cicada Innovations
Empowering women in tech
Some of the most successful companies at Tech Central are led by women. Sally-Ann Williams is the CEO of Cicada Innovations, Australia’s leading deep tech incubator, while software giant Atlassian’s chief of staff is the visionary Amy Glancey. Biotechnology researchers Adjunct Professor Alison Todd, AM and Dr Elisa Mokany lead the revolutionary diagnostic testing company SpeeDx and University of New South Wales Scientia Professor Michelle Simmons AO has elevated Australia to the forefront of global quantum computing research.
The Sydney-based Springboard Enterprises Australia (SBE Australia) supports female entrepreneurs, particularly in the tech and life sciences industries. It assists with ideation for startups, acceleration programs for companies wanting to scale globally, and access to support networks of mentors, business experts and investors.
Scientia Professor Michelle Simmons AO
An impressive 60% of Australia’s fintechs are based in NSW, with 24% of these founded by women, but there is still a long way to go to address the gender imbalance traditionally seen in the tech industry. Startups and small-to-medium enterprises are responsible for over 40% of job creation in Australia. However, globally, only 16% of startups are founded or co-founded by women, and only 25% of women pursue careers in technology.
To address this imbalance, the NSW Government is supporting initiatives that enhance employment prospects for women in emerging technologies. In June 2023, Minister for Industry and Trade, announced an extended Female Founders Program.
This program will be administered by Tech Ready Women, an organisation dedicated to fostering and expanding the network of women in the NSW startup community via the Sydney Startup Hub, based at Tech Central.
Tech Ready Women previously conducted the Female Founders Program in 2021/22, providing mentorship to 150 women. In collaboration with Investment NSW, the program will now double its training capacity and reach a broader network of women, including those from regional NSW.
The Female Founders Program will now offer 300 training positions, guiding participants through every stage of the startup journey, from validating ideas to pitching to investors. The program aims to equip women with the necessary skills and knowledge to develop and expand their ideas, making meaningful contributions to the tech industry.
Tech Central is pioneering change in the tech industry by creating more opportunities for women in a traditionally male-dominated industry
Forging the path towards diversity, inclusion and innovation
Tech Central stands as a beacon of diversity, inclusion, and innovation within Sydney’s tech landscape. It boldly challenges historically entrenched underrepresentation, fostering the inclusion of First Nations peoples, women and regional voices. Through consultation, purpose-driven development and a commitment to inclusivity, Tech Central is propelling change across the industry.
