Faiza Yousuf is a multifaceted open source technologist. She wears many hats, serving as the CTO of a stealth-mode startup, working as a product consultant, and running WomenInTechPK, a 6000+ member community for women in Pakistan. In addition to these roles, Faiza also runs a Coding Bootcamp in Karachi, PK with her partner Shamim Rajani, which has taught over 700 girls how to code, and have placed many of them in paid internships and jobs!

Despite already organizing her own massive tech community, Faiza is also the Pakistani chapter leader of CryptoChicks, through which she has hosted numerous hackathons. Faiza also regularly speaks at engagements both locally and internationally, having most recently delivered talks on Empathy in Business, and served on panels discussing the challenges that women face in the workplace.

“My team and I have been working tirelessly to create a better tech ecosystem locally and so far we have seen that the first step is to make people aware of their biases and to learn to distinctly see stereotypes and not let them cloud their judgement. Understanding our biases is the first step towards learning to value and appreciate all people.”

When asked about her perspective on inclusion in the tech industry, Faiza added that, “The next step is to have more role models for women, for people of color, for differently-abled people, for people from underprivileged or disadvantaged backgrounds.”

Even with her busy schedule, Faiza is an avid reader, and commits herself to reading one book every week! She encourages people, who would like to attend one of her local conferences, or international talks, to keep an eye on her Twitter page: @FaizaYousuf, where she will update you in the coming year!