Why Tech Beyond Gender Exists
Throughout my career, I have always been drawn to understanding people — what holds them back, what inspires them, and what helps them move forward. Tech Beyond Gender began through conversations with women and gender-diverse professionals in technology, but over time those conversations revealed something broader about confidence, connection, visibility and opportunity.
— Meena Satishkumar, Founder
The Problem We Are Trying to Address
Human Potential Exists Everywhere. Opportunity Does Not.
Throughout our work, we repeatedly encounter the same challenge.
Many capable people never fully realise what they are capable of.
Not because they lack talent, intelligence or ambition, but because confidence, visibility, support networks and opportunities are often missing.
At the same time, organisations genuinely want their people to thrive, yet many continue to ask:
- What helps people feel engaged and connected?
- What creates confidence and belonging?
- How do we create environments where people can do their best work?
The answers are rarely found in a single programme or initiative. They emerge through stories, experiences, relationships and conversations.
Tech Beyond Gender exists to explore those questions, amplify the voices that help answer them, and create greater confidence, visibility and opportunity for people and workplaces to thrive.
Our Journey
How we got here?
Tech Beyond Gender began with a simple goal: to better understand the experiences of women and underrepresented groups in technology and create a platform where their voices could be heard.
Through hundreds of conversations, research projects and community engagement initiatives, we discovered something larger.
Again and again, people spoke about confidence, visibility, belonging, opportunity and the workplace experiences that shaped their careers and lives.
What started as a conversation about gender in technology evolved into a broader exploration of what helps people thrive.
Today, Tech Beyond Gender remains committed to amplifying voices, building confidence and creating opportunities — while staying true to the mission that started it all.
Impact & Recognition
Our work has contributed to national conversations on workplace culture, inclusion, leadership and the future of work.
Through research, media engagement, industry events and community initiatives, Tech Beyond Gender has helped amplify perspectives that might otherwise go unheard.
Featured in:
- TVNZ Breakfast
- Newstalk ZB
- Mediaworks Radio News
- NZ Herald
- Business Desk
- National Business Review (NBR), 2025
- The Rising Conference, 2024
- AWS Community Day Aotearoa, 2025
- Cloud Native Summit New Zealand, 2024
- Indian Newslink
- Indian Weekender
Research findings and insights have also been shared across industry events, leadership forums and community initiatives.
TVNZ – The Breakfast Show
The Rising 2024
Newstalk ZB Radio
Mediaworks Radio News
Newstalk ZB Newsbulletin AM
Newstalk ZB Newsbulletin PM
Business Desk – Podcast with Ben Moore and Peter Griffin
News Articles
NZ Herald – Women in tech face bias and career curbs – study
Indian Newslink – Discrimination restricts progress of women as technocrats
What We Believe
We believe:
- Human potential exists everywhere.
- Confidence can be developed.
- Stories can inspire change.
- Access to opportunity can change lives.
- Diverse perspectives strengthen organisations.
- Small conversations can create powerful ripples of impact.
Meet the Founder
Meena Satishkumar founded Tech Beyond Gender after years of working across education, technology and community initiatives, where she witnessed how confidence, encouragement and opportunity can transform lives.
Her journey began in education, supporting mature students returning to study and seeing firsthand the impact that belief and support can have on a person’s future. Later, as a migrant building a new life and career in New Zealand, she experienced many of the same challenges herself — finding opportunities, building networks and creating a sense of belonging.
Throughout her career, a common theme emerged. Whether working with students, technology professionals, workplace leaders or community groups, the people who thrived were not always the most talented or experienced. They were often the people who had access to confidence, encouragement, visibility and opportunity.
These experiences inspired Meena to create Tech Beyond Gender — a platform that brings together stories, research, mentoring and meaningful conversations to help people realise their potential and help organisations better understand what enables people to thrive.
Today, she continues to lead workplace research, host leadership conversations, mentor professionals and create initiatives that amplify voices, build confidence and create opportunity.