Kasia Dutch is an advocate and mentor for women in tech and a software engineer at Starling Bank.
As part of the Assurance team, she builds tools that protect customers and ensure errors are rectified. Previously, she spent three years at an EdTech startup, developing a training platform that empowered frontline workers to excel in their roles. Throughout her career, she has found fulfilment using her skills to add value to people’s lives. Kasia’s journey into software engineering was unconventional. At university, she studied Russian and Chinese and now appreciates applying her passion for languages to problem-solving and creativity. She began her career working in HR, motivated by the opportunity to support and develop employees. During the pandemic, her career switch into tech started on a bootcamp where she was the only woman in a cohort of thirteen trainees, reflecting the existing gender imbalance in the industry. This experience ignited her drive to make tech more inclusive and it is her ongoing mission to empower people from underrepresented backgrounds in their careers. As a mentor with organisations like One Million Mentors and Next Tech Girls, Kasia guides aspiring technologists through career transitions and technical challenges. She has given many women their first introduction to coding through teaching with Code First Girls and serves as an ambassador for Girl Code. Public speaking has become a key part of her advocacy, and she has delivered talks on building support networks in tech to inspire others to find their place in the industry.