Diversity in Action - Aïssata Koité, Yvee CEO
💖 The purpose of The Allyance is to help both companies and candidates: companies wanting to reach excellence in hiring and candidates wanting to find the perfect companies.
In addition to offering Diversity trainings, The Allyance is highlighting role models. We strongly believe everyone can ensure companies are more diverse and inclusive
Aïssata Koité is a woman to follow. Her devotion to help people who want to join the tech industry is inspiring! ➡️ Let’s meet Aïssata and understand her CEO position at HelloAda and Yvee.io.
__ __ __🔗 DIVERSITY IN ACTION N°5 - AÏSSATA KOITE
__ __ __Who are you? Tell us everything!
☀️ My name is Aïssata Koité, I am 29 years old. I was born in Northern France. I am happily married with two children. For several years, I worked as an accountant. In 2019, I decided to train myself in computer programming to be able to code. It became my new passion!
🌟 Fun fact is that I was expecting my second child while following the training, so I had to continue with homeschooling, self-learning and MOOCs… That was not easy but I did it! So now I can say I am a Wonder Mama. I am very proud of this experience.
Whats is HelloAda?
It first started as a blog about women and tech. I mostly shared interviews with committed women. One thing leading to another, people got inspired and women looking for a job, internship or apprenticeship started to contact me. Then, I launched a LinkedIn network.
Today, HelloAda is a professional network for women joining the tech sector. This network is meant to be open and accessible to everyone who’s interested. We frequently organize “talk and brunches” events where professionals can share their experience with others. Despite the sanitary context and thanks to online tools, these talks kept happening in order for the community to stay active. In November 2020, we dedicated sessions to Artificial Intelligence to introduce this sector and jobs to women willing to join the field.
We also have a program for women from working-class areas, named Parcours Ada (“Ada Journey”). We support women throughout their entire professional journey: training, mentoring, and finding an opportunity in computer programming. For now, it is only happening in the city of Epinay-sur-Seine (Paris’ region) because the city is sponsoring our work. We want it to get broader in the future!
Why did you create HelloAda? What problem are you trying to solve?
🔊 I wanted to tell my story, hoping it would inspire other women. I really enjoyed my career change, so I wanted to prove to others that none of that is out of reach, and that tech is not only for men. I truly wanted to gather women in tech in a sisterhood.
I don’t like to speak about “problems to solve” because I am committed to a positive approach. But yes, I witnessed that there was no ecosystem around career change, so why not start one with HelloAda? Plus, I noticed a lack of role models from diversity in the tech sector. My main objective is to put them in the spotlight… because they exist! They just need their fair share of consideration.
You also started Yvee.io? What is it?
✔️ Yvee is a company which is currently under construction. This online platform is comparable to Welcome to the Jungle, except it is dedicated to career change in the tech sector.
We want it to be based on the candidates’ passion, whether it’s foodtech, biotech, medtech… in order to guarantee a sustainable recruitment for the employee and the company. Here is a fact : “If you do what you like, you’ll just stay longer”.
For instance, Yvee provides a guide on a professional career change, as well as a matching platform between candidates and companies.
Why did you start your own company?
I’ve always wanted to be my own boss and be able to manage my projects my way. That is why I worked as a freelance accountant for a while : I was more free and had time to think about my next project.
According to you, why do companies have a hard time hiring people from underrepresented groups?
🔎 Honestly, I see two different worlds. I guess that people from diverse backgrounds do not share the same social codes, which creates apprehension. How can they be sure that collaborating with someone so different from them is going to work?
Currently, I am working with HR professionals to better understand the reluctance to recruit candidates after a career change, as well as people from diversity. What often comes up is fear: fear that something might go wrong by recruiting someone so different from the profiles they are used to hire.
I am not sure that these apprehensions have solid grounds: I think business has to let go of these fears and just look at the profile and competences.
What would you recommend to people from minorities who are looking for a job?
📍 First, because it is my favorite topic, I would encourage them to thoroughly work on their career change. It is utterly important to self-train in order to know where one’s going, then do a training, and most of all, create a professional identity.
What I often notice is that people from diverse backgrounds often forget to think about their professional visibility on the job market . This is something you can learn in private schools like business schools for example. But these schools are not affordable for everyone, which creates a gap. So yes, I would recommend them to just be bold and contact new people to expand their network. That is exactly how I met Caroline, by the way!
What’s your point of view about Diversity & Inclusion?
🌈 It is really a shame that in France,companies put many talentuous people aside. In other countries, like the United Kingdom for example, where diversity is less of a problem, companies are more competitive and productive. On the other hand, it is important to stay out of diversity washing. Diversity and inclusion are not tokens, but true assets if you know them well enough. With Yvee, our goal is to change mentalities: everyone must be included. Let’s work towards success!
How do you describe yourself? A Diversity Advocate? An ally?
👉🏾 I feel like a diversity and inclusion revolutionary! I am making space for everyone, changing the world with my shepherd stick (laughs). Surprinsingly, I never had to suffer from discrimination in the workplace.
I never had a hard time finding a job, mostly because in accounting, lots of candidates are from diverse backgrounds. I know I am an exception though: I see people struggling and want to give them the boldness and leadership that brought me where I am today.
Why would you recommend other companies to work with The Allyance? How do you know Caroline?
💝 Actually, I met her on social media! I interviewed Samah Ghalloussi, founder of AALIA.tech and discovered WIMLDS. Then I followed her on every social media and we started talking and sharing experiences.
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CONCLUSION
A few words from Caroline, The Allyance CEO:
“We need more role models such as Aïssata! I like her fearless and curious spirit. I am happy she reached out to me in order to introduce HelloAda and Yvee. I believe creating partnerships with inspired people is instrumental in order to move the D&I lines!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: ✒️ Léa C, The Allyance Contributor:
“I joined The Allyance after Caroline and I met at a ionnalee’s concert! I am a freelance translator and content writer (French, English, Spanish and German). I also work as an administrative employee in the health and data science sector. So, I am not far from Caroline’s core topic! I am very active as a volunteer in social and environmental NGOs, where I always try to put intersectionality at the center of actions because I am convinced that every cause is linked to one another. It is readily apparent that Caroline and I share a lot of common interests, which is why we as friends decided to work together!”