This International Women’s Day we want to highlight the inspiring stories of the women who form part of the Nigerian tech community. Find out more about Stephany Orkuma and others on how they have been inspired to become forces in the industry. We sat down for an interview with some women that we have come across in our capacity as a fintech and had them share their insights about their past, their present and their future.
Stephany Orkuma
UX Designer (Welkom-U, Freelancer)
Q: Can you tell us about your early life?
A: Growing up as the last born and only female child, I already envisioned an adulthood of ease, bliss and luxury. I was everyone’s favorite and they would always spoil me at any chance they get; my dad would give me the most part of his fish or meat during meals, then write love letters to me. My mum would buy almost anything I wanted including a guitar at 14years that I lost interest in soon after purchase. My brothers, oh those sweet souls. They’d carry out my chores for me, volunteer to run my errands and agree to eat my vegetables for me because I hated them. And so I barely prepared for a career life. That is until my dad died in 2020 and reality hit me in the face. I couldn’t simply rely on family, I needed to build my own life, make my own money, and smash my own goals. Enter: UX Design.
Q: What achievements are you most proud of so far?
A: My journey into UX Design has been a lot smoother than most I’ve heard of, and that for me, is my greatest achievement thus far. Just 3 months after l begun learning UX Design, I got my first job with a startup based in Canada, where I continue to work till this day. And it all began with a design on the TL, a DM from the CEO, and 2 interview rounds. As I clocked one year at Welkom-u, I received a promotion and a staff of the year award. Of course, I felt undeserving of both, but I work hard, show up everyday, improve my skill, step out of my comfort zone, and put my best into every task. Looks like none of it went unnoticed. This is my second year in tech and in this time, I have worked on a dozen products, written multiple UX articles, directly and indirectly mentored scores of designers, got featured on a podcast, received job offers, and more recently,10x’d my income. Most importantly though, I became better. At everything.
Q: As a woman in tech, what challenges have you faced?
A: At the start of my career, I had a potential client try to get personal with me. I turned him down politely, but as expected, I didn’t get to work on the project. I still have no idea if I was rejected because of my skill level or because of my gender. A good guess says it is my gender…or more precisely the fact that I refused to have a non-professional relationship. While this may have been a one off experience for me, it speaks to the broader discourse on women getting turned down for opportunities because they wouldn’t accept the inappropriate advances of the men they’re trying to work for. Beyond this however, is the condescension that I’ve seen men throw in the way of women who are into UX Design. They have openly tweeted about women getting into this area of tech because it is seemingly easy and does not require as much work as other areas do, implying that we are lazy, somewhat dumb, and altogether on the bottom rung of the tech ladder. So we are in tech, but not tech enough for them. Once, I heard a guy say to another guy who wanted to get into UX Design “You be woman?”
Q: Can you describe any impact you have made on your community?
A: My friends and I started a community called Design Creek. An environment for designers to connect, learn from each other, build friendships, bounce off ideas, seek solutions to problems, access resources, and ultimately grow. We’ve kept the community small for accountability sake and we’ve watched the growth of most people in different aspects. Recently, I took in my first mentee, a very passionate young woman whose dedication keeps me on my toes. I have been able to amass a lot of knowledge and a bit of skill and being able to pour all this into someone else has been incredibly fulfilling. I see myself mentoring a few others in the near future.
Q: What personal insights have you gained throughout your life?
A: As I think of future plans, only two things come to mind…growing and helping others grow. I will be throwing myself completely into learning, building myself, seeking new and challenging experiences, and getting better at everything I do. I will also be accepting more speaking opportunities as I have turned down dozens in the last 6 months (mostly because of the anxiety I face). But I have learned too much to hold it all in…I must release it into the world. And in the same spirit, I will open up my calendar for one on one mentorship sessions with anyone interested. Much later, I will take on a second full time mentee. I am also working on my first book. Fingers crossed on that one.