I had the privilege of representing Thinkroom at Innovation City’s Digital Divas 2025 event, themed “Becoming.” I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But when we started playing bingo as an icebreaker, I knew this wasn’t going to be one of those stiff “sit in rows and listen” kind of days. Within minutes, I was laughing with women I’d never met before, and real conversations started flowing.
Even the gift bag made me smile. A 100-watt charging cable (yes, I’ve already used it), eco-friendly beauty goodies, and a glass water bottle were practical but thoughtful gifts. And throughout the day, we were nudged to connect through the Kernections app. It all felt really intentional, in a way that said: you belong here.
The workshops throughout the day gave me a lot to reflect on. Neesa Moodley, Business Editor at the Daily Maverick, spoke on financial freedom, challenging us to rethink how we manage money. She said: “Higher income earners can be spendthrifts because they always think they have enough.” Ouch, right? But, she’s not wrong! Her tips were practical: track your debts, track your assets, cut back on those extra subscriptions. No fluff, just things I could take home and actually do.
Then there was Michelle Greer from Adbot, who reminded us that, for women in tech, “power is confidence” and sometimes, the communities we join end up giving us the answers we didn’t even know we were looking for. I loved this!
Lise Stefanski added: “You can go further together than alone.” Sitting there, it felt true. We don’t have to do this journey in isolation.
And Egla Ntumba from Misfit Ventures dropped a stat that made the room go quiet: “Out of every 100 people, 59 will need retraining by 2030.” Her point? Stay curious, stay digitally fluent, and never stop learning. She also reminded us: “Networks take you further than anything else in the world.”
Reconnecting with both Michelle and Egla made the day even more meaningful. I initially connected with Michelle during the Grindstone Boost programme, and it was such a highlight to see her again at this event. And with Egla, whom I’d shared the stage with at the Big 5 Summit earlier this year, her energy and passion for entrepreneurship in Africa once again left me inspired.
The energy built up to the pitch competition. Five founders, three minutes each, and so much passion in the room.
And finally, Lawyered Up, pitched by Serisha Barrett. Her idea is simple but so powerful: an AI platform that makes legal services accessible and affordable for SMEs. She spoke with such humility and clarity, and when she held up that giant cheque for R100,000 from Thinkroom, the whole room lit up.
The other founders didn’t leave empty-handed either. Emma Heap from Sudo is joining our funding pipeline for future opportunities. Noli Jansson from Nest will receive marketing and design support for branding, and Katie Borland from Noodies gets a complimentary Go-To-Market package. And Este Burger from BioCode will be introduced to three international investors. Plus, because pitching is hard work, all five founders received pamper massage vouchers!
One of my favourite moments was the game Meet the Matriarch. Armed with conversation cards, we asked each other questions like: What part of yourself are you most proud of right now? or What’s something you’ve forgiven that set you free? I can’t describe how quickly those questions changed the tone in the room. Suddenly, we weren’t talking about work or roles; we were talking about ourselves, opening up to the most surprising and honest conversations. For me, that was one of the best parts of the day.
There were also future-facing talks, including an eye-opening session on FemTech by Suzaan Sauerman, who shared that in the US, women’s health trials only began in 1993! She spoke about the rise of AI-driven diagnostics, wearables, and non-invasive testing, showing us how technology could radically transform women’s health in the years ahead.
By the end of the day, I realised what made Digital Divas different: it wasn’t just the speakers or the prize money. It was the way women came together, not just networking, but genuinely connecting. I had conversations that went deeper than the usual “what do you do?” and walked away with new ideas and maybe even a bit more courage.
Michelle had said earlier, “You don’t always know what you need until you need it.” Looking back, I think that’s what this event gave me: things I didn’t know I needed, inspiration, a few practical nudges, and a reminder of what becoming really is: Not doing it all on your own but finding yourself in the company of women who remind you that you already belong.
Hope to see you there next year!
