Sophie Creese is the unstoppable force behind MotherBoard, a business charter, community, event series and podcast that’s actually making a difference for mums in tech (hell yeah!).

If that wasn’t impressive enough, Sophie also co-founded Hey Flow. The learning and development (L&D) tool uses data surveys to help build inclusive businesses – let’s face it, we could all use a little more inclusivity in our lives.

We’re thrilled to have Sophie on our podcast, and we only had to promise her a few bad tech jokes to get her onboard. But really, who can resist a chance to talk with someone so inspiring. Keep reading for our highlights and learn what it takes to be a more inclusive employer.

Sophie aims to fix the mid-30s tech exodus among women through MotherBoard: “We are trying to rectify that bottleneck of women leaving the industry because it means there aren’t enough women going into leadership roles.” Respect! Tackling this underrepresentation really matters, as we need to include all kinds of voices and viewpoints to create a more welcoming and fair tech scene for everyone.

“Employers need to take action,” Sophie continues. “They can start by signing up to the MotherBoard business charter. They create pledges and work towards them every year. The charter holds them accountable. We support them through educational events and workshops. We also produce an annual impact report each year, highlighting what they’ve achieved and how they can continue to improve.”

“It’s about feeling,” Sophie highlights. “We need to be able to tap into how women are feeling and why they’re leaving at 35. One theme stands out.”

“It’s especially hard for mothers in the fast-paced tech industry,” Sophie says. “When they return to work after maternity leave, they might need to learn new skills to keep up with industry changes. Unfortunately, many employers fail to provide sufficient upskilling opportunities, leaving these women at a disadvantage and causing them to fall behind in the industry.”

“They need to understand what’s holding their female employees back but also their male employees,” Sophie shares.

“Businesses need to have open conversations with their employees,” Sophie continues. “This means finding out what each individual wants and needs, whether it’s a longer paternity leave, flexible work arrangements or something else entirely. It comes down to employers understanding their employees better.”

Sophie also explains how Hey Flow, the L&D and survey app, can help businesses bridge the gap between policy and feelings. “The survey results reveal areas where support is needed for women going through things like pregnancy or menopause. Using these insights, specific workshops and other educational events are designed to address the gaps between how leaders think their team feels and how they actually feel.” Invaluable, right?

“By planning ahead and continually evaluating progress, you can achieve your goals,” says Sophie, pumping us up more than a caffeine-infused, confetti-filled office party.

She continues: “It’s a long-term journey with varying results of different businesses. Some we’ve spoken to recently are doing really well. Other businesses haven’t had such an immediate effect. And it’s harder for small businesses because the gender balance can shift by just one person leaving. But by putting the right policies in place and holding yourselves to account, that’s ultimately going to impact your business’ inclusivity long-term.”

Sophie aims to bring the gender balance game to a 50-50 score. A key move involves schooling everyone on the ins and outs of keeping women in the game and navigating the twists and turns of reproductive health. She also points out how: