Wominspiration: Dr Pearl Jarrett - How to be a Disruptive Changemaker

Join us in conversation with Pearl to learn how a non-techy is solving global water supply challenges with her green tech innovation. Having fought to overcome cancer, Pearl was determined to let nothing hold her back in making the world a better place.

Starting a tech business as a mature Black woman, she has overcome numerous barriers, and broken through all the glass ceilings.

In this fireside chat, we’ll discuss Pearl’s story: -Reinventing herself post-cancer -Getting into tech -Breaking barriers as a mature Black woman tech entrepreneur and innovator.

SPEAKER

Dr Pearl Jarrett – Multi-award winning Disruptive Changemaker

Interviewer: Jo Stansfield – Founder and Director, Inclusioneering Ltd & Treasurer at BCSWomen

AGENDA

• 18:30 – Presentation begins
• 19:30 – Audience Q&A
• 19:45 – End of presentation – networking with refreshments at the BCS London office
• 21:00 – End of event

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Dr Pearl Jarrett is a multi-award winning Disruptive Changemaker who has devoted her life to impacting the world.

As the Founder and CEO of The Jarrett Foundation and Veranda Connect Ltd, she’s at the forefront of philanthropy and innovation. In 2005, Dr Jarrett was diagnosed with Cancer.

After a harrowing battle, she emerged victorious and decided to use her second chance to make a difference. Today, she works at the highest levels of government in Jamaica and in the UK she’s an adviser to New Scotland Yard and No 10 Downing Street.

In Jamaica, The Jarrett Foundation has delivered over half a million pounds ($634k) worth of furniture and new school resources to 136 schools. In 2021, the Foundation helped Jamaica fight COVID-19 by donating 2 million face masks worth £620k ($787k), which were distributed free of charge.

In the UK, Dr Jarrett runs a youth mentoring program for disadvantaged youth and is driving a London-wide reducing knife crime school program in association with New Scotland Yard and Tesco.

She recently delivered a Masterclass for Upskill Me to over 300 young women in STEM and their Mentors from companies such as Google, Meta, Dyson, etc. She’s also an Ambassador for “Home For Good” a fostering and adoption agency.

Dr Jarrett is an entrepreneur, doctor, actor, singer, public speaker, musical theatre producer, playwright, and mentor as “Aunty Pearl” to numerous young people. She’s the Founder of Veranda Connect Ltd, that developed the “Sustainable Water Ecosystem,” producing free water from the air, powered by the sun. Her biggest achievement however, is that she is a wife and mother of 3 phenomenal children and has been married for 33 years to her best friend and hero, Dr Errord Jarrett.

Jo Stansfield Jo is an independent Diversity, Equity and Inclusion consultant, supporting technology and engineering organisations. She has held leadership roles in industry, including as Director for People Data and Insights at a leading FTSE 100 technology firm.

Alongside this, Jo holds a number of voluntary positions. She is a Trustee and member of Council for BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, co-chair of BCS Women, Fellow of AI ethics and audit charity, ForHumanity, and serves on the Industry Advisory Board for Techup Skills Bootcamp.

Jo began her career as an engineer, developing enterprise software for global industry, spanning oil & gas, automotive, aerospace and marine sectors. Having pivoted her focus from the technical to human dimensions of engineering, Jo now works as a Business Psychologist.

She holds an MSc in Organisational and Business Psychology, with thesis research topic “Lessons for Gender and Racial Diversity within Technology”. She brings deep understanding of the engineering culture, and lived experience as a woman within it, to her work in support of diversity and inclusion in tech and engineering domains.

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