Spotlighting inclusion, equity, and the people driving change.
Digital Her Day is powered by Manchester Digital’s award-winning Digital Her programme, returning bigger and better in 2026 to champion diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in tech.
This vibrant and inclusive day, part of the Digital Skills Festival and taking place at HOME Manchester, is an interactive alternative to traditional conferences, featuring action-learning workshops, topic-focused panels, inspirational guest speakers and meaningful networking opportunities.
The focus is on creating fairer, more inclusive workplaces within the digital sector. Participants can expect to collaborate, reflect and take actionable steps towards positive change. This day offers a vital space to explore how to build diverse talent pipelines and inclusive cultures that empower women, non-binary people, and other underrepresented groups.
Digital Her Day: Driving Diversity is sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group, AJ Bell and ICO.
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Details
📅 Date: Tuesday 3rd February 2026
🕒 Time: 09:30am - 5:00pm
📍 Location: HOME, 2 Tony Wilson Pl, Manchester M15 4FN
🎟️ Tickets: Free for Manchester Digital members/£15 non-members
🍽️ Lunch & Refreshments provided as part of your ticket.
Manchester Digital members: check your emails/newsletters from us for your discount code or get in touch to request it. Tickets are limited to 4 per company.
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Who should attend
This event is open to anyone passionate about driving diversity and inclusion in tech - whether you're a seasoned professional, an emerging leader, or simply looking to learn and grow in this space. We welcome our existing Digital Her audience as well as new faces.
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Agenda
9:30 – Arrival and Pastries
10:00 – Welcome from Digital Her Team and Day Sponsors
10:20 – Opening Keynote with Jordan Sullivan, The Startup Coalition
Jordan Sullivan will be speaking about Startup Coalition’s Funding the Underfunded campaign, a dedicated programme of work focused on making sure everyone can grow the tech companies of the future. Drawing on data, founder and investor conversations, and existing ecosystem research, the work examines funding disparities across geography, ethnicity, gender, and class, and sets out practical levers government can pull to widen access to capital while growing the sector as a whole.
10:40 - Panel TBA
11:15 - Networking & Refreshments Break
11:30 - Finding Your Voice as a Women in Tech: An Unfiltered Conversation sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group
A straight-talking conversation about building a career in tech on your terms. Suzanne Ellison and Tas Bhamji will share honest stories about starting out, being underestimated to leading at scale. They will talk about confidence as a daily practice; influence you can build and how to keep pace with fast moving tech. Expect reflections on real life moments many of us navigate both in and outside the workplace. Tas brings a Digital view of customer impact at scale. Suzanne shares what it takes to lead in AI and deliver value. Come for the inspiration. Leave with actions to find your voice and own your journey.
12:30 - Lunch
13:30 - How Confidence Shapes Women’s Progression in Fintech sponsored by AJ Bell
14:15 - Inclusive Workforces sponsored by ICO
15:00 - Closing Keynote TBA
15:30 - Drinks Reception
17:00 - Close
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Digital Her Day: Driving Diversity is sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group, AJ Bell and ICO.
"We’re proud to support Manchester’s Digital Skills Festival and Digital Her.
At Lloyds Banking Group we are committed to supporting women across Manchester at every stage of their tech journey, from first steps and career returners to those staying and progressing in the industry. This partnership helps turn advocacy into action so more women can build, lead and thrive."
"At AJ Bell, we’re passionate about celebrating diversity and championing inclusion. Supporting women in tech is a key part of that commitment, and we’re delighted to continue our partnership with Digital Her at the Manchester Digital Skills Festival."
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At Manchester Digital, we believe in creating an inclusive and diverse community where everyone feels welcome and valued. We are committed to ensuring that all our event attendees have a safe, enjoyable experience that meets their needs.
We invite all attendees to contact us if they have any dietary requirements, accessibility needs, or neurodiversity requirements, or if they require accommodations to respect their cultural or religious needs during their visit. We believe that by working together, we can create an environment that is welcoming to all and allows everyone to fully participate in our events.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are always happy to hear from you and to work with you to ensure that our events are accessible and inclusive for everyone.
Please flag any special dietary or accessibility requirements to claire@manchesterdigital.com as soon as possible.
You can download our Code of Conduct here.
