Editorialist Interview with Sinéad Bovell
Sinéad Bovell is forging a new path for underrepresented faces within the tech industry. Here’s how… Read an excerpt below and see the entire interview on Editorialist.com
Technology is our future and Sinéad Bovell is bringing a fresh perspective, fiercely leading the charge to close the gap that exists in tech education. Bovell easily maneuvers through the world of modeling and technology as the creator of Weekly Advice For Young Entrepreneurs (WAYE), a platform that teaches “non-traditional and minority market youth about business, technology, and the future.”
A true chameleon, Bovell masterfully blends her worlds. “Days will start for me at 6 AM. I’m on panels or doing keynotes. And then off to a modeling set, sneaking out on lunch to build a [tech] model or take calls,” she says. “Logistically, it’s crazy but I’m proud to walk into a tech room and say that I work as a model and vice versa. Many of us are more than one thing. Our passions lie in many different areas.”
As a Black woman and model Bovell recalls feeling discredited, overlooked, and undervalued while navigating the male-dominated tech industry, but her spirit remains indomitable. Bovell understands that the work she is doing in these spaces is shattering ceilings and creating opportunities for youth and minority women. Why? Because “nothing in life is ever worth waking up and not being the person you want to be.”
The industry’s shortcomings fuel her. “We have certain issues in society because people that look like me weren’t invited to these rooms in the first place,” the entrepreneur says. “To stop ending up on the wrong side of history, it starts with changing the view that somebody isn’t credible because of how they look or their other interests.”
Bovell fights daily to be the change that she wishes to see, vocally advocating for reform and spotlighting injustices. “You can’t know code and not human rights; they have to be together at this point in time,” she says. The visionary credits her strong will, moral compass, and ability to make bold decisions to her family and her partner. “When we think about role models, we tend to stay within the industry,” she shares. “I would argue that our cultural and societal views are largely shaped by the people with whom we spend the most time.”
Fearless on- or off-camera, Bovell believes that style is a strong definition of culture. “It helps me break barriers and boundaries and structures that I’ve created for myself, or that society has softly put in place for us,” she says. While speaking publicly, if Bovell is the only woman, or the only person of color—“and definitely the only individual at that intersection”—it’s important to her to be seen, and she relies on impactful style pieces to accomplish this. “If what I’m wearing helps you remember my words, then I stand by that.”
“NOTHING IN LIFE IS EVER WORTH WAKING UP
AND NOT BEING THE PERSON YOU WANT TO BE.”
Bovell’s photoshoot with Editorialist was “so empowering. Every outfit reminded me of my versatility,” adding that emboldening jewelry, such as the Panthère de Cartier Ring (her favorite), offered a welcome extra strata. “We’re layered as individuals, and nuances like jewelry are small contexts that combine to make us who we are.”
Whether speaking at the United Nations, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, or guest lecturing at Cornell University, Bovell is steadfast on her vision of WAYE leading the charge for the future. “I hope WAYE is seen as a source of honesty in the tech world, an accessible resource for all.
I hope it stands as a platform for youth, a place to voice their visions on technology,” she surmises. “If we want the inventions of today to work, they have to agree with tomorrow’s users. I hope to make technology a language that everyone speaks.”
For Bovell, success in a decade starts with her efforts now, with her nudging emerging technology onto a better heading. “Even if I have a small role influencing these powerful ideas, I’ll feel so incredibly proud.”