It’s Refactor’s event in the North for 2018 in association with Tech Week, and thanks to our sponsor Northland Inc.! We have an extraordinary line up as we welcome Dr Michelle Dickinson from Auckland, Marie Slako from Melbourne and Adeline Salked-Blears from Kaitaia. Read on to learn more about them or grab your ticket now!
Tuesday 22 May 2018, 6:00pm-8:30pm
Mahi Tahi Room at The Orchard, Level One, 35 Walton St, Whangarei
Tickets $25 – open to all
Speaker profiles
Dr Michelle Dickinson (MNZM)
Michelle is a researcher and teacher with a background in Biomedical and Materials Engineering giving her unique insight into how nature and technology can learn from each other for scientific developments. She is currently founder and Director of the social enterprise Nanogirl Labs Ltd where Michelle has created the character Nanogirl - a science savvy femaie who uses her engineering skills to solve her way out of challenges in life. Nanogirl tours around the world with a live science show and has created a Kitchen Science Cookbook, amongst other things, as a way to increase confidence around science, engage more public interaction with the subject and promote diverse role models in science and engineering. Awarded Member of New Zealand Order of Merit, Michelle was also winner of the Women of Influence award for science and innovation in 2016, the Sir Peter Blake Leadership Award in 2015 and the Prime Ministers Science Media Communication Prize and the New Zealand Association of Scientists Science Communicators Award in 2014. She is also an honorary academic in Engineering at the University of Auckland. Michelle has made it her life mission to make science and engineering accessible for all. Michelle has spoken at a previous Refactor in Auckland.
Marie Slako
Marie was born and raised in Northland and completed a Master of Science in Geology at The University of Auckland. She has 15 years’ experience in geospatial science and technology, across multiple industries. Presently she is the Manager of Network Performance and Intelligence for AusNet Services in Melbourne. AusNet Services owns and operate the Victorian electricity transmission network, one of five electricity distribution businesses and one of three gas distribution businesses in Victoria. Marie’s role covers where and how electricity assets are performing, and the relevant systems and data needed to answer those questions. She is passionate about encouraging young women into the STEM disciplines and has set up a scholarship to do this with RMIT (a global university and Australia’s largest tertiary institution). She also sits on the RMIT Program Advisory Committee for their Geospatial degrees. Marie actively supported our first Refactor North from afar last year and this year is flying over to be a speaker.
Adeline Salkeld-Blears
Adeline started her career in England as a Graphic Designer, but discovered a passion for web early on. After moving to NZ she began to specialise in user experience, and has since had a pivotal influence in some large and complex projects for well known organisations such as Tourism NZ, Maori TV and Air New Zealand. She is currently a UX and Design Consultant at Purple Shirt and Partner at MOSO. She is very experienced in design and user research and is able to bridge technological requirements and human-centred design principals. She is also an accomplished photographer and moved north in part to develop a permaculture food forest with her husband.
