It was a series of events that led me to STEM. I had the curiosity regarding the art of IT. After my first encounter with a computer, a whole new world opened before my eyes and i kept going to that direction.
Your organization field and mission
QUALCO and CENOBE’s vision is to illuminate the dark digital landscape. The mission is to create a single point of truth regarding the Cyber Security posture of any organization.
Please tell us briefly about your role in the company / at your organization
I am responsible to create the Cyber Security Strategy and the Go to Market, of Qualco and CENOBE’s line of business. The aim is to bring together the cyber security expertise and innovation of every company of Qualco in one place and create the platform where any cyber security innovative solution can be hosted.
Your interest in STEM
I am not sure that I had a role model especially when I was young since there were not so many women working in the computer science field. Currently, I don’t have a constant when it comes to a specific role model’ I just get inspired by young talents not only from the STEM field but also from Art and Social Sciences, which lead the STEM science to new and enhnaced miracles.
Your studies
Strengths: High Engagement & Passion: Being part of a newly established department meant learning from young, passionate professors who were highly invested in the students’ success. Intimate Learning Environment: With a small cohort of only 50 students, the environment allowed for personalized attention, tight-knit collaboration, and a strong sense of community.
Weaknesses: Lack of Industry Connections: At the time, the university lacked established pipelines or networks with the private sector. This made it difficult for students to gauge their true market potential or easily transition into corporate roles.
Opportunities (External Advantages): Pioneering Expertise: Graduating as one of the few cohorts with specialized cybersecurity training in Greece created massive potential for research, innovation, and rapid professional advancement. Uncapped Career Growth: Entering a niche, high-demand field provided plenty of open lanes for early career evolution and leadership.
Threats: Rapid Technological Evolution: The field of computer engineering and cybersecurity moves at an incredibly fast pace. The constant shift in technologies and methodologies demands continuous learning and adaptation just to remain competitive.
While the advice to “believe in yourself” is often overused, the reality is that many women battle a constant inner narrative of self-doubt. This pressure can either be a catalyst for growth or a source of burnout; our power lies in choosing the former. Furthermore, we must refuse to let our emotional intelligence be dismissed as mere “sensitivity.” It is a strength, and its value is non-negotiable.
You at work
We have dedicated department for DEIS which is also under our compliance department. This itself proves a lot about how serious we are aroung DEIS. We have specific compliance guidelines audited by many different authorities around workforce balance, leadership roles, skill first screening, motherhood and work-life balance and plenty more.
I like to think of myself as an example that IT is just as much about art as it is about logic. Women have a unique edge here—our emotional intelligence and creative problem-solving are exactly what’s needed to drive innovation, bridge communication gaps, and make STEM approachable for all.
Your point of view
Technology is another tool for people to make their dreams take a form and be useful to the world as we know it. Giving some examples: When IT is recognized as an art form rather than just rigid code, technology transforms into a powerful canvas for expression, empathy, and design, an environment where women can uniquely thrive. By framing tech through an artistic lens, women leverage high emotional intelligence to master UX/UI design, treating user experience as the emotion an artwork evokes to create deeply human-centered software. Furthermore, coding becomes a creative discipline akin to composing music, where lateral thinking produces elegant solutions, while data visualization acts as a storytelling medium that translates complex technical numbers into impactful human narratives. Ultimately, by approaching IT with this creative and communicative edge, women dismantle the stereotype that STEM is cold and inaccessible, transforming it into an approachable, inclusive field and cementing their roles as the essential visionaries shaping our digital culture.
Own your creativity as a hard skill: Don’t suppress your creative side to fit a rigid tech mold. Lateral thinking, design, and storytelling aren’t “soft skills”—they are high-value assets that allow you to build elegant, innovative solutions.
Lead with empathy to drive innovation: The best technology solves real human problems. Lean into your emotional intelligence to understand user needs, bridge team gaps, and design software that is intuitive and truly inclusive.
Be the translator: Tech often hides behind intimidating jargon. Use your communication skills to demystify complex concepts for others. By making tech approachable, you become an invaluable leader and pave the way for the next generation.
I wish we won’t need regulations to enforce the disciplines of DEIS.
To finish with
Creative Elegance, Empathetic Innovation, Radical Accessibility, Authentic Perspective and be Honest to yourself.
To change the way that we approach STEM like a cold topic with zeros and ones.
We are talking about 4 years from now, so in this time, I will have achieved to inspire more women to be part of the IT innovation and to be able to create a single point where companies can collaborate as to give cyber security a good name :)
The current activity has been implemented in the framework of the Project: Code4Europe,
GA Number: 101158834. Official project website : https://codeweek.eu/