Lisa Katusiime just completed her Bachelor of Software Engineering degree at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. She awaits graduation in January 2014. Lisa was fortunate to be funded by the Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC) to attend the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing Conference in Minneapolis (2-5 October 2013).
Lisa is a ‘go-getter’ kind of person who does not let opportunities for growth pass her by. She loves coding and is proficient in Java, CSS, HTML and Shell scripting. Together with Isaac Omiat she recently won the first prize of the Community Innovations Awards funded by Orange Uganda Ltd. They created an agricultural app called AgroMarketDay that features details of agricultural markets, market days, farmers and the products sold in different markets and districts in Uganda.
About the GHC 2013 experience, Lisa had this to say: “Listening to great women in technology talking about their experiences is a testimony of its own that any girl can become whatever she wants if she puts her heart to it and start working towards achieving it. It’s so great when women come together to network and share brilliant ideas because through such networks great ideas are formed that lead to greater things. One of the speakers at GHC, Megan Smith the vice president of Google [x], said something that I would like to share with women in technology that are upcoming ‘When you find your passion, you’re unstoppable because then you can do amazing things that you never imagined before’. Ladies find that one thing that you love doing and put your effort to it because ‘in effort there is joy’”.
Lisa has created a Lean In circle called Afchix as a way forward for African women in technology to “come up with ideas that will impact people’s lives in our communities as well as moving our careers ahead. Please go to this link and join the circle” Lisa is grateful to the Afchix Network, Anita Borg Institute and the Network Startup Resource Centre for making her dream come true.