Code First: Girls Ones to Watch 2014 - Kerry Gallagher

Kerry bought her first PC using money saved from a paper round, but didn’t discover code until University.  She is a developer at Blooie and also runs web development agency Bear & Owl in her free time.  She tweets from @kerry350

What does being on this list mean to you?

It's a big compliment that people would consider me one of 25 to watch. I don't consider myself anything, or anyone, special, so I'm happy to have been nominated.

What do you see yourself doing in the next 25 years?

Continuing to learn and improve, creating and running my own business, making that business successful and giving others their chance to shine within that business.
Ultimately I want to build something amazing, that will hopefully change things for the better.  

What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?

If I had to categorically pin point just one moment I'd say being asked to give a workshop at jQuery UK. It's a massive conference; people respect it and pay a lot of money to attend. To have been selected to be a part of it was a big honour. I was even prouder when my name went up on the website beside those that I look up to and admire within the industry.
A runner up would be giving my first talk at a tech event. For someone with social anxiety this was massive to me.  

Why should more girls get into tech?

I'd encourage anyone to get in to tech if they want to. It's a great thing to get in to because the barrier of entry is remarkably low. Grab a book on HTML and a web browser and just start doing things. If a book doesn't suit you, there's thousands of free resources on the internet. From there you can start improving little by little, learning something new each time.
The tech industry isn't for everyone, but if you find a passion for it, go for it. By being in tech you can bring ideas you have to life, it's quite a powerful thing to have.   

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