We talked this week with Monique Szpak and Halima Koundi, software developers and tinkerers who led our "Build Your Own PC" women's skillshare last week.

They recounted how a group of women who were scared to reach inside a PC tower became emboldened PC builders by the end of the second skillshare session. Building a PC is a great way of demystifying computing and empowering users of computers to fully own and upgrade their machines.

Neither Monique nor Halima imagined they would have careers in tech - and they both have really interesting trajectories. We talked about how they got into technology through a hobby (Monique teaching herself early computing with books and magazines) and a job (Halima becoming enchanted with data and databases). We also talked about whether they were encouraged to tinker as girls, and the importance of getting girls hands-on from an early age.