Global Tech Leaders' Podcast

Women in Tech Series: Isabela Fernandes, Executive Director at TOR Project shares the importance of anonymity.

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Welcome to the Women in Tech Series from the Global Tech Leaders Podcast. Today we are speaking to Isabela Fernandes Executive Director of The TOR Project. She joined in 2015 as a Project Manager and has led teams into collaborative strategy building and road mapping to an unprecedented level in the organisation. She leads the UX team and implementation of some of the critical improvements to the platform as the Executive Director.

We kick off by asking Isabela to share with us her journey and what has led her to where she is today.

  • Got into computers in the late 90s.
  • Self-learning and self-taught.
  • Free software movement.
  • Federal Government in Brazil.
  • Twitter.

    • Then we ask Isabela to share more about what TOR Project is and what they do.

    • The mission is about human rights.
    • Privacy.
    • TOR Network.
    • Run by volunteers.
    • Onion of layers and encryption.
    • Keeping people anonymous over the internet.
    • “We don't want to take over the internet, we want to change it.”
    • Leakage of MetaData.
    • Non-profit organization.
    • Disguise connections.

      • Then we ask Isabela how they balance those who want to be anonymous versus law enforcement and what kind of scenarios can she share on this.

      • Human rights defenders.
      • Law enforcement can do investigations.
      • Anonymity.

        • Next, we ask Isabela, does the TOR Project give people their own version of the internet.

        • No, you have the same version and the browser is similar to the usual one.
        • Success stories of using TOR Project.
        • Influence change.

          • Then we ask Isabela how is the TOR Project funded.

          • Grants from private foundations.
          • Grants from the government.
          • Direct donations.
          • Donations in cryptocurrency.
          • To collaborate with TOR Project go to their website.
          • Annual memberships.
          • Mobile VPN and New York Times
          • Volunteers running services all around the world.
          • Never be satisfied. Challenge everything.

            • Next, we ask Isabela, in terms of women in tech, what has been her experience as a female leader in technology.

            • Never easy, wasn't easy 20 years ago and it's not easy now.
            • Shared computers.
            • Wrote code on paper.
            • Women don't stop fighting.
            • Never give up.
            • Changed the culture at TOR.
            • Culture of diversity and respect.
            • Equity.

              • Then we ask Isabela what advice would she give younger women that want to enter the tech world.

              • Mentorship.
              • Believe in yourself.
              • Don't let others blur your vision.
              • Trust yourself.

                • Lastly, we ask Isabela what is a tool she can't live without.

                • Paper and a pen.
                • Calendar.
                • Communication tools.
                  • ...more
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                  Global Tech Leaders' PodcastBy Ross Lauder & John Quigley
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