DataKirk Digital Sistas Edinburgh launch
Something historic is happening in Edinburgh on the evening of Tuesday, 19 May 2026.
DataKirk's Digital Sistas (DDS): A global sisterhood movement, born in Scotland, closing the gender digital divide for intergenerational change is launching in Scotland's capital. And we want you in the room.
Digital Sistas exists to do what the industry has too often failed to do: create genuine, sustained space for women, particularly women of colour and underrepresented women, to connect, grow, lead, and thrive in the digital sectors. We are not just a network. We are a movement. And now that movement is rooted in Edinburgh.
This launch event is by personal invitation only.
Every guest has been selected because of who they are, what they bring, and what we believe they will contribute, to this room and to the community we are building together. If you are here, it is because someone believed you belonged here.
The evening will bring together 150 carefully selected women and allies, data scientists, technologists, academics, leaders, policy makers, community builders, and advocate, for an evening of honest conversation, genuine connection, and shared ambition.
"With You, We Will Transform Millions of Lives."
What to expect
Official launch address: Programme Director, DataKirk Digital Sistas. Why Edinburgh. Why now. Why you.
Keynote address: An inspiring reflection on the state of women in Scotland's technology sector and the power of community to reshape it.
Panel conversation: Four brilliant women in Scottish key growth sectors share their stories, their struggles, and their vision for what this community can become.
Community preview: A first look at what Digital Sistas Edinburgh will offer: mentorship, masterclasses, advocacy, and sisterhood.
Open networking — Light refreshments. Meaningful conversations. The beginning of something lasting.
Evening programme
5:45 PM: Doors open. Welcome drinks & guest registration
6:20 PM Official opening address. Programme Director, DataKirk Digital Sistas
6:30 PM Keynote address. Guest keynote speaker
6:50 PM Panel conversation. Women shaping Scottish data & technology
7:20 PM Digital Sistas Edinburgh: what's next. Community overview & upcoming programme
7:30 PM Open networking. Refreshments, connections & photo wall
7:55 PM Closing remarks
8:00 PM Event close
Informal networking continues
Why this matters
Women make up just 19% of the UK's digital workforce. Women of colour represent a fraction of that. In Scotland, the gap is even more stark, and the consequences are felt not just by the women excluded, but by the organisations and communities that lose the benefit of their talent, perspective, and leadership.
DataKirk was founded with a singular conviction: data and technology must work for everyone, not just a few. Digital Sistas is how we make that real, not through one event, but through a sustained, community-led movement that opens doors, builds skills, and creates the networks that so often determine who gets to lead.
Edinburgh is a city of world-class universities, global financial institutions, fast-growing tech companies, and extraordinary talent. It is ready for this community. And this community is ready for it.
This launch is the beginning. Your presence on 19 May will help decide how far it goes.
Organised by the DataKirk + FAR HUB, Edinburgh Napier University