Paulette Watson

Technology Disruptor + Digital Transformation Consultant Paulette's expertise includes non-executive director (N.E.D.), strategic planning, organisation design, digital transformation, and leadership development. Her industry experience encompasses Technology, software architecture design, professional services, engineering, financial services, people management, digital business models and organisation development. Born and raised in Newham, Paulette Watson understands the need for quality education for children and young people (C.Y.P.) from all backgrounds. As the head of Academy Achievers, she advocates for high-quality support in schools. She spent nearly 12 years working with students from disadvantaged backgrounds as a computer science teacher, Head of E-learning and Director of Information Communication Technology (I.C.T.). The experience has helped her as Founder and Managing Director of Academy Achievers; and a Digital Transformation consultant. She analyses the mental inequality in science, Technology, engineering, and math (STEM) using her community projects. She explores the real-life experiences of children and young people's unfair and biased treatment from the school system (being excluded) and the Police (especially now that A.I. facial recognition has severe biases). She understands how to examine mental inequality in education and develops a digital roadmap to include children and young people, focusing on these key areas: Key areas that Paulette is particularly interested in: Education | Health | Agriculture | FinTech Social Mobility E.S.G. And how Technology can have a positive or negative impact on black women in the following: Big Data, AI, algorithms, IoT, Metaverse, Blockchain, Genomics, Web 3. Black women – Lack of financial investment, social capital and network opportunities for these Tech jobs, leading to the digital skills gap Paulette Watson has spent a decade as an educational technologist. She was responsible for all aspects of the company's communications capabilities that drive the performance of the business. From these abilities, she focused on Communication and Digital Transformational Strategy, Data Analytics, Gender Diversity, and Recruiting, skills that she has applied in the local and global community of Academy Achievers. During the years, Paulette Watson has implemented these values in the Academy's management, so staff, Local and international community leaders, parents, children and young people would be digitally literate and level up for the future of work. Paulette is particularly interested in how the lockdown has created a stark digital divide in the U.K., with 1.9 million households with no access to the Internet and tens of millions relying on pay-as-you-go services to make phone calls or access healthcare, education and benefits online. This impact on black women has led to an increase in reported Domestic Violence. For Paulette this is a significant problem, especially around the issue of Climate change. Covid-19 has disproportionately impacted black women, causing the loss of jobs, and the primary caregiver at home, leaving the pressure on men who are now the sole breadwinner. The impact has been mental and physical health, leading to reduced productivity, increased absenteeism, and other negative consequences. With these negative impacts, Paulette wants to address these issues by prioritizing the needs of black women victims of Domestic Violence and ensuring they have equal opportunities to participate in climate action efforts. She is doing this by providing safe and inclusive spaces for women in the Web 3 space; users can safely have a voice to say what they want, find relevant content, and forge meaningful connections. Her previous and current projects are IoT fish farm case study in Ghana, Ethical Artificial Intelligence -its impact on climate change and Black and African communities; Web 3, Genomics and its effect on Black women, especially in Digital Health (N.H.S.). Paulette is training the next generation of diverse talent, intending to onboard one million global majority women and girls to Web 3. Paulette doesn't just believe in an equal, democratised, and decentralised future; she and her team are actively building it. Right now, with the #BeMedigitalinclusion WhatsApp and Discord group, the #BeMedigitalinclusion young women can join themed communities that resonate with them and have conversations on topics they may have previously hesitated to discuss owing to stigma and fear of harassment. The best thing about Web 3 is the principle of participative ownership; our members can create content, invite other women, and be equal owners in what they make together. Paulette received an M.B.A. (International Leadership) and a Masters's (Information Communication Technology) from the Institute of Education. Paulette also holds a Prince 2 qualification. Paulette has sat on several boards: EqualiTeam Lewisham as Treasurer and Vice-Chair, and Youth First as Non-Executive Director, a mutually owned and run by professional youth workers and young people. A recent member of the Newham Governors' Forum Association (affiliated with the National Governance Association). She also served on the Local School Board as a co-opted Governor at Cumberland Trust Secondary School. She has attended the "International Visitor Leadership Program" organized by the United States Department of State. Where I visited: Federalism Briefing at the Meridian International Center, Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program, National Council on US-Arab Relations, Gallop Poll, Capital Communications Group, United States Department of Defense, United States Department of State, Democratic National Committee, Capitol Hill, The Supreme Court of the United States, US House of Representatives, Center for Strategic & International Studies, Maryland General Assembly, Embassy of the United Kingdom, Atlantic Council of the United States, Delegation of the European Union, Watson has been Associate Dean at Leysin International School in Switzerland, leading on Digital transformation program in partnership with Google. Now she is leading the #BeMedigitalinclusion campaign of raising the one million global majority of women and girls' aspirations in Science, Technology, Engineering, and math-related careers. Her passion is aligning the #BeMedigitalinclusion goals to the United Nations (U.N.) sustainable development goals: Education #4 Quality Education: Entrepreneurialism #8 Decent work and economic growth: Innovation #9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: Social Inclusio#10 Reduced Inequalities Paulette is one of the 100 global women and an Ambassador for Mission Impact in WEB3 and Metaverse. In addition, Paulette is also a G100 Engineering Global Advisor Council member for Digital and Technology & WEB3. She will be showcasing the #BeMedigitalinclusion program in the Mission project to raise one million global majority women and girls' aspirations in STEM | WEB3-related careers across the globe. Awards Winner: International awards Most Skillful Shepreneur for the Ghana Ladies in Tech (GLiT) 2021, Wintrade Global Award Women in Engineering 2019; KPMG Black Entreprenuer’s awards 2022 Women of the Future: Metaverse and Web 3 UK: Computer Weekly, listed on the longlist: The 50 Most Influential women in the U.K. Technology 2021; Nominated as the most influential women in Technology in the U.K.; Red Bull Amaphiko mentoring Award UK 2019 Longlist for the 2022 Rising Women in Crypto Power List October 2022 Finalist: Nominated as the most influential women in Technology in the U.K.; shortlisted for the Women in Tech Excellence 2021 and Finalist for the National Diversity Award Entrepreneur 2023; Finalist Women Changing The World Awards 2023; The Women's Business Awards 2023 Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the 2023 Black Tech Achievement Awards. We are Tech Women 100 Global Award for Achievement 2022 Women in IT – Social Impact of the Year 2023 2021 – Finalist – Women in Tech Excellence Awards 2021 – BLAC Awards Community Entrepreneur Finalist 2021 – National Diversity Awards – Finalist