#herHACK
"I believe work can be designed differently. #herHACK is my clearest proof of that: an initiative that opens a path into the ICT industry for women without a tech background, with my company as one of four founding partners."
What does thinking about work differently mean?
What does that actually mean? For Melissa, it means thinking about work not just as a function, but as access. The question isn't only who can fill a role, but who gets the chance to learn it. Traditional CVs overlook potential that simply hasn't had the opportunity to show itself yet. That's exactly where she comes in: in spaces where women without a tech background don't have to prove they already can, but get to show that they want to learn.
Why #herHACK, Why Now
By 2030, Switzerland will be short around 120,000 ICT professionals. At the same time, only 16% of tech jobs are held by women. #herHACK addresses both at once: an initiative by WhatTheHACK, TechFace, 42 Zürich, and Ameliorate GmbH, funded by the Swiss Federal Office for Gender Equality (EBG).
The goal by the end of 2027: connect 400 women, run two national hackathons, and bring at least 10 companies on board for gender-inclusive recruitment.
Ameliorate's Role
Within the consortium, Melissa is responsible for the People Experience: the human side of a technical project. Concretely, that means Melissa designs and leads the three-part mindset workshop series "Mut? Nein! Übermut!" for participants without a tech background, grounded in established frameworks.
Her role also includes making sure, over the coming years, that this becomes a sustainable program, one that motivates women in the long term to consider ICT jobs and training in this field. She believes: "If we manage to mobilize a large community of women, we can create new opportunities in the job market for women. Whether you've been caring for your children at home, are aiming for a career change, or simply find that a community of strong women gives you strength. In #herHACK, we want to build exactly that community of women.
Find our more about an initiative
that supports you or that you can support!
Melissa and Ameliorate's involvement in #herHACK is voluntary, since the initiative itself has no dedicated staffing budget. To ensure a successful programme and to keep the standard for quality and continuity high, we hope to position the programme strongly enough that it will eventually be secured through a permanent position. We want the areas of communication, project coordination and event management, the #herHACK structure, and oversight across the full project duration, to be in steady hands, so that #herHACK has the longevity a programme like this needs.
Track Record
"My commitment to women in the workplace is nothing new for me. I co-developed and delivered the 'How Women Rise' programme together with Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith. For various women's organisations, my company ran programmes of up to a year, on a volunteer basis, on a monthly schedule, back when I was in Dubai. Why? Nothing good happens unless someone actually does it!" During her time in Dubai, she also spent seven years leading a women's mentoring programme. #herHACK is the natural continuation of that work — less a new chapter, more the next step."
Want to support the program? Great! We're regularly looking for support with our events and their visibility, for example, from:
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Trainers who'd like to present a topic that fits our upskilling repertoire
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Photographers and videographers to capture the events
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Companies who'd like to host us and let us run events on-site