DLI Update – Summer 2019

The Digital Leadership Institute Board and Executive Team are actively involved in outreach activities with partners and stakeholders around the world that promote ESTEAM* leadership by girls and women.  Find out more about our outreach activities of Summer 2019 below, and please visit our calendar for events organised by DLI.

*STEM powered by Entrepreneurship and Arts


5 July 2019 – G7 & UNESCO International Conference (Paris): On 5 July in Paris, in the attendance of Ms. Malala Yousufzai and French President Emanuel Macron, Ms. Che Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director, and Ms. Loredana Bucseneanu, DLI Development Director,  joined a G7 and UNESCO international conference on the topic of “Innovating for Girls’ and Women’s Education.”


10-11 July 2019 – IMAGINE: A Better World, a Global Education Conference (Seattle): On 10-11 July in Seattle, Washington, Ms. Che Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director,  joined IMAGINE: A Better World, a global education conference hosted by Amazon Web Services, long-time supporters of the DLI mission promoting inclusive digital transformation.


24 July 2019 – Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Ambassadors Meeting (Global): On 24 July, Ms. Che Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director,  joined a meeting of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Global Ambassadors in preparation for the 2019 Women’s Entrepreneurship Day celebrations taking place on 15-16 November.


12-13 August 2019 – IMAGINE: A Better World, a Non Profit Conference (Seattle): On 13-14 August in Seattle, Washington, Ms. Che Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director,  joined IMAGINE: A Better World, a global nonprofit conference hosted by Amazon Web Services, long-time supporters of the DLI mission promoting inclusive digital transformation.


29-31 August 2019 – World AI Conference (Shanghai): In Shanghai, China on 31 August, Ms. Che Miller Van Dÿck, DLI Founding Director, gave a talk on “Challenges Facing the Future of AI,” at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference.


Be sure to visit our Calendar and Outreach Activities page, and sign up for the DLI Newsletter in order to keep up with DLI events and activities!

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2019 European Ada Awards Open

EU Ada Awards Patron, Ms. Mariya Gabriel, EU Commissioner for the Digital Economy & Society

Under the esteemed patronage of Ms. Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for the Digital Economy and Society, the Digital Leadership Institute and its partners are honoured to announce the opening of nominations for the 2019-2020 European Ada Awards recognising top girls and women* in digital fields from across Europe.


Online nominations for outstanding girls and women in digital sectors will be open until 20 September 2019, and winners will be celebrated at the sixth annual European Ada Awards ceremony, taking place on 16 October in Brussels as part of European Code Week and the WomenInTech.Brussels Women Code Festival. The event is open to members of the public who register, on a first-come-first-served basis. Official 2019 European Ada Awards timings may be found on the Awards calendar.

Nomination Details

Submission details and nomination forms for the 2019 European Ada Awards may be found at the links below:

Official 2019 European Ada Awards timings may be found on the 2019 European Ada Awards calendar.

Important Dates – 2019 European Ada Awards

19 June – 2019-20 European Ada Awards Online Nominations Open
27 September
– 2019-20 Ada Awards Online Nominations Close at midnight
4 October – 18:00 CET Online Announcement of 2019-20 European Ada Award Finalists
16 October
– 2019-20 European Ada Awards Ceremony at Google Atelier in Brussels

For more information about the 2019 European Ada Awards, including sponsorship opportunities, please contact us!

Thank you to the European Ada Awards 2019-20 partners and sponsors!

*Anyone who identifies as a girl or woman

DLI Update – May-June 2019

The Digital Leadership Institute Board and Executive Team are actively involved in outreach activities with partners and stakeholders around the world that promote ESTEAM* leadership by girls and women.  Find out more about our outreach activities of May and June 2019 below, and please visit our calendar for events organised by DLI.

*STEM powered by Entrepreneurship and Arts


10 May 2019 – Women in ICT Sharing Experiences (Brussels) : On 10 May, Ms. Katja Legisa, DLI inQube Director,  joined the eighth edition of the Women in ICT Sharing Experiences Annual Networking event organised by the Centre for Balanced Leadership in Brussels.


15 May 2019 – EC Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition Governing Board Meeting (Brussels) : Ms. Che Van Dyck, DLI Founding Director,  joined the seventh meeting of the Governing Board for the European Commission’s Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition, taking place in Brussels on 15 May.


21 May 2019 – STEM Fair (Los Angeles): On 21 May, Ms. Che Van Dyck, DLI Founding Director, contributed to organising a STEM Fair in Los Angeles County, in order to encourage young people, especially girls, to pursue studies and careers in these areas.


28 May 2019 – Computer Science Panel (Los Angeles) : Ms. Che Van Dyck, DLI Founding Director, joined a panel promoting Computer Science studies and careers for Los Angeles County high school students, especially young women, taking place on 28 May in Redondo Beach.


13 June 2019 – Digital Skills and Jobs Governing Board Meeting (Bucharest): On 13 June, Ms. Cheryl Miller, DLI Founder,  joined the eighth meeting of the Governing Board of the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition of Europe. The meeting took place in Bucharest as part of Digital Assembly 2019, hosted by the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Ms. Loredana Bucseneanu, DLI Director of Development, also joined the event as representative of Belgium to the joint meeting of the National Coalitions for Digital Skills and Jobs.


13 June 2019 – WEgate Stakeholder Meeting (Brussels): On 13 June July in Brussels, Ms. Katja Legisa, DLI Entrepreneurship Director,  joined a stakeholder meeting for the WEgate platform, an initiative of the European Commission aimed at stimulating and supporting women-led entrepreneurship in Europe.


26-28 June 2019 – Mobile World Congress (Shanghai): Ms. Cheryl Miller, DLI Founder,  joined the Mobile World Congress on 26-28 June in Shanghai as a guest of hosts GSMA, and participated in the Women4Tech Summit that took place on 27 June.


Be sure to visit our Calendar and Outreach Activities page, and sign up for the DLI Newsletter in order to keep up with DLI events and activities!

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DLI Update – January-February 2019

Happy 2019 from DLI!

The Digital Leadership Institute Board and Executive Team are actively involved in outreach activities with partners and stakeholders around the world that promote ESTEAM* leadership by girls and women.  Find out about our outreach activities of January and February 2019 below, and please visit our calendar for events organised by DLI.

*STEM powered by Entrepreneurship and Arts

21 January 2019 – “Europe for Her” Conference with European Committee of the Regions (Brussels) : On 21 January in Brussels, Ms. Katja Legisa, DLI/Digital Brusselles Director, joined a panel on “Education and Careers,” as part of an event promoting a larger role for girls and women in Europe’s cities and regions, hosted by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR).


24 January 2019 – #SheDIDIT Learning Library: “Experts Speaking Out”  (Brussels) : On 24 January at Start IT Brussels, Ms. Che Van Dyck, DLI Founding Director,  joined a Learning Library mentorship gathering as one of seven women role models being showcased by the #SheDIDIT campaign, promoting entrepreneurship by women of diverse backgrounds in Belgium.


29 January 2019 –  GSMA Winter Celebration (Brussels) :  On 29 January in Brussels, Ms. Che Van Dyck, DLI Founding Director, joined a celebration of leadership by women in digital sectors hosted at GMSA in Brussels.  Ms. Van Dyck was part of a high-level panel for which the opening keynote was provided by Ms. Mariya Gabriel, EU Commissioner for the Digital Economy and Society.


3-5 February 2019 – W20 Japan  Preparation Meetings at OECD (Paris) : 3-5 February at the OECD in Paris, members of the DLI Executive Team contributed to preparation activities ahead of the W20 Japan 2019 meetings taking place in Tokyo 23-24 March 2019.


25-28 February 2019 – Mobile World Congress & Women4Tech Summit (Barcelona) : Ms. Che Van Dyck, DLI Founding Director,  joined the Ministerial Programme and Women4Tech Summit that took place 25-28 February in Barcelona as part of Mobile World Congress 2019


Be sure to visit our Calendar and Outreach Activities page, and sign up for the DLI Newsletter in order to keep up with DLI events and activities!

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DLI Update – May 2018

The DLI Board and Executive Team are actively involved in outreach activities with partners and stakeholders around the world that promote ESTEAM* leadership by girls and women. Find out below about our work in May 2018, learn here about future outreach activities in which we are involved, and visit our calendar for upcoming events organised by DLI.

*Entrepreneurship & Arts powered by Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics


9-11 May – AWS Summit & AWS Public Sector Summit (London): May 9-11, Ms. Mai Ensmann and Ms. Katja Legisa, DLI executive team members, joined three days of public sector, startup and cloud activities as part of the AWS Summit and AWS Public Sector Summit taking place in London.


15-17 May – Navigate (Austin, TX): DLI Founding Director, Ms. Cheryl Miller,  joined the 2018 Navigate Identity Governance Conference in Austin, Texas.


21-25 May – Brussels Days (Washington, DC & New York City): 21-25 May, Ms. Cheryl Miller, DLI Founding Director, joined a Brussels Capital Region mission to Washington DC and New York City, including a Fin&Tonic event with B-Hive on “Algorithms for a Sustainable Future,” to celebrate Brussels Days.


28 & 30 May – W20 “Digital Inclusion” Meetings (Paris): In Paris on 28 and 30 May, Ms. Cheryl Miller, DLI Founding Director,  joined the “Digital Inclusion” working group meetings as a Delegate for W20 Argentina 2018.


29-30 May – OECD Forum (Paris): 29-30 May, Ms. Cheryl Miller, DLI Founding Director,  joined the OECD Forum in Paris whose subject this year is “what brings us together,” with a focus on Inclusion, Digitalisation and International Cooperation.


Be sure to visit our Calendar and Outreach Activities page, and sign up for the DLI Newsletter in order to keep up with DLI events and activities!

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DLI Update – April 2018

The DLI Board and Executive Team are actively involved in outreach activities with partners and stakeholders around the world that promote ESTEAM* leadership by girls and women. Find out below about our work in April 2018, learn here about future outreach activities in which we are involved, and visit our calendar for upcoming events organised by DLI.

*Entrepreneurship & Arts powered by Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics


5 April – BSIS International Conference (Brussels): As part of the University of Kent’s Brussels School for International Studies 2018 International Conference on 5 April, Ms. Cheryl Miller, DLI Founding Director,  joined a fireside chat with Ms. Sarah Wagner, Digital Trade Manager at DIGITALEUROPE, on the subject of “Digital Disruptions: How Technology Changes Our Reality.


11 April – All On Board – Closing the Digital Gap for Girls & Women in the Developing World (Brussels): On 11 April, Ms. Cheryl Miller, DLI Founding Director,  contributed to panel on “private sector initiatives for accelerating gender equality,” as part of a UN Women, European Commission and European Parliament event entitled “All On Board – Closing the Digital Gap for Girls & Women in the Developing World,” that took place at the Berlaymont in Brussels.


19 April – AWS Public Sector Summit Brussels 2018 (Brussels): Ms. Cheryl Miller, DLI Founding Director,  joined a high-level panel on the subject of “[We] Power Tech: Engaging and Retaining Technology Talent” at the 2018 AWS Public Sector Summit on 19 April in Brussels.


20 April – Student Forum (Brussels): In Brussels on 20 April, Ms. Cheryl Miller, DLI Founding Director,  joined the Student Forum Maastricht to provide expert input on the topic “Boosting Digital Skills in the EU – Training the Workforce of the Future” to the hundreds of European university students who took part in the forum.


27 April – World IP Day at US Mission to the EU (Brussels): On 27 April, Ms. Cheryl Miller, DLI Founding Director, joined an event at the EU Mission to the EU in Brussels, to promote the “brilliance, ingenuity, curiosity and courage of the women who are driving change in our world and shaping our common future,” in celebration of World Intellectual Property Day.


Be sure to visit our Calendar and Outreach Activities page, and sign up for the DLI Newsletter in order to keep up with DLI events and activities!

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Women Power Code Project Launches

Studies on women active in Information Technology  unveil that a greater presence of women in the area would benefit the industry, women themselves and Europe’s economy. A change in policy is needed, particularly due to an alarming drop in female ICT graduates and the limited presence of women in the STEM area (science, technology, engineering and math) reflecting thus the gender gap acknowledged in the ICT sector.

The Women Power Code project aims to educate adult women over forty years of age to understand and learn coding in order to improve their everyday life through the use of the Internet of Things. It is never too late to acquire knowledge, skills and competences in any branch of education.

Women Power Code is a three year project targeting adult women who want new challenges and seek to acquire digital skills, literacy and numeracy. The project partners are:

  • CIVIC – UK, project leader;
  • EUROCREA MERCHANT – Italy;
  • BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FRIESLAND – Netherlands;
  • DIGITAL LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE – Belgium;
  • DANIEL SG LTD – Bulgaria;
  • BIOANIM – Slovenia;
  • North-East ADR (via Regional Center for North-East Studies).

The project will equip beneficiaries with new digital competences and will pave the way for a smooth start in understanding how to improve their everyday life by incorporating these skills. In this way, the project aims to allow women with low digital literacy to adapt and better meet the challenges posed by the use of new technologies at work, and to also help balance gender inequality in this area.

For more information and updates please visit the project website.

DLI Partners with EY for Global Girl Tech Fest

In celebration of International Girls in ICT Day 2018 on 26 April, the Digital Leadership Institute is proud to collaborate with EY to organise a Girl Tech Fest, across twenty-three locations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, that will reach over 500 girls with hands-on digital skills workshops.

Girl Tech Fest (“GTF”) is the flagship event of DLI’s Digital Muse initiative, a global platform promoting ESTEAM* skills to girls.  For its 2018 “global” edition, DLI has trained dozens of EY volunteers to deliver smartphone app-coding classes to girls aged 11-15, using the MIT App Inventor for Android platform.   *Entrepreneurship & Arts powered by STEM

Draft Workshop Agenda

  • 08:00-08:10 – Welcome & Introductions
  • 08:10-08:20 – Why we need more Girls in ICT
  • 08:20-09:50 – Hands-on “Talk2Me” Android app Training for Girls
  • 09:50-10:00 – Wrapup & Thank-yous

If you would like more details about this event, about International Girls in ICT Day 2018, or about organising your own GTF or other activity to increase participation of girls and women in tech studies and careers, please contact us!

DLI Update – March 2018

The DLI Board and Executive Team are actively involved in initiatives with partners and stakeholders around the world that promote ESTEAM* leadership by girls and women. Find out below about our work in March 2018, learn here about future activities in which we are involved, and visit our calendar for upcoming events organised by DLI.

*entrepreneurship, science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics


5 March – ISS Europe 2018 (Dublin): In Dublin on 5 March, Ms. Cheryl Miller, DLI Founder,  contributed to a panel on “Gaining, Training, and Retaining World Class Talent,” at ISS Europe 2018.


7 March – Empowering Girls and Women in Media and ICT (Brussels): In Brussels on 7 March, Ms. Cheryl Miller, DLI Founder,  moderated a day-long seminar for journalists on “empowering girls and women in media and ICT,” as part of the European Parliament celebrations for International Women’s Day 2018.


7 March – Awareness-building for Women in Entrepreneurship (Brussels): On 7 March, Ms. Cheryl Miller, DLI Founder,  joined a high-level panel, hosted by the Brussels Women in Business platform and 100,000 Entrepreneurs, promoting women-led entrepreneurship to young people.


8 March – EU Commissioner Gabriel Panel – Cyber Aware: Which Skills for Cyber (Brussels): On 8 March in Brussels, Ms. Cheryl Miller, DLI Founder, joined a panel chaired by Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, Ms. Mariya Gabriel, on “Cyber Aware: Which Skills for Cyber,” in celebration of International Women’s Day 2018.


8 March – IWD at EC Executive Agency for SMEs (Brussels): In celebration of International Women’s Day 2018, Ms. Cheryl Miller, DLI Founder, gave a keynote presentation at the European Commission Executive Agency for SMEs (EASME) on “Bridging the Gender Gap and Digital Divide in Europe.”


9 March – fem.talent forum 2018 (Barcelona) : Ms. Cheryl Miller, DLI Founder,  provided a keynote presentation on the topic of “World Wide Women: Inspiring Global Women Talent” for the fem.talent forum 2018, that took place in Barcelona on 9 March.


12 March – Open Belgium (Louvain-La-Neuve): On 12 March at the Open Belgium conference in Louvain-La-Neuve, Ms. Cheryl Miller, DLI Founder, gave a talk on the topic of “Open Knowledge for Social Innovation.”


23 March – Commission on the Status of Women (New York, New York): On 23 March at the UN Headquarters in New York, Ms. Cheryl Miller, DLI Founder, contributed to launch of a GAMAG book on “the holistic nature of the gender and communication agenda,” as part of an official UNESCO, IPDC and GAMAG joint side-event for the 62nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women.


27 March – BETCon (Leuven): On 27 March in Leuven, Belgium, Ms. Cheryl Miller, DLI Founder, gave a talk at the BETCon (Business, Education and Technology) Conference. Proceeds from event ticket sales went to the charity Three Giraffes, promoting education in the Democratic Republic of Congo.


30 March – PWI Growth Club (Brussels): On 30 March in Brussels, Ms. Cheryl Miller, DLI Founder, gave a talk during a luncheon hosted by the Professional Women International Brussels Growth Club.


Be sure to visit our Calendar, Upcoming Activities page, and sign up for the DLI Newsletter in order to keep up with DLI events and activities!

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Global Recognition for DLI Founder

On 1 March 2018 in Barcelona, Ms. Cheryl Miller Van Dyck, founding director of the Brussels-based Digital Leadership Institute, was recognized for her outstanding achievement in increasing participation of girls and women in technological studies and careers around the world. Miller, a Belgian national, was awarded the prestigious Global Mobile Award by a jury representing global ICT interests at the 2018 Mobile World Congress, whose attendance this year surpassed 100,000 visitors.

Miller received a Global Mobile “GloMo” Award in the “Industry Leadership Individual” category for what the jury called her “immeasurable impact” on increasing inclusion in the global tech sector over the past ten years.

The Digital Leadership Institute, founded by Miller in 2015, was also finalist for a Global Mobile Award in the “Industry Leadership Organizations” category, for the second year running.

For more details and contact, please find a press release here: PR CMiller Glomo 2018