115: The Healthy Debate Show with Dr. Belynder Walia - Episode 115115: The Healthy Debate Show with Dr. Belynder Walia - Episode 115
UK Health Radio Podcast
Dr. Vanessa Vallely OBE talks with Dr. Belynder Walia about breaking barriers for women in business and technology, focusing on systems change, inclusive workplaces and life‑building confidence. The conversation touches on AI, diversity programmes and how lifting others as you climb can create spaces where more people truly thrive.
34:05•7 Aug 2026
404 Women Not Found: Fixing Systems, Not Women in Tech and Business
Episode Overview
- Women don’t need to be fixed; workplaces and systems need to change so women can progress and be visible.
- Free, accessible networks, events and resources can open doors for women who lack time, money or confidence to seek support.
- AI offers productivity gains but poses risks to early‑career roles and can reinforce bias if diverse voices are not involved in its design.
- Organisations often fail to retain talented women because they stop listening and lack real communication channels from the coalface to senior leaders.
- Confidence grows through action; taking risks and trying new opportunities builds belief far more than waiting to feel perfectly ready.
“The book very much focuses on not fixing the women because we don’t need to be fixed. It’s about fixing the system and of which we’re operating and we’re trying to flourish in.”
What drives someone to seek a life without staying silent in the workplace? This conversation on The Healthy Debate Show zooms in on women’s leadership, inclusion and the future of tech, with a special focus on what it really takes to remove barriers so women can thrive. You’ll hear Dr. Belynder Walia speaking with Dr. Vanessa Vallely OBE, an award‑winning entrepreneur and founder of WeAreTheCity and WeAreTechWomen.
Vanessa shares how a lonely moment in a male‑dominated banking career led her to ask, “Where are the women?” and ultimately build a grassroots platform that grew into global communities supporting thousands of women through free resources, networks and events. A big highlight is Vanessa’s latest book, *404 Women Not Found*.
Playing on the familiar web error message, it raises a blunt question: “Where are the women in the tech industry?” She explains, “The book very much focuses on not fixing the women because we don’t need to be fixed. It’s about fixing the system,” and outlines 19 chapters on mindset, visibility, strategic relationships, confidence and office politics, all crowdsourced from women in her own community.
The chat also tackles diversity and inclusion efforts, where some organisations have stepped back and others have stayed the course. Vanessa argues that genuine progress starts with better communication and truly listening to people at the coalface, not just ticking ‘D&I’ boxes once a year. AI comes under the microscope too.
Vanessa uses it daily and sees its benefits, but she warns of risks to early‑career jobs and baked‑in bias if women and people from varied backgrounds aren’t in the rooms designing systems. For anyone interested in fairness at work—whether you’re in recovery, rebuilding your life or rethinking your career—this episode offers straight‑talking wisdom on confidence, courage and lifting others as you climb.
How might your own story change if you stopped trying to fix yourself and started looking at the system around you instead?
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