Meet the self-taught Ghanaian coder who recently joins Microsoft as manager

A Ghanaian digital techpreneur – Ivy Barley – has been appointed as Program Manager at the tech-giant company, Microsoft.
Barley is a social entrepreneur who is reshaping her world where more black women will dare to lead in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM) fields.
“I’m excited to be part of Microsoft – a company with history and pacesetter in technological advancement globally. I’m even more proud to be teaming up with a company that loves and encourages the work we do at Devinvogue. This is literally ‘Come as you are, do what you love’,” she wrote on Twitter.
Unlike many other STEM enthusiasts, Ivy taught herself coding and has risen to become one of the young female Africans changing the narrative in the male-dominated tech industry.
“I believe I have the potential to make a mark in Africa, and this motivation is enough for my work at Developers in Vogue. Apart from being a selfie freak, I enjoy hanging out with my best friend (my phone),” she revealed.
Barley, who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Actuarial Science and an MPhil in Mathematical Statistics becomes the second Ghanaian technologist to join Microsoft after Edem Kumodzi who had earlier joined Microsoft as Program Manager.
Barley is also the CEO and co-founder of “Developers in Vogue”, an organization assisting women in embracing the digital technology industry by training and equipping thousands of women in Africa with digital skills.
The tech company offers mentorship and job placement for African women in the field of technology.
For her work and contributions to the tech world, Ivy has been featured in Women in Tech book publication by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development and also the Founding Women book by the Africa Technology Business Network.
In 2017, Ivy was ranked as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Young Ghanaian. The same year, she won a whopping US$10,000 cash prize as one of the 10 finalists of the Kwese #GoGettaz Competition.
“Keep at it, my girl! You need to work hard to stay on top of your game. You need to keep improving yourself,” Barley says advising every young female talent in Africa considering coding.
“Though it may get tough at some stage, think about the big picture. If you’re truly choosing to code as a career, then you need to invest a lot of diligence and determination. In case you need some encouragement with this, I’ll be delighted to offer a helping hand!” she concluded.