Ese Elakama is a U.K. technology leader, entrepreneur, and philanthropist passionate about expanding pathways into technology and business. As Founder of DiiT Training UK Consulting Ltd, she has helped over 100,000 people transition into roles across cybersecurity, data, cloud, and project management. To close the “experience gap,” she launched the Tech Practical Internship (TPI), connecting learners directly with UK employers, and founded CyberTek Labs, a hub for emerging technologies and innovation.
The first Black woman to own an outdoor advertising company in the UK, PML Digital UK, Elakama also donates £20,000 annually to support mothers entering tech. A 2025 Black Tech Awards nominee, she continues to redefine inclusion through practical education, real-world experience, and economic visibility. In this interview with CHISOM MICHAEL, Elakama reflects on breaking invisible barriers and preparing future-ready talent in a world where technology, access, and opportunity increasingly converge.
Your work connects access, education, and technology. When you first started DiiT Training UK Consulting, what structural barriers were you most determined to break, and have those barriers changed over time?
Before I started DiiT back in 2016, my mission was clear, and that was to remove the invisible gatekeeping that made technology feel out of reach for so many, especially those of colour and from minority backgrounds. The biggest structural barrier wasn’t just access to education, but access to belief. The belief that people from non-traditional backgrounds, mothers returning to work, or individuals without formal degrees could thrive in tech.
Over time, those barriers have evolved. Today, access to establishments such as DiiT Training UK Consulting provides access to tools that take out the invisible barrier, as well as increase confidence and reduce systemic bias. That’s why DiiT continues to challenge those norms — by building both skills and providing the hands-on-tech experience required to get job-ready.
Over 100,000 people have transitioned into tech roles through DiiT Training UK Consulting. Beyond the numbers, what shifts in confidence, identity, or mindset have you observed among those who’ve made that leap?
The most profound transformation I’ve seen is not technical but personal. People start to see themselves as capable contributors to a tech digital world that once felt foreign. Their language shifts from “I can’t” to “I did.” Many go from insecurity to empowerment, and from seeing tech as a career option to embracing it as part of their identity. That mindset shift — from consumer to creator — is what drives sustainable inclusion.
The Tech Practical Internship programme bridges the experience gap that many learners face. What has building that bridge revealed to you about how the tech industry defines readiness or talent?
The internship programme has shown me that the tech industry often confuses readiness with familiarity. Employers tend to look for people who already speak the “language” of tech work, rather than those with the aptitude to learn it. By collaborating with businesses, we give DiiT Training UK Consulting learners real-world project experience by redefining readiness. It is not about having the perfect CV; it’s about demonstrating problem-solving, adaptability, and curiosity. Those are the real markers of talent.
CyberTek Labs prepares people for a digital future that’s constantly changing. How do you balance teaching what’s current with preparing people for what doesn’t yet exist?
We teach adaptability as much as we teach technology. Tools will change, frameworks will evolve, but critical thinking, ethical awareness, and digital curiosity are timeless. Our curriculum combines today’s technical competencies like cybersecurity, data, and AI, with the mindset to learn continuously. That balance ensures our learners aren’t just employable today, but future-ready tomorrow.
As the first Black woman to own an outdoor advertising company in the UK, you’ve redefined access to visibility. What has that journey taught you about power, representation, and economic inclusion?
Visibility is a form of power. When I entered the advertising industry back in 2010, I realised how access to public space and narrative control often shape who gets seen and who gets forgotten. Owning that space was more than business. It was about rewriting representation. It taught me that inclusion isn’t just about being present; it’s about owning platforms that shape perception and drive economic opportunity.
You’ve personally funded scholarships for mothers moving into technology. What personal experience or realisation led you to focus this effort on women, particularly mothers?
As a mother of 2 myself, I understand how easily women’s ambitions can be paused or dismissed once motherhood begins. Yet, I’ve also seen the resilience, time management, and problem-solving that motherhood naturally builds, qualities every tech leader needs. Supporting other mothers is not charity; it’s strategic empowerment. I wanted to create a pathway where women didn’t have to choose between family and future.
The demand for digital skills keeps changing faster than traditional education can respond. From your experience, what gaps still exist between what employers need and what training institutions deliver?
The biggest gap is practical hands-on experience. Traditional education still moves at an academic pace, while industry moves at a technological pace. Employers want people who can solve real problems, not just pass exams. That’s why at DiiT Training UK Consulting, we continually partner directly with employers who provide our learners the opportunities to work on their projects, which in turn mirrors real work environments. The future of education must be agile, experiential, and industry-led.
Many of your initiatives remove invisible barriers, from lack of access to lack of confidence. How do you design programmes that reach people who may not yet see themselves as belonging in tech?
We start with belonging, not just curriculum. Our programmes are built around mentorship, practical experiences, storytelling, and community. We showcase relatable role models and create safe learning spaces where questions are welcomed, not judged. By normalising uncertainty, we empower people to see that tech isn’t an exclusive club — it’s an evolving ecosystem that needs their voice.
Recognition often follows impact, as seen in your Black Tech Awards. How do you stay grounded in purpose while navigating visibility and success?
Recognition is humbling, but impact is what keeps me focused. I remind myself that visibility is not the destination; it’s the vehicle to reach more people. My purpose has always been to create pathways, not pedestals. Staying grounded means keeping my eyes on the mission and my heart aligned with service.
When future generations look back at your work, what conversations do you hope they’ll be having about opportunity, equity, and leadership in technology?
I hope they’ll say that our generation built bridges, not walls. That we shifted the narrative from diversity as a talking point to inclusion as a practice. I want them to see that technology leadership became more human, more equitable, and more representative because we dared to challenge the status quo. Ultimately, I hope they inherit a digital world that works for everyone, not just those who built it first.
