Inspiring inclusion: my journey from optometrist to tech entrepreneur.

In a world that is becoming increasingly reliant on technology, the need for diverse perspectives and voices in the tech industry has never been more critical, says Word360 Founder Kavita Parmar.

The award-winning ‘West Midlands Woman in Tech 2022’ is leading the charge in driving innovation and promoting diversity within the sector. With over 15 years of healthcare experience, Kavita's journey from optometrist to tech entrepreneur showcases the transformative impact of social-powered technology.

Breaking Barriers in Healthcare

Kavita's journey began in the healthcare sector, setting out as an Optometrist and witnessing first-hand the challenges posed by language and communication barriers, particularly for minority communities.

Determined to make a difference, she set her sights on building a software platform that would empower businesses and public sector organisations to overcome these challenges and help service users to communicate effectively.

“With so few female senior tech leaders at that time, I simply didn’t see that role in another organisation, so I set out to build the opportunity for myself,” Kavita explained.

Overcoming barriers in tech

Immersing herself in the traditionally male-driven world of technology, Kavita developed her business and technology skills to launch a SaaS platform from scratch and led her in-house tech team in the creation of ‘Wordskii’ in 2016 – a language platform which is used today by the public sector through to FTSE 100 companies and delivers over 500,000 interpreter sessions every year.

Her tenacity and determination to succeed with this game-changing technology led to meetings overseas to find a company to build the prototype software for her, due to high costs in the UK.

This was the tipping point that enabled Kavita to embark on the journey to create a fully-functional solution, and within 18 months, she had 25,000 users and needed to re-design the system to be more scalable – another big challenge, but evidence the software had real potential.

Now with several Wordskii-branded products launched, including portable ‘Wordskii-on-Wheels’ devices for hospitals and inbound telephone solution “Wordskii Connect” for those who cannot make calls in English, the technology Kavita pioneered continues to make a real difference.

STEM Support from an early age

With the percentage of women in STEM dropping from 49% in primary and secondary education to 31% at university intake (McKinsey, Jan 2024), Kavita recognizes the importance of fostering an interest in STEM subjects among young girls as early as possible.

“Many women will experience the narrative as they get older that a career in tech is at odds with other aspirations they may have for the future, such as family life. With two children under 13 of my own, this is a narrative I simply refuse to perpetuate in my own business or for my own daughter – it’s 2024 and to remain competitive workplaces must foster environments that create balance and offer authentic support.”

To address the gender gap in STEM fields, she became involved in the Mayor’s Mentors scheme in 2019, led by West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, to help young people in the region develop the skills needed to build their careers. Her role as a tech mentor through this initiative, and as an advisor to the University of Birmingham Coding Bootcamp and Director for the Fairfax Multi-Academy Trust reflects her commitment to fostering diversity from the grassroots level up.

Making Everyone Part of the Conversation

As an Asian woman from a diverse background, inclusivity is at the heart of everything Kavita personally stands for and that the business delivers – with Word360’s technology ensuring marginalised communities have a voice in the care and outcomes delivered by public sector services.

In 2023, Word360 supported women in over 153 different languages, creating dialogue between otherwise marginalised communities and public service organisations.

Whether connecting a newly fostered family to a Ukrainian interpreter, or providing support in a rare African dialect to a patient undergoing major surgery, Word360’s services ensure anyone can be part of our society.

Word360’s recruitment practices also prioritise providing opportunities and apprenticeships for individuals facing barriers to employment or coming from disadvantaged backgrounds. By partnering with community organisations, educational institutions, and job placement agencies that serve individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, the business reaches a broader pool of candidates who may not otherwise have access to job opportunities. "Our journey has always been about more than just business. It's about making a difference in disadvantaged communities and the lives of those around us," Kavita continues.

A Milestone for Diversity in Leadership

Word360 have been recognised in the last three successive years through the NHS Excellence in Supply Awards for their contribution to digitally transforming access for non-English speaking patients.

Winning the ‘Greater Birmingham Business of the Year’ for 2024 at the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Awards was a milestone not just for Word360, but for the Birmingham business community recognising a trailblazing female leader in the tech and business arena.

"Awards like this mean so much, especially for the underrepresented voices in tech. It reinforces the idea that diversity is not just a buzzword but a catalyst that drives innovation and success. My hope is that this serves an example for aspiring female leaders in the industry and goes further towards breaking down barriers to inclusion," emphasised Kavita.

Word360 is the largest provider of tech-enabled language services in the Midlands.

Combining award-winning digital transformation with a focus on diversity and inclusion, the company’s turnkey language solutions ensure services are accessible to all in the most cost effective and time sensitive manner.