Is online harassment a criminal offense? When is too far?

After a long and public trial, Gregory Alan Elliott was cleared of two charges of criminal harassment that stemmed from his Twitter interactions with two Toronto women. Having known one of these women I've been following the case since the beginning and have been curious to see what happens. For background: Guthrie told police she … Continue reading Is online harassment a criminal offense? When is too far?

14 tech speakers on stage: 10 male, 4 female and 1 ethnically identifiable speakers. Let’s talk about how that makes me feel.

I want to be clear that I love what I do and where I work. The often-harsh realities I look at below are not targeted specifically at the organization I work for, but it is merely a reflection of the industry as a whole. I’m grateful to work for a company where I can openly … Continue reading 14 tech speakers on stage: 10 male, 4 female and 1 ethnically identifiable speakers. Let’s talk about how that makes me feel.

Sustaining the movement. From Maker Party to Mozilla Clubs

The below is a exert of a talk I gave at the 2015 TechWomen event in San Francisco to a hundred emerging women leaders in STEM from Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East. In 2013 I joined Mozilla to run a global campaign to teach digital literacy skills. At Mozilla we promote openness, innovation … Continue reading Sustaining the movement. From Maker Party to Mozilla Clubs

Why I always sign of my email by telling people “I can’t wait to see what you break”

I’m always meeting our community members from around the world whether it is close to their homes or somewhere closer to mine. More than once, when I’ve said my name to a new face they will great me by saying “oh you’re Amira, the one who sends all the emails.” In fact, it’s true. Whether … Continue reading Why I always sign of my email by telling people “I can’t wait to see what you break”

Maker Party 2014: What it’s like to partner with 300 organizations

Maker Party - our annual campaign to teach the web - is in full swing and (without any doubt) kicking some serious butt. Having reached the halfway point of the campaign, I've taken some time to truly appreciate the work our team has been doing and the results we're seeing. On Friday, I was proud … Continue reading Maker Party 2014: What it’s like to partner with 300 organizations

Who’s looking out for the inner-city youth of Toronto?

Overtime, I've attended my fair share of technology events for youth in Toronto. Though technology events for kids is still a new a relatively new concept in our city, there are a bunch of fabulous organizations in the city leading the charge of helping put more and more youth in-front of computers and technology-focused role … Continue reading Who’s looking out for the inner-city youth of Toronto?

Creating Sustainable Change

Today in doing new things and finding inspiration in the places you least expect it, I attended the International Development 2014 Conference on Innovations in Development at University of Toronto. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect but I’m interested in both innovation and international development and always eager to learn in areas that are … Continue reading Creating Sustainable Change