About

I was born in Oslo, Norway on what I like to think was a crisp fall evening back in September 1988.

I enjoyed a nice life in Norway until 2012.

Then I moved to New York to start a master’s in Media Management at the New School.

During the course of two years, I found my passion and it was technology.

….the way there was not a given. Before technology found me, I tried a lot of different things. Over the course of ten years, I studied a bit of psychology, business, media, design, and nutrition. I worked in marketing, fashion, TV, and as a journalist.

Anyways.

My studies made me realize that my passion for technology is not fueled by nodes and algorithms but by its vast opportunities and unique ability to empower each and every connected human being to make a positive difference in the world. Technology is a way to democratize so many of the things we rely on to develop the world. 

Education, information, and communications to name a few.

In 2015 I moved to Stockholm. I started in a trainee position at Schibsted and I worked within product management, tech, and UX- all my favorite stuff. 

In 2016 I won a national competition and a scholarship to attend Singularity University Global Solutions Program. 

So I packed my bags and spent ten weeks at NASA Research Center in Silicon Valley learning about exponential technologies- being inspired how they can be applied to solve humanity's global grand challenges. 

Following SU, I moved to London and finished my trainee position working with Venture & Foresight before moving back to Oslo, Norway.

I am and have always been an advocate for diversity, especially in tech.

During the fall of 2014, I founded a Tech-network for women in Norway. If you are half as passionate about tech as I am, I urge you to check us out and sign your girls up for one of our technology camps. Our goal is to inspire girls to lean in and contribute to shaping our world’s future with technology. In the past few years, TENK has reached and spoken to thousands of women, toured Norway to speak to more than 4000 high school girls with NHO, co-established an annual national Girl Tech Fest teaching middle school girls coding in addition to a Tech- Summer Camp for girls. 

I love communications. So I write, produce, design, build and publicly speak about all things tech and diversity as often as I can.

You can watch some of my talks, listen to a podcast, or read a few interviews if you’re curious.

In 2015 I co-founded #Hunspanderer in Norway, a national campaign focused on addressing stereotypes and unconscious bias in the workplace. Following two successful campaigns in Norway, both reaching millions of people and engaging multiple CEOs of Norway’s largest companies to address the issue, we were inspired to build Equality Check in which I am now a shareholder and ambassador.

I have produced a podcast (Future Forecast) with Oslo Business Forum discussing technology, leadership, and sustainability with leaders and experts around the world, including guests like Randi Zuckerberg, Richard Quest, and Simon Sinek.

I’ve published a book together with my co-founder Marie Louise Sunde. It’s in Norwegian and touches upon stereotypes and unconscious bias- and we’ve interviewed a selection of CEOs and experts on the topic. You can get it here!

I've been nominated for a few awards including “Global Womens Leadership Award”, "Inspiration Award 2016&2017", "Girls Award 2017" by Plan Norge, "Digital Super Profile" in 2016 and was appointed a “Distinguished Alumni” at the New School where I graduated with a masters in media management. I was appointed Inspiring Fifty Nordic’s most inspiring women in tech in 2016 and 2019 and one of the six Norwegians in the “100 most influential people in Nordic tech” list appointed by Slush and The Nordic Web. In 2020 I was appointed one of the 50 leading women in tech by Abelia and ODA Nettverk. 

I'm a board member at Dermanor, Oslo Freedom Forum, Moving Mamas and The Norwegian Cancer Association, a writer for E24 and a public speaker on tech, unconscious bias and diversity. In 2021 I co-founded Digital Villages together with SOS Child Villages.

In 2021 I launched a Sustainable Rosé with a female-led wine-import company.

I am faculty at Rehumanize Institute where I teach diversity, bias & inclusion. 

I love to share my life on Instagram!

If you're interested in public speaking or have other inquiries: isabelleringnes@gmail.com.

Oh, and if you want to learn more about tech and coding and looking for some good online resources- I put together my favorite ones here.