Diversity
Pushfar to push boundaries
Ed Johnson and Gabriel Sirbu are two entrepreneurs who defied the odds and turned their passion for technology into a thriving startup. Here, they talk about their beginnings and their online mentoring platform.
How did you start out? Ed: For as long as I can remember, technology fascinated me. More specifically, soſtware and the connectivity of people through websites. I taught myself how to develop websites and code when I was 9 years-old. I went on to build websites for local businesses when I was in my early teens and then tweeted the CEO of a digital marketing agency when I was 17, and twitter was in its infancy, asking for a job. Tis was aſter I dropped out of school at age 17. He offered me one, not realising how old I was, and I’ve been working in tech and digital roles ever since. In my early 20s I worked for Oracle and Zoopla, and then went on
to become the head of digital for a tech startup called ValueMyStuff, which had appeared on Dragon’s Den. It was in that role that I realised whilst I was able to find employment, to truly develop I needed a mentor to help guide me through my career and presumed that others would too.
24 | September/October 2023 As someone who is openly
gay, I have always been aware of how people, especially those from a diverse background, can require additional support and confidence building which can be lacking in some businesses. With this in mind, I approached Gabriel, my co-founder, to begin developing PushFar, an online mentoring platform.
Gabriel: Like Ed, I dropped out of school mid-way through my teens at age 15. I’ve always been a programmer and developer, self-taught too. From an early
age I continued to develop my skills, before moving from Romania to London, teaching myself English along the way. Te first job I held was at Heathrow Airport pushing trolleys, it was a very humbling experience for someone with a wealth of technological knowledge, but a lack of confidence with my English. Working here really humbled me, and fuelled my ambition to pursue a career in tech.
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