The Wise Why, Joy Foster talks with Kirsty van den Bulk

Joy is the Founder of Award-Winning TechPixies one of the most inspirational women who has helped and inspired myself and many more women is joined me on the Wise Why. Joy took the time to share her story with me before she went live with her own sparkle and thrive podcast, a must listen if you have missed it.

Since 2015, Joy Foster has led TechPixies on a mission women upskill with social media in order to return to work, change careers or start a business. When the global pandemic hit the UK in March of 2020, Joy set up and ran multiple free training programmes to help women quickly upskill with modern technology. As a result, thousands of women have now participated in this free training programme which was featured in The Times.

TechPixies, and Joy herself, have been recognised nationally for the work she is doing. Most recently, in 2021 Joy was named as one of 3 finalists in the Digital Impact Awards ‘Entrepreneur for Good’ category. In 2020, she was named one of ‘100 Women of Inspiration’ by Pioneers Post and NatWest as well as Editor’s Choice for the WeAreTheCity ‘Rising Star’ Awards. The TechPixies signature course ‘Social Media Magic’, which was originally developed by Joy, was named Course of the Year 2020 by Digital Women.

TechPixies was also profiled in Forbes for raising £150,000 and Stella Magazine for breaking down barriers for women wanting to re-ignite their careers and in April 2019, TechNation named TechPixies ‘one to watch’ in the EdTech space.

In 2018, Joy won the Startup Director of the Year for London and the South and was the only female finalist in the national award. Her business, TechPixies was named Women in Business Startup of the Year 2018 and Enterprise Nation Female Startup of the Year 2017.

Joy is a Mum of 2. Her husband is Tim Foster MBE; he won the Coxless 4 Rowing Gold Medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Joy loves sports herself and was a member of the US Archery Team from 2004-2007. She has run 3 marathons, competed in Ironman Wales and won a Gold Medal at Women’s Henley in 2001. The Fosters live in Oxford, England with their cat Asteroid