Reports

The women’s rights team at the Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD) aims to highlight violations
in women’s rights as well as champion them to increase their implementation globally. The broader
themes focused on in this interview report are gender disparity, equal opportunity, and discrimination
of girls and women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) given
their historical male dominance and lack of female participation. To gain first-hand experience and
insight into women’s experiences in education and working in STEM, the women’s rights team at
GHRD interviewed Mylène Brown-Coleman, a final year Artificial Intelligence student at the Vrije
Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam). She is deeply committed to her work in the field of Artificial
Intelligence, Software Development, and empowering women within Computer Science.

Early in her career, Mylène gained hands-on experience as a Software Testing Intern at Solera. She
then took a leap into the data analysis domain, joining Morningstar as a Data Analyst Intern. Her
professional journey also led her to Adyen, where she served as a NextGen Desktop Support Engineer,
offering technical support and further sharpening her problem-solving skills.

In academia, Mylène has made a significant impact at VU Amsterdam, where she held multiple
teaching assistant roles. Through these positions, she had the opportunity to share her insights on
Data Structures & Algorithms and Intelligent Systems with fellow students. She is also Vice Chair
and co-founder of the diversity committee within her study association and pioneered for the first
hackathon for women at a Dutch university. Mylène continued to broaden her experience by securing a
position as a Software Engineer Intern at Momentive.ai. Currently, she is applying her AI and software
development expertise as an Artificial Intelligence Intern at the City of Amsterdam.

In addition to her rich professional experiences, Mylène has been recognis ed with several
honours, including the VGHC EMEA Student Scholarship, the Nutanix Heart Women in Technology
Scholarship, and the Generation Google Scholarship. These awards have celebrated her academic
prowess, leadership skills, and commitment to community involvement.

Mylène Brown-Coleman’s journey paints a picture of a dedicated and ambitious individual making
strides in the world of AI and software development. Her consistent growth and contributions to both
academia and industry are testaments to her passion and drive in this evolving field.