Kathryn Parsons founded Decoded in January 2011 with just a credit card, pioneering a global movement in code education with her “Code in a Day” courses. Under her leadership, Decoded has expanded to teach code, data, and cyber skills to over half a million people across more than 85 cities worldwide. Business leaders recognize Decoded as the go-to resource for rapidly enhancing digital capabilities and fostering a digital culture within their organizations.
Motivated by low levels of digital literacy across all sectors, Kathryn launched Decoded to bridge the gap between digital proficiency and its absence, aiming to empower professionals from board members to new hires.
Kathryn’s passion for languages began early, culminating in studies of French, Italian, Mandarin, Japanese, Latin, and Ancient Greek at Downing College, Cambridge. She views code as another language—a crucial skill for the future that she believes everyone can learn.
Her advocacy for coding led to its inclusion in the UK National Curriculum in 2014, a milestone that earned her an MBE in 2015 for Services to Education.
A sought-after speaker, Kathryn addresses diverse audiences including the Dublin Web Summit, Google EMEA @Women Summit, and the European Commission’s Google Big Tent, focusing on the importance of coding skills, women in technology, and the impact of the internet economy on employment and skills.
Kathryn’s career began at WPP’s Ogilvy Group, where she developed award-winning work in branded content, virtual worlds, and mobile-based research. In 2006, she founded her first business, specializing in innovation and product development for global clients.
