02/09/2025
Today we mourn the passing of Dame Stephanie “Steve” Shirley, a woman whose life story reads like history itself. Born in Dortmund in 1933, she arrived in Britain as a five-year-old Jewish refugee on the Kindertransport, escaping N**i persecution (Shirley, 2012).
After years of exclusion in a male-dominated industry, she founded Freelance Programmers in 1962—later FI Group—one of the first tech companies built for women, especially mothers (Fletcher, 2019). She famously signed letters “Steve” so her work would be taken seriously (Shirley, 2012).
Her company worked on projects including the Concorde black box (Fletcher, 2019). When it floated in 1996, more than 70 employees became millionaires—proof of her belief in shared success (Brown, 2020).
Her philanthropy defined her later life. Through the Shirley Foundation, she donated nearly £70 million to autism research and support, founding Autistica, Autism at Kingwood, and Prior’s Court School (Shirley Foundation, 2018; Autistica, 2020).
Her TED Talk, Why do ambitious women have flat heads?, remains a masterclass in wit and wisdom, inspiring women in tech worldwide (Shirley, 2015).
We raise a metaphorical glass to a refugee who became a Dame, a founder who reimagined work, and a philanthropist who transformed autism awareness. Her legacy will echo for generations.
