meetup · one-off
Queer in Tech Leeds
Talks, networking and community for LGBTQ+ people in Leeds tech
When
Tuesday 7 July
Time
16:30
Venue
Lost & Found Leeds Club
City Centre
Price
Free
Queer in Tech Leeds returns on Tuesday 7 July 2026 at Lost & Found Leeds Club on Albion Place, running from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM BST. Three speakers are lined up across the evening, covering startup engineering pragmatism, a career pivot from teaching into tech, and a talk titled "Fun is Mandatory" — a range that should give most attendees something to take away.
The format is a standard evening meetup: half an hour of arrival and food, a welcome slot, three back-to-back talks of around 30 minutes each, then open networking to close. It is aimed at LGBTQ+ people working in or moving into the tech industry, and allies are explicitly welcome. Whether you are mid-career, just starting out, or still figuring out whether tech is the right move, the event is pitched to cover that spread.
The group behind it — Queer in Tech - Inclusive Tech Meetup — runs events specifically to build a visible, supportive community for LGBTQ+ professionals across the industry. Leeds has a reasonably active tech meetup scene, but events with an explicit inclusion focus are less common, which gives this one a distinct place in the calendar. The organiser is listed as loz.j.atkinson on Meetup. Attendance is free.
Why attend
Three concrete talks give the evening more structure than a typical networking night. Paul Brabban's session on ruthless pragmatism in startup engineering is the kind of practical, opinion-led talk that tends to generate actual conversation afterwards. Rukie Balogun's career-change story from classroom to code is directly relevant to anyone considering a similar move.
Beyond the content, this is one of the few Leeds tech events that explicitly centres LGBTQ+ professionals. If you have ever found standard meetups a bit samey in terms of who shows up, this is worth trying. The post-event social continues at a venue TBC, so the evening runs longer if you want it to.
Agenda
- 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM Arrival, refreshments and food
- 6:00 PM – 6:15 PM Welcome and introductions
- 6:20 PM – 6:50 PM Paul Brabban — Ditching the Hype: Ruthless Pragmatism in Startup Engineering
- 6:50 PM – 7:20 PM Rukie Balogun — From Classroom to Code: A Journey from Teaching to Technology
- 7:20 PM – 7:50 PM Quinn Daley — Fun is Mandatory
- 7:50 PM – 8:30 PM Event close and networking
- 8:30 PM onwards Post-event social (location TBC)
Speakers
- Paul Brabban — talk: Ditching the Hype: Ruthless Pragmatism in Startup Engineering
- Rukie Balogun — talk: From Classroom to Code: A Journey from Teaching to Technology
- Quinn Daley — talk: Fun is Mandatory
Organiser
Queer in Tech - Inclusive Tech Meetup
Queer in Tech - Inclusive Tech Meetup organises events for LGBTQ+ professionals and allies working in or entering the tech industry. The group focuses on community-building, shared experience and creating a visible network for queer people across tech roles. Events are free to attend and open to anyone supportive of that aim.
Venue
Lost & Found Leeds Club, City Centre
Lost & Found Leeds Club is at 3 Albion Place in Leeds city centre, a short walk from the train station and well placed for the post-work crowd.
FAQs
- Is Queer in Tech Leeds free to attend?
- Yes, the event is free. No ticket price is listed on the Meetup page.
- Where exactly is the venue?
- Lost & Found Leeds Club, 3 Albion Place, Leeds city centre.
- Do I need to register in advance?
- The event is listed on Meetup, so registering via that page is the expected route. Check the Meetup listing to confirm your spot.
- Is the event only for LGBTQ+ people?
- No. The event is aimed at LGBTQ+ people in tech but allies are explicitly welcome according to the event description.
- Is there a post-event social?
- Yes, the event listing mentions a post-event social from 8:30 PM onwards. The location was listed as TBC at time of publication.