Sniff & Snails

Sniff and Snails are siblings that have been tinkering with technology since… well, pretty much since they can remember.

Sniff (a.k.a Joseph Birks) invented the Crumble controller, which is used in primary schools across the globe to teach physical computing.

Snails (a.k.a Hayley Laidlaw-Wilson) has been working in Technology designing apps and software systems since 2005.

“We spent our early years riding bikes to make-believe planets, launching water rockets over the house, and conducting experiments in the garden shed. It wasn’t long before we had our very own ‘desktop computer’ and the noise of ‘dial-up’ had become a regular household sound. We saw the potential then (and still do) for technology to drive positive change.

It wasn’t until we entered our respective worlds of work that we started to notice disparities. In the workplace we witnessed inequalities and underrepresentation. In schools we saw a lack of Design and Technology (D&T) teachers. At home, parents (including us) are struggling to keep up with technology trends and innovations. And finally, research has indicated that the career aspirations of young people have ‘nothing in common’ with the jobs of the future.

We decided to stop pontificating ‘why’ and ‘what if’ and take action. Sniff and Snails was founded in 2020 to inject diversity into the world of Technology.”

Sniff & Snails will be joining us at our Summer Camp Family Weekend in 2025!