On October 24, join the Tech Stage sessions of She Is Tech 2.0 to connect with a community of women driving change in the tech industry. Here’s the agenda of the hottest topics among female techies we’re going to discuss and move forward:
1. ADHD and Me: How Neurodivergence Serves My Testing
Brains are weird, neat, squishy things. ADHD, anxiety, and depression, with a list of common behaviors that go along with it. Does it ring a bell?
“When looking at the challenges that I face as a software tester, I want to present you with some examples of how neurodivergence can be harnessed to work for me – instead of against me.” – says our speaker Karen.
So, come listen to stories of how these mental powers help boost my curiosity, empathy, and effectiveness. You may just learn something about your own brain along the way.
Speaker: Karen Tood, Agile Tester for De Agile Testers
2. Navigating Challenges and Growing as a Solo Product Designer
In the dynamic and fast-paced world of technology, being the only person in a creative or strategic role presents me with unique challenges and opportunities.
This talk is designed for women in tech who are navigating this space, where we often balance multiple roles and responsibilities.
Speaker: Michelle Brito, Product Designer at Volkswagen Digital Solutions
3. Algorithmic Discrimination & Gender Bias in AI
Machine learning processes have now become an integral part of our society:
- In applicant selection, medical treatment recommendations or credit scoring
- In Alexa, ChatGPT or Google
The boundaries between us and the technology around us are often blurred.
Despite numerous benefits, an increasing number of reports highlight the unfair and discriminatory nature of Artificial Intelligence-based systems. These systems often disproportionately harm specific groups, with gender bias emerging as a particularly significant issue in AI-based technologies.
Our speaker will give you an insight into how our internalized stereotypes and prejudices can be reflected in AI-based systems. The talk is suitable for non-techies, techies and anyone interested.
Speaker: Klara Krieg, AI Program Manager at Bosch
4. I’m Not the Impostor, It’s All in My Head
Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong? Have you been afraid someone might unmask you? Do you diminish compliments others give you because you didn’t really try it that hard but you managed somehow? You are not alone.
Linda was there after she quit studying and ended up without a diploma, she found herself doubting her abilities, working next to people with a normal education, like having a university degree.
“I currently am contracted at a bank and work on a global project as a testmanager in a technically and politically challenging field, and I’m kicking ass! But wait..what about my impostor syndrome? I have had to set aside my doubts in my abilities, by following a couple of guidelines (and getting a good psychologist). I have managed to turn my impostor syndrome around, to it being my personal incentive to do better, not perfect.” – she says.
Join the session to get insights from Linda’s story and lessons learned that got her to the place she is today.
Speaker: Linda Van De Vooren, Test Manager at Achmea
5. A Personal Project That Got Out of Hand – Writing a Book About C++
Have you ever read a book? Have you considered writing on? Frances Buontempo is going to share:
- How collating a few small personal projects formed the basis of her first book about machine learning
- Why she went on to write a book about C++
Come away realizing you might be able to achieve more than you ever realized with a bit of help and encouragement.
Speaker: Frances Buontempo, Consultant at BCL
6. Addressing the Gender Gap in Cloud: Pathways to Inclusion
The cloud computing industry is booming, yet women’s representation remains alarmingly low. Join this talk to explore the power of community-driven initiatives to address this imbalance.
What’s in agenda:
- Showcase the journey of establishing the first AWS Women’s User Group in EMEA
- Strategies employed to create a safe and empowering space for women/FLINTA* individuals, fostering connections and promoting diversity in the cloud sector
- Demonstration the transformative impact of such initiatives and inspire collective action to create a more inclusive tech industry
Speaker: Sana Shah, Cloud Operations Lead at DEMICON
7. Meet Bloom: Mobile App for Pelvic Floor Therapy
Bloom is a mobile app that allows you to perform pelvic floor physical therapy at home.
Christina will share about the idea of the app and:
- Demonstrate how the implementation works, with a particular focus on the Android platform
- Talk about the teams involved in the project and the major challenges they faced
- Discuss the critical role of women’s input in product development and its impact on success.
Speaker: Cristina Martins, Android Tech Lead at Sword Health
8. What Is Software QA and Why You Need It in Your Team
Nowadays, there are several ideas, several areas of development… But do you really know what Software QA is?
In this presentation you’ll learn about:
- The career path of a QA (that’s more than automation), its importance and responsibility in a SDLC
- Interactions with other teams and roles
- A brief insight into the huge number of testing possibilities
Speaker: Patrícia Mateus, Founder of QA Portuguesa
9. Discussion Panel “Women Driving AI Forward: Challenges and Future Directions”
This discussion will explore:
- The critical role of diversity and inclusion in shaping the future of AI, with a focus on increasing representation and gender equality in AI research and development
- Strategies organizations can use to foster diversity, advice for women in AI, and how AI can be made more accessible to underrepresented communities
The conversation will also cover the ethical implications of AI and its potential to solve global challenges.
Speakers: Mary Grygleski, AI Practice Lead at Callibrity & A. Rosa Castillo, Senior Machine Learning Engineer at Valory
10. Migrant Women in Tech: Overcoming the Fear of Starting Again
Our goal is to inspire and motivate you to embark on or continue their migrant journey with confidence and determination.
We’ll focus on:
- Making it motivational and highlight key topics such as cultural adaptation, impostor syndrome, and fear of missing out
- Broader themes like building resilience, embracing continuous learning, and the power of community support
Speaker: Letty Mesquita, Founder, Product Leader & AI Innovator
11. Visual Impact: The Intersection of Data, Design and Human Perception
Drawing from years of experience running internal trainings at Google, lecturing in universities and delivering corporate trainings, this talk will empower attendees to appreciate the power of effective data visualization.
Join to have insights on:
- How data practitioners and leaders can help businesses unlock insights hidden within their data
- How proper data visualization makes large amounts of data more digestible through graphs and visual representations rather than tables of numbers
- The unique blend of technical skills, business knowledge, design techniques, and psychology that makes data visualization impactful
Join and learn how to elevate your data visualizations to the next level or take learnings back for your team.
Speaker: Christina Stathopoulos, Founder of Dare to Data