6 Can’t-Miss Events at This Week’s Women in Tech Summit
The summit is "as much about connection as it is education," says one of its founders. Here are our top picks for the sold-out Philadelphia event.
Women in Tech Summit.
This year’s Women in Tech Summit (WITS), taking on Friday, April 13 and Saturday April 14 is sold out! That means if you secured a ticket, get ready to connect with more than 500 other attendees this weekend.
The homegrown event was first held in Philadelphia in 2012 and attracted more than 150 local tech leaders. This year, the summit is hitting six regions — the mid-Atlantic, the Northeast, the Midwest, the West, the South and Southeast — its largest series yet. “This speaks to the unique challenges still faced by women in technology, even as our numbers are growing. Through WITS, we aim to help women overcome these roadblocks while showing them that they are not facing them alone,” said summit co-founder Gloria Bell.
All proceeds from the conference will benefit the tech education program TechGirlz. “WITS is as much about connection as it is education,” said summit co-founder and TechGirlz founder Tracey Welson-Rossman. “The washout rate in technology is considerably higher for women than men, but with a stronger network and arsenal of tools we can go farther, earn higher, and achieve more.”
If you’ve got a ticket, be sure to consider these BizPhilly Women in Tech Summit picks:
Friday | April 13, 2018
Git, Oh Shit!
10:00 a.m.- 12:30 a.m.
Washington Post front end web developer Jess Bell will kick off this year’s Northeast conference with a hands-on git workshop. Why wouldn’t you want to walk away from the summit knowing a little more about git and version control? After about two hours, you’ll have learned the basics of git, and you’ll even have practiced “creating a repo, making an initial commit, branching, merging and doing pull requests.” And Bell wants you to come prepared. You should have git and a command line program installed.
The Quick and Dirty Introduction to Data Analysis
1:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
The afternoon will bring more opportunities for attendees to get some hands-on experience. This quick and dirty workshop will show you how to collect and filter data using standard and advanced Structure Query Language (SQL) commands. You’ll even practice creating data visualizations. Magento data analyst Jessica Magness, who’ll lead the course, will leave you with even more resources to be used on your new data analysis journey.
Saturday | April 14, 2018
Speak for Yourself—Why Women in Tech Need to Tell Their Stories
9:00 a.m.-9:45 a.m.
Tech-life expert and nationally syndicated media personality Stephanie Humphrey, will open up day two of the conference with a morning keynote address that every woman in tech needs to hear. Humphrey has used her expertise to help readers and listeners across platforms like The Harry Show, NewsOne, Al-Jazeera America and FOX 29’s Good Day Philadelphia understand how they can use technology to transform and enrich their lives. With movements like #MeToo and Time’s Up as a national backdrop, Humphrey will likely address how women in tech can feel empowered to control their narratives.
Become a NegotiatHer: Learn Secrets to Make More $ in Your Tech Career
10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
People are wearing red this week for Equal Pay Day to raise awareness of the gender pay gap. While Philadelphia ranks No. 4 nationally for women in tech, local women are paid markedly less than women in other tech hubs across the country. This session will tackle hot topics like imposter syndrome and unconscious bias and how they are keeping you from getting the salary you deserve. DevelopHer founder Lauren Hasson will give attendees a detailed look at how she negotiated to triple her base salary in less than two years (!).
Blockchain Applications for the Real World — How Blockchain Is Transforming Your Industry and What You Need to Know to Stay Ahead
11:15 a.m.-12:15 a.m.
You can’t ignore blockhain anymore. The technology goes far beyond Bitcoin and is transforming industries like healthcare and real estate. And the industry skews male. A recent New York Times report states:
“Virtual currencies and blockchain, the digital ledger that forms the basis of the cryptocurrencies, were intended to de democratizing and equalizing forces, buoyed by a utopian exuberance. But women who have bee trying to participate in the gold rush are finding a lopsided gender divide. And some say the culture is getting worse with the male-dominated culture buoyed by a new fleet of wealthy crypto speculators known ad “blockchain bros.”
Sessions speakers Kelcey Gosserand (Trellis managing partner) and Amy Vernon (Rivetz VP of community) will talk through specific examples of how blockchain has impacted industries and how you might be able to implement blockchain at your own organization.
The Philly Special: Embrace Tech Trends to Strengthen Your Leadership Skills
1:15 p.m.-2:15 p.m.
The advisory committee of Philly’s new Women in Tech Leadership group will convene in panel form to talk emerging tech trends and how you can stay on top it all to ultimately secure leadership opportunities. Hear directly from local women at the top. Speakers include Brigitte Daniel Corbin (EVP, Wilco Electronic Systems), Stephanie Cramp (Director Strategic Alliances, OneStream Software), Suzanne Keenan (Principal, Suzanne Keenan, LLC), Eloise Young (SVP Strategic Planning & Information Services, Philadelphia Gas Works) and Michelle Pujadas (founder and co-CEO, Zer0 to 5ive).
