by Adela Karsznia, TechUP Administrator
On 27 April 2023 the TechUP team and alumnae had the opportunity, as virtual participants, to attend the One Tech World Conference: an event held annually by WeAreTechWomen, our Programme Partner for this year’s TechUPWomen Click Start courses. While preparing to welcome our new cohorts of learners in mid-June, we were also able to tune in to a range of exciting and thought-provoking sessions led by some of the leading women in the global tech industry.
The scale of the conference, which involved over eighty speakers across five virtual stages, meant that no two individual schedules were the same. We were each able to assemble our own agendas for the day, driven by our personal interests, development, or curiosity. From celebrating the gains of women in the industry to articulating the need for ongoing change, and from (re)imagining technologies of the future to sharing invaluable tips and advice for women at every career-stage in today’s workplaces – the event had something for everyone. It was an immersive experience and presented plenty of opportunities for networking with speakers and attendees alike – together numbering over 3,000 people.
Underpinning the conference is the observation that women make up only about 20% of the workforce in tech, and the belief that change can happen ‘by showing existing women in the industry – and those who want to transition in – what that world of future tech really looks like’. We at TechUP share the organisers’ conviction that this change involves encouraging more women to step across and consider tech careers. As WeAreTechWomen remark in their conference notes: to us, it’s personal.
With the insights and inspiration gleaned from multiple panels and keynotes, we couldn’t help but project our thoughts into the future. In a month, we’ll finally meet the participants in this year’s TechUP programme. We will see these women learn new skills and ways of thinking, collaborating, questioning, developing, and growing in confidence – before they move on to carve out their own professional paths. We hope that the landscape of the industry will continue to transform alongside them, and that their diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and understandings of the world will become truly indispensable in developing tech solutions of the future.