Now that Ada Lovelace Day is behind us, it’s time to think about how to go about nurturing women working in technology. There are many groups already doing this, but I think it’s fair to say that it’s not a saturated market. I have already set a date with NESTA, the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, for our first event which will be on June 10th.
My question to you is, what event would you like to see? My current ideas are:
- Meet the Conference Organisers: A short talk on what conference organisers are looking for in a speaker, how to bring yourself to their attention and how to get the right experience, followed by a “speed dating” session women can meet the different conference organisers.
- Meet the Press: A discussion about the way that women in technology raise their own profile in the media, a few tips on dealing with the press, and a chance to talk to different tech journalists.
- Presentation Skills: A talk on how to give good presentations, followed by lightning talks (strictly 5 minutes each) or PowerPoint Karaoke.
Which of those ideas do you most fancy? Or do you have other ideas that you’d like to float, whether for themes or session speakers? I’m hoping to make a decision on this very soon, so please chip in!
I think I prefer the options exactly in the order in which they appear. Personally I think it is important to showcase women who transcend narrow definitions of either ‘tech’ or what it means to be ‘in tech’.
Great news on the June 10th date & looking forward to the event.
From the topics you’ve outlined, the focus of the event (as the day) is to nurture women in technology (support those already there, increase numbers and opportunities) by raising the visibility and profile of those already working in the field. I think this is a great tactic, but unless it’s embedded in wider systemic activity (& I guess this is where network activity with the exiting and new groups comes in to play) it ends up being a pretty individualistic approach, and probably a provisional one in terms of social change. I’d suggest if you are going to on individuals rather than communities of practice and activism then you make sure that the day has concrete outputs that be used by women non attending the event – i.e. some kind of tool kit.
The suggestions so far – established conference organisers, meeting the press, and presentation skills are all good, but what I’d like to see would be something that focuses and leverages new models of social participation and activism, using network activity and tech. Personally, I’d like to see an event very much be about community, networks, and activism for women working in these areas, with an emphasis on social as well as personal transformation.
Best, J.
Great ideas! A suggeestion: work ahead to have hesignated folks live-blog or tweet the events so that those of us who cannot attend can follow and archive the remarks, links, recommendations, etc of those who can be there!
If several people tweet seriously, those tweets can be culled and archived/extended in a wiki, or provide points of departure for further conversations.