#LWTSummit 2019 Recap

Go to a conference full of curiosity and open to conversations — odds are you’ll find great connections.
— Melanie Cristol, Founder & CEO of Lorals, speaking at the NYC Lesbians Who Tech + Allies Summit 2019

The welcome sign for the Lesbians Who Tech + Allies Summit, setting an open and inclusive tone

Last week, I volunteered at the Lesbians Who Tech + Allies Summit in New York City. This summit is typically reserved for mid-level folks and executives, and as an Edie Windsor Coding Scholar and recent Flatiron software engineering grad, I did not take this opportunity for granted.

The summit featured a wide variety of speakers, AMA-style Q&As, and breakout sessions, in addition to three days of company recruitment zones which culminated in a career fair on the final day of the summit. To even begin to cover the incredible things I learned, or the amazing people I met would result in a never-ending post; even now, I am still regaling my fiancée with new stories and tidbits from those three magical summit days.

A summit attendee posing next to the Lesbians Who Tech slogan : “Queer Inclusive Badass”

In thinking about my experience, and the overall themes of the week, I keep coming back to the Lesbians Who Tech + Allies slogan : “Queer. Inclusive. Badass.” If I had to boil down my takeaways from the summit itself to a similar three-word slogan, my best attempt is: “Radical. Expansive. Empathetic.”

There is an amazing power in being yourself, and feeling safe enough to do so. Being able to walk between the summit venues, and see so many wonderful humans exchanging ideas and LinkedIn details, talking about which breakout they went to, whose company they were recruiting for, even swapping all the pet pictures and comparing swag finds— it gave me something more than comfort, bigger than hope. This summit has carved out space in the world for each of us, and has instilled in us the confidence that not only is this world ours for the taking, but that in our hands together, we can do great things.

My transition into the tech world has been eye-opening for me, as I’ve explored the ways in which technology can address creative problem solving, and connect us across countless barriers. That is not to say that technology alone can or even will save us — we need to remember our human connections first, and actively make space for everyone at the table.

Speaker Roz Harris, during a breakout session, with advice for “pulling [yourself] up by the bootstraps, when [you] have no boots.”

During the Thursday morning keynotes, Lesbians Who Tech + Allies founder Leanne Pittsford shared with the crowd six squad goals to be able to “take what we feel here and bring it back to home or work.” I’d like to share her #squadgoals here, to keep my eyes on the prize of how to make radical change real, and keep my#LWTSummit flame ablaze:

1. Positive Persistence :
   “We have to do both — keep at your goals, keep that positive focus.”
2. Economic Power Is Our Civic Duty :
   “There are two ways that we can show up: with time, or with money. We must invest in a world we want to live in.”
3. Urgency :
   “We have to make things happen — this ties back into the persistence of goal #1, because we know the both the importance and impact of our work.”
4. The Hard Is What Makes It Great :
   “If it were easy, everyone would do it.”
5. Connect to the Things You Love :
   “Be in tune with yourself, and find the things you actually love without judgement!”
6. Have a North Star :
   “Your North Star is your guiding force, or the world you want to live in.”

I am sincerely grateful for my summit experience, and hope both my gratitude and excitement is infectious, wherever it may lead you.

Here’s to supporting your community, boosting voices and experiences that need to be heard and shared, expanding your horizons and letting that rainbow in your heart shine through.

Here’s to next time, and everything that follows.