What I Learned at the Google Women Techmakers Summit in Cambridge
If you would like to read more about #womenintech @WomenTechmakers, I published three blog posts:
Google celebrates women
For those unfamiliar with Women Techmakers, it is Google’s global program and brand for women in technology. March 8 marks the celebration of International Women’s Day, where different regions either display respect and appreciation toward women or celebrate their achievements. Google celebrates women in technology every year through initiatives such as Made With Code, the Google Cultural Institute, and the #DearMe video letters. Check ’em out!
Featuring inspiring speakers
I always find other people’s stories fascinating, and was inspired by the invited speakers at #WTM15. Jo Kulik, a Software Engineer at Google, was a wonderful emcee who commented that people who say Computer Scientists use computers is like saying that sculptors use clay; but it’s what you do with it that counts. The medium in which you work in doesn’t define you — it’s what you create that reflects who you are.
I learned a lot from the speakers, and I was fortunate to speak to most of them afterwards. They have interesting stories, altruistic spirits, and pleasant personalities.
For a list of quotes by the speakers, check out my #WTM15 Twitter feed!
Learning about Google’s Design Sprint
Those who participated got a two-hour condensed version of The Design Sprint, a five-day process created by Google Venture’s Jake Knapp. It explores business strategy, innovation, behaviour science, and design thinking through designing, prototyping, and testing ideas with customers.
I created a workshop and presented at conferences like the Canadian Undergraduate Computer Science Conference and the ACM Canadian Celebration of Women in Computing.
I also learned about Android Wear! To inspire folks to develop for it, Google generously donated smart watches to each participant.
Meeting new friends
Other than getting sweet swag and food from Google, I met wonderful people at the table I sat at, it was really awesome to work with different women in technology and hear their stories.
I had such a wonderful experience! It was very memorable and I was able to talk about my #GHC14 experience with others.
Thank you Googlers for hosting the Women Techmakers events, and thank you everyone who attended. You made the day fun, exciting, and inspiring.
Big shout out to Leanne Wu for telling me about the Women Techmakers Global Event. I applied to Google’s International Women’s Day Summit in Cambridge, Massachusetts and received a congratulatory email inviting me to attend. I was super stoked! With generous help from the Department of Computer Science, I stayed in Cambridge for two days.
Moving Forward
Two years since I have attended, I was able to take away a lot of what I learned to create a blog series about my time and was recognized for it!
The organization has expanded its programs and you can now become a Women Techmakers member.
Until June 9, 2017, you can also apply for a Udacity Nanodegree scholarship. Good luck!
Note: This was originally posted on my website a few years ago. It has been edited to add additional information about the program.
If you liked what you read or learned something new, support with 👏, spread the 💚 or follow me!
