Inspiration and inclusion on show: Women in Emerging Tech Conference
The Women in Emerging Tech Conference, held on August 31 2022 at Deloitte Melbourne, inspired, educated and engaged the curious and those already established in the world of Web3 and emerging technology.
Australia’s emerging tech industry is booming, with funding and interest at an all-time high. Blockchain, NFTs, AI, the Metaverse and more were the topic of discussion at the inaugural Women in Emerging Tech conference, sponsored by Deloitte Digital as part of the Victorian Government’s Digital Innovation Festival 2022.
The brainchild of Blockchain Australia’s Karen Cohen, the conference provides an inclusive platform for those interested in, or already pursuing a career in tech.
Kicking off the keynote talks, Aimee Marie Forsstrom spoke about her experiences as a pioneer in the Web3 space.
Next, Amina Crooks gave a fantastic talk on “The Future of AI and Will Robots Take My Job?” A key takeaway was that AI’s potential lies in forecasting and learning from data, but it suffers from an inability to understand human value systems and free will. Working in collaboration with professionals will enable AI to excel at solving human problems.
Up next, we learned the importance of mentors and tips on recruitment in the tech industry. Networking is so integral in this space — showing up and connecting with peers is a great way to keep your finger on the pulse and share your knowledge.
Yolanda Sam presented “Cybersecurity — how do I keep my data safe?”, an ever-increasingly important topic as we store more of our information online. Three tips to stay safer online are 1. Use a password manager 2. Conduct a data breach check and 3. Review your online permissions.
Next was the NFT panel featuring Jessy Burke from Oshi Gallery, String Nguyen (Chubbiverse), Judy Sahay (Crowd Media) and Bobby Oparoacha (ValyouX). Jess spoke about the intersection of art, tech and innovation. She gave a brief outline on NFTs and minting and the beauty of the blockchain as it enables artists to track provenance and receive royalties in perpetuity.
The topics of raising start-up capital and gaming and the Metaverse filled out the day’s agenda.
Oshi and Web3
So, what does tech have to do with art? The digital economy is booming, and a major segment is art-related, with NFTs becoming a household name.
NFTs can be an image file, a video or even a piece of music. They can represent a physical asset, as well as be represented digitally. An NFT lives on the blockchain, meaning they are immutable, easily traced and can have useful information stored along with them.
Oshi is a physical gallery dedicated to showcasing not only world-class NFTs, but the technology behind them. It’s an expansive gallery, as well as an educational hub with workshops, talks and tech presentations — the home of digital culture.
If you’d like to know more, follow Oshi Gallery on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to our newsletter. Visit us at the physical gallery or follow our drops and events online, and spread the word.
As Karen Cohen says, ”In a world where you can be anything, be inclusive, be inspiring, don’t drop the ladder behind you.”
