women in computing conference and celebration
Recently, I traveled to the United State to attend women in computing conference, Grace Hopper Celebration. My first time at GHC, it was a super tremendous experience. Everything was unexpected. I got to talk to different people from giant tech companies which are way networking work.
I am going to share what is GHC, and what are there.
Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, GHC in short, is a series of conferences designed to bring the research and career interests of women in computing to the forefront. It is the world’s largest gathering of women in Technology.
The event is organized by AnitaB.org Institute for Women and Technology, the event placed every year in different states in the United State. As this year, GHC’19 has taken place at Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, United States.
In GHC, there were keynote speeches, workshops, mentoring circles, hackathon, career booths, internship/job interviews, pitching competitions, networking events, after hours and more.
What I love the most about Grace Hopper Celebration is Keynote Speech, it was super inspiring, as a young girl in Tech I had discovered what is missing and what I have to prepare to get ready for the next big step in life after college/undergraduate.
During Keynote's speech, there were different topics that focused on inspiring women to continue to develop and inspire the female next generation to pursue degrees in Tech or STEM-related subjects. I was watching the GHC keynote speech live since I was in the freshman year 2017 when someone sharing about GHC information through the Khmer Coder community, and look at now, I am right here, someone who sit and listen to the speaker in person.
Keynote Speech this year topic as an open remarked at GHC’19
Developing the future of autonomous mobility with fully autonomous electric vehicles… Aicha Evans, the CEO Zoox, is reimaging mobility in dense urban environments and redefining the customer experience through the creation of the first purpose-built, fully autonomous, electric vehicle. Prior to joining Zoox, Aicha served as Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Intel Corporation, driving the company’s strategy to transform from a PC-centric to a data-centric company.
Ignite Guinness in every child using Technology to bring the best quality education to communities around the world, especially the most underserved… Ana Roca Castro, CEO of Genius Plaza, a high growth edtech company serving more than 50 million of the world’s poorest children in more than 30 countries. Starting her career at Columbia University’s School of Public Health, she implemented the first school-based clinic in Washington Heights and Harlem. St the United Nations, Ana’s experience implementing the Oracle Learning Management System led her to the magic of Computer Science and global impact.
Democratizing AI, pioneering diversity in STEM and AI internationally…Fei Fei Li, Inaugural Sequoia Professor in the CS, Dept & Co-Director of Stanford’s Human-Centered AI Institute Stanford University. She served as the Director of Stanford’s AI Lab from 2013 to 2018. During her sabbatical from Stanford from January 2017 to September 2018, she was Vice President at Google and served as Chief Scientist of AI/ML at Google Cloud.
Inventing a new form of propulsion technology for small satellites that is safer of mass and volume…Natalya Bailey, CEO, and Founder at Accion Systems is widely considered one of the top leaders in the emerging field of small satellite propulsion. While earning her doctorate in space propulsion at MIT in 2014, Natalya worked with her co-founder to invent a new form of propulsion engine that made use of a liquid ion propulsion technology for small satellites.
Jhillika’s family experience ignited her passion to advocate for disability rights and a career-driven by a mission to create an inclusive world. Jhillika Kumar is the 2019 student of Vision Abie Award winner. She is a UX/UI designer, aspiring entrepreneur, and a third-year Georgia Tech student with a desire to improve the lives of the difference with a desire to improve the lives of differently-abled. Jhillika’s current initiative is an on-campus organization she founded called AxisAbility.
we will change the world. The remarkable speech from Brenda Dardeb Wilerson, President and CEO AnitaB.org, an advocate for access, opportunity, and social justice for underrepresented communities in technology.
Mentoring Circles, most recommended session everyone who attend GHC and looking for intern/job opportunity, before you meet companies/organizations in the Expo/Career Fair Hall, be sure to attend this interactive mentoring session, where you’ll receive great tips on job searching, interviews and furthering your career. Each of the 50 tables is hosted by a mentor focusing on a particular topic. Attendees choose a topic and chat with a mentor for 20 min. Every 20 min, attendees switch tables and chat with another mentor.
Expo Hall/Career Fair Hall, the very big hall that hundreds of companies were there. I spend most of my time handling my resume to recruiters. GHC Expo is one of the most highly attended functions. It serves as an influential platform for companies, academics, governments, and industry experts to come together, share and learn information, hire qualified talents, network and build business relationships among women technologists. GHC Expo has hundreds of career fairs and interview Booths including poster sessions and Technology Showcase. Badges are required to enter the Expo Halls.
And there are different types of Badges, you will see General Attendee, Student, Student Scholar, Google, Amazon, Twitter and many more. Badge with the company’s name looks pretty cool. Meanwhile, I was wearing a Student Scholar badge.
What is more and special at Expo/Career fair hall is swag.
Swag is a term used by people there, it refers to giveaways things from the company. I definitely love it. It’s not easy and often you can get giveaway from top tech companies like Google, Amazon, Adobe and so on. So if you are there make sure to grab it and keep it as suvenior for you as well as your friends, junior and classmate. I got some more stickers from Amazon, and share my juniors, classmates and stick it on our laptop.
Student Lounge which is sponsored by Amazon Inc, I went there to relax and study a bit before going for an interview. There were refreshments, coffee, snacks and a lot of swag from amazon, while at the same time I met some Talent Acquisition people from amazon as well, they were so helpful and friendly, and give me a lot of advice also encouraged me to apply for Amazon Summer Internship 2020. I met a senior student from Brazil who was a google intern and also gets sponsored by Google to attend GHC’19, I was having a nice talk with her. She told me about her experience interning at Google Brazil while listening to her, I really wanted to have such an opportunity to intern at Google, where’s my dream workplace. Imagine you are working on a product, were given such a big impact on the company as well as billions of people’s lives, I was working on Google Search where billions of people are using, think of how big impact you have given as an intern, she said. I really wanted to lend my dream intern/job there.
GHC Scholar Networking Reception because I was awarded as scholar from AnitaB.org to attend GHC’19 this year, so I was invited to attend GHC Scholar Networking Reception which is a kick-off event for GHC Scholars to connect, learn about each other and start the conference with a celebration, and this is the only event where GHC’19 Scholar will be seated in a room together. This year, 2019, AnitaB.org welcomes over 950 GHC Scholars from around the world and the United States. This includes heavy appetizers, sponsors and community building.
After Hours/Party, after Career/Expo Hall close, in the evening, I went to several companies after hour party. Google After Hours was so fantastic. I am so glad I got invited! Early bird registration to attend the event a month before. Google After Hours is a night filled with mingling, music and a sneak at some of their latest technology. They were transforming the Rosen Centre Hotel’s backlot into a celebration of all things good: good friends, good food, good tech, good music and good times. I met new friends and connected with each other through LinkedIn while I was in a Creative Zone drawing my handcraft bag. And there was super easy to get into the party place, I just need to take the SkyWalk connecting from the hotel I am staying Rosen Plaza 2nd floor to Orange County Convention Center’s and heading to Rosen Centre by the west exit.
When it came to last day of Grace Hopper Celebration, we all are invited to Evening Celebration GHC is a wonderful opportunity to network and form professional connections, but the real value of GHC is the personal bonds that are created during four days surrounded by kindred spirits, listening and sharing and learning. The Evening Celebration is a place when thousands of women will let loose and dance into the late hours of the night. What special for the last evening, the buses still running till midnight in order to serve those who are staying in hotels nearby since GHC is celebrated at Orange County, but mine was just 5min thru SkyWalk connecting the Orange County Convention Center’s 2nd floor to Rosen Plaza. It was more than a celebration, there were lucky draws, and a lot of giveaway stuff, some people got a MacBook Air, some get free Lyft voucher and many more…
Grace Hopper Celebration is just more than a celebration, you can imagine throughout what I wrote early. After hearing all these good things about GHC, do you want to attend GHC’20 next year? Keep your eyes update to AnitaB.org Facebook, Instagram, Website and Grace Hopper Celebration’s Facebook page. The application will open again next year 16th January 2020.
To tell you a little more about the key qualification to the scholarship, you need to have a strong passion and interest in Technology, sharpen your skills, mentoring others, especially design your CV/Resume and portfolio, get your latest transcript ready, ask your professor at university for his recommendation, and apply as soon as possible.
I think this is a long article, I will try to get another article for an outstanding GHC application as soon as possible before the application open again. stay tuned and give me some claps 👏👏👏
Read my first article related to GHC and how I got selected “How did I get to know GHC and get accepted as GHC19 Scholar from AnitaB.org”
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