Speaking My Truth: Write/Speak/Code 2018 Recap

About:

I immediately knew Write/Speak/Code wasn’t a run-of-the-mill conference when I arrived — organizers were identifiable by their matching iridescent fanny packs and tiaras. This is a conference that encourages you to be yourself, after all — openly and unabashedly yourself. Want to wear a tiara at noon on a Wednesday? You do you.

Like the organizers and attendees, Write/Speak/Code refuses to be pigeonholed. It is more than a conference — it’s a conference/workshop/retreat/summit. Officially, Write/Speak/Code is an intensive 4-day event for women and non-binary developers, aimed at increasing their visibility through thought leadership, conference speaking, open source contributions, career development, personal growth and self-care. Unofficially, it’s a build-you-up, make-cool-things, fill-your-heart whirlwind event.

The magic:

The conference tipped the scale at roughly 300 attendees — all women and non-binary developers. Only 16% of software developers are women, so it was refreshing to attend a tech event and see women in every direction. Stereotype threat is real sociological phenomena that can be helped by regular contact with others like you, and surrounding myself with a few hundred seriously impressive women for four days was such an uplifting experience.

The conference organizers focused on creating an authentically inclusive and welcoming experience for attendees. The little details made a big difference — pronoun pins, vegan food options, and a quiet room for those who needed a break from social interaction or a place to check in with work. I love that the organizers invited every attendee to a slack channel a few weeks in advance, providing clear directions on channels we could join to find others with similar interests, share logistical information, and most importantly, stay in touch. Now, I’m connected to a fantastic community of women and non-binary coders who are actively rooting for each other’s success, encouraging each other to push past our comfort zones, and sharing opportunities for growth. As the organizers put it: I found a hype team (#squadgoals) of people who sincerely celebrate my wins and build me up to take on new challenges.

The content of the conference was an excellent blend of inspiration, education, and participation. The format effortlessly mixed learning and doing with a balance of talks and hands-on workshops. Each day focused on a theme (write, speak, code, growth) with interactive workshops and a strong focus on creating next-step action plans. On “write” day, we brainstormed blog post ideas and discussed owning our expertise. On “speak” day, we explored the submission process for conferences and wrote and delivered a 10 minute lightning talk. On “code” day, we contributed code to open source projects and discussed ethical issues within the tech industry. “Growth” day focused on stretching yourself, building inclusive work environments and teams, and self-care. I left with new skills and solid plans for putting those skills into action.

Overall, I left the conference feeling empowered to step outside my comfort zone, reach higher, and do more. I arrived home with a notebook full of new ideas and a full heart.

Write/Speak/Code is on a mission to increase the visibility and leadership of women and non-binary coders through thought leadership, conference speaking, open source contributions, career development, personal growth and self-care.

Write/Speak/Code 2018 was held August 1–4 in New York City.