Breaking Barriers in Tech Together
On September 30th, 2016, /dev/color hosted its inaugural conference for black software engineers. The conference’s theme, ‘’Onwards and Upwards’, focused on providing engineers with the resources, strategies, and insight they need to take their careers to the next level.
Over 120 black software engineers came to Facebook HQ for a full day of learning, sharing, and connecting with peers and leaders who are driving major initiatives in the tech industry.
I have gotten to know many of the event participants over the past few months. The energy at the event was contagious and the conversations were incredibly valuable.
The Rundown
The day was packed with keynotes, workshops, and lightning talks. Dozens of industry leaders joined us including Mike Schroepfer, CTO of Facebook and Merline Santil, Head of Operations, Product & Technology (CTO Office) at Intuit.
I sat in on our keynote with Ben Horowitz, Cofounder and Partner at Andreessen Horowitz. Ben spoke on his views on diversity and inclusion in the tech industry.
One attendee stated, “The Ben Horowitz chat was fantastic. It’s refreshing to see a white man who understands his privilege manage expectations and speak candidly with the black community. It was fun and entertaining.”
Personally, I thought Horowitz was incredibly down to earth and honest with his experience and goals for the future.
After the keynote the attendees split up to attend different breakout sessions. The sessions were tailored to meet the needs of all our members who range from entry level to senior level software engineers and managers.
The breakout sessions included:
- ‘Transitioning from software to business leadership’ by Ime Archibong, Director, Strategic Partnerships, Facebook
- ‘The Inside Scoop on Working your Way Up the Executive Ranks’ — Merline Saintil, Head of Operations, Product & Technology (CTO Office), Intuit
- ‘From Engineer to Manager: Tips You Need to Know’- Mekka Okereke, Senior Manager, Software Engineering, Google
I attended a breakout session with Tony Gauda, Cofounder and CEO of ThinAir Labs titled, “Building a Business with an Engineering Background”. Tony walked through his experiences as a founder and engineer and allowed for multiple questions from the crowd.
An attendee stated, “I really liked the very relevant breakout sessions and approachable speakers who seemed sincere.” Tony shared lessons and valuable insight on transitioning from technical to management roles.
There were also lightening talks from several engineers including some of our A* members. They discussed a wide variety of topics from founding companies to iOS development.
The day ended with a discussion of /dev/color from members of our team. One attendee described, “Ariel, the Programs Director, took time to appreciate our teams individual accomplishments. I really liked that Makinde, Founder/CEO of /dev/color, gave an informative but succinct summary of the organization’s growth.”
Makinde energized our members for the future and rolled out a couple of new programs that will launch in 2017.
The Future
I am excited to see what the next conference will bring. In 2017 we will have more A* members, our first chapter in NYC, and a larger impact on our community.
It is clear that the organization is growing rapidly and has already impacted the careers of our members. Over seven members have received promotions upon joining the organization. It was refreshing to see that several of our members are already reaching new heights in the industry.
The second annual conference will bring even more black software engineers and industry leaders together to share ideas, discuss experiences, and provide insight on career development. We are excited to break barriers and expand our impact together.
If you would like to get notified about our 2017 conference, please subscribe to our newsletter via our website.
/dev/color is a non-profit organization that maximizes the impact of Black software engineers. We create environments where Black software engineers can learn from one another and hold one another accountable for reaching ambitious career goals. To learn more, check out our website and follow our blog & twitter account.
