Geeky Summit 2017: The Tears, the Fears, and Everything in Between
Written by Nishrin Khambati
There was an excited, anticipatory energy in the air at Telus Spark, early in the morning on Wednesday November 8, 2017. It was where Chic Geek hosted their annual Geeky Summit, the only conference of it’s kind in Alberta that celebrates women leaders, creators, mentors and role models in technology and entrepreneurship.
This year’s theme was “Brave the Ask” and we explored everything from how to give or accept criticism and where to find those unexpected mentors, to more technical subjects like Google Cloud and AI/Machine Learning. This year, there were 201 attendees, 24 sponsors, and 21 thought leaders that gathered for a day of being inspired, embracing vulnerability, overcoming obstacles, and at the end of it all, braving that big, fat, scary ask.
Stats
If numbers are your thing, we thought you might appreciate starting off with this quick glance at the stats of the day. Enjoy!
Event Highlights
Geeky Summit was packed with incredible moments, some jaw-dropping, others awe-inspiring, and a few even nerve-wracking. Read on for the highlights!
Mayor Naheed Nenshi
Calgary’s Mayor Naheed Nenshi’s kickoff speech started the day with a bang. He spoke on how important diversity is to the economy and to innovation. In spite of the recession, the City of Calgary has made some incredible strides in diversifying its own industries. Nenshi emphasized how it’s Calgary’s responsibility, as a community, to come together and be the driving force for change.
“Be Gutsy” — Caroline Paul’s Morning Keynote
Caroline Paul, best-selling international author of “The Gutsy Girl”, delivered a stunning keynote by sharing her stories as one of the first female firefighters in the San Francisco Fire Department, and how being “gutsy” has allowed her to take on adventures like paragliding and climbing the Golden Gate bridge (that’s equivalent to climbing 71 stories, without even clipping on a harness!). Throughout her keynote, there was an overarching theme that society needs to encourage young girls to be brave rather than reward them for being cautious. So the next time you feel intimidated by a seemingly insurmountable obstacle, instead of saying “I’m scared”, try out “I’m Gutsy.”
Braving the Vulnerable Discussions
Being vulnerable on stage, is nothing short of courageous. There were many such moments, like Cathryn Carruthers admitting, before a huge 100 person audience, “If you want to see someone in the midst of imposter syndrome…it’s me. Right now.” The afternoon panel showed vulnerability by talking about why women are often underpaid in the workplace and fail to be heard amidst their male counterparts. These are the discussions, however uncomfortable, that inspired change, encouraged everyone to challenge gender-stereotypes and take a step outside of their own comfort zones.
Unexpected Mentors — Sheila Musgrove’s Afternoon Keynote
Sheila Musgrove, author of the Amazon best seller “Hired!”, wrapped up the day by turning the traditional concepts of mentorship upside-down. While most people think of a mentor as an ever-present advisor who guides a mentee through their career journey, Sheila demonstrated that mentorship can come in unexpected forms, whether from a close friend, family, books or even a lesson from failure. Ultimately, and perhaps most importantly, just start whatever it is you want to do, “Don’t worry about getting all of your ducks in a row. Just start with one damn duck.”.
Takeaways
So what’s the next step? Where do you go from here, now that you’re eager to brave the ask? Or, if you weren’t able to attend Geeky Summit, here are a few resources recommended by our inspiring speakers to get you started:
Cathryn Carruthers:
“Ask For It” by Linda Babcock
Sheila Musgrove:
“The Purple Cow” by Seth Godin
“Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill
Saadia Muzaffar:
“A Big Life in Advertising” by Mary Wells Lawrence
“99% Invisible” Podcast
Anna Koop:
“Becoming a Data Scientist” Podcast by Renee Teate
What started as nervous and excited energy at the beginning of the day ended with attendees leaving inspired and encouraged to take risks, learn something new, and look forward to the next challenge.
A huge thank you to all of our supporters, sponsors, volunteers and attendees for making Geeky Summit such a memorable experience. Whether you attended this year or couldn’t make it, we hope to see you next November, for Geeky Summit 2018.
In the meantime, check out Chic Geek’s MeetnTech events and our Mentorship program! These programs build and support women (and men!) in tech and entrepreneurship.
