My Experience at the We RISE Tech Conference 2018
Written by Melinda Golden
The We RISE Tech Conference is about featuring women in technology and is organized by the Atlanta network of Women Who Code. The first conference was launched in 2017. I was a volunteer last year and I enjoyed it so much that I decided to drive from Asheville, NC to Atlanta, GA to attend this year. The conference was sold out this year which confirms just how amazing it is. I would like to share my experience at this inspiring conference.
In a field where women are only a small percentage of the workforce, it feels refreshing to walk into a tech conference where almost everyone attending is a woman. There were men there as well but I believe what makes this conference great is the all-inclusive mindset. Everyone is welcome. The conference provided buttons for attendees with different pronouns (I chose she/her). Even the bathrooms were inclusive.
The atmosphere was friendly and inviting. Even as an introvert, it felt easy to strike up a conversation with someone at breakfast or lunch. I was able to make some new friends and re-connect with people I met last year at the conference. Being with a group of new people can be intimidating, but that is not true here. You never know who you may meet, but the connections that you make are so important.
What would you do if you knew you could not fail? Invest in yourself @ratracegrad #WeRiseTech pic.twitter.com/NIB9D7Ayl9
— Melinda Golden (@melindamgolden) June 21, 2018
The conference offered a wide variety of workshops and sessions that were split into different tracks. I was fortunate this year to attend the full-day Vue.jsworkshop by Vue Vixens. I have been studying JavaScript so I was interested in learning more about this framework. From what I have seen so far, it seems easy to understand. We built a pet shop web app and a mobile app similar to Tinder but for adopting dogs called Tindog. I enjoyed the workshop and I am looking forward to learning more about about Vue!
I’m learning Vue.js with @VueVixens by making this adorable dog app #WeRiseTech pic.twitter.com/LSU1N0joKt
— Melinda Golden (@melindamgolden) June 21, 2018
We need more conferences like We RISE Tech. I felt inspired by the speakers and by everyone around me. And I learned so much by attending the workshop and sessions. If you identify as a woman and you have never attended a conference before, I would recommend buying a ticket. You won’t regret it! I am so glad I was able to return this year and I can’t wait for next year’s conference!
Original post published here.