Opening Remarks

The CONNECT 2018 Tech Conference kicked off with WWCode CEO Alaina Percival, who took the stage to welcome the crowd. She took this opportunity to give a brief state of the union of Women Who Code, talking about the current membership of 137,000, the fact that there are Networks located in 60 cities around the world, and that 5 free technical and career events are held by those Networks every single day. She also took a moment to describe where the organization is going, with a look at expansion plans, the creation of track communities around specific interests, a renewed emphasis on security in the coming year, and the development of Company Memberships as a way of better partnering with supporting organizations.

WWCode VP of Partnerships Jennifer Tacheff then spoke, infusing the room with her famous energy and enthusiasm, while also introducing some of the basic themes that were going to play throughout the CONNECT Conference. She was also joined briefly by WWCode Social Media Strategist Tammi McQueen, who told the audience about a fun Twitter Challenge that involved taking pictures in different locations and posting them for a chance to win prizes.

Next, a representative of the CONNECT host company stepped up, Candi Castleberry Singleton, Vice President of ICD at Twitter. Her talk focused on public perception, emphasizing the fact that business cards aren't just business cards anymore. They aren't LinkedIn or a website either. Rather they are perceptions of thought that people have when they think about you. And, she noted, you can influence what is on those perceptual cards.

According to Candi, it is important to decide what you want your cards to say, and then you have to identify people that you want to receive those cards. Communicating these to those people can be difficult, but by including accomplishment details in everyday conversations, you can start to shape the way that people see you without hitting them over the head with it.

She also noted that it is very important to have a long-term plan when shaping the perceptions that people have about you. According to her it is more important to plan for the job that you want after the next job that you get, rather than just focusing on your immediate goals. "Plan your next move, so that your next next move will help you get where you want to land."

She finished up by saying, "May you also be mindful of the things you say about other people because sometimes the things you say end up in other peoples cards."