The tech industry needs more We RISE Tech Conferences

How a group of determined developers put on a bad-ass tech conference

I expected nothing less than success from the first We RISE Tech Conference in Atlanta, hosted by Women Who Code.  And the inaugural 2017 delivered a top-notch technical, inclusive and  diverse, and fun event to over 400 attendees — I would say they met and  surpassed all of my expectations. From the comments I’ve overheard  throughout the two days, I think many others would also agree.

Women Who Code founder and CEO Alaina Percival inspiring the crowd Day 1

So, how did this team achieve success?

Here’s my takeaway after speaking with the core team and listening to comments from speakers and attendees:

1. They identified their strengths and weaknesses, and formed smart partnerships at the start to fill in those gaps.
2. They leveraged their entire network to on-board speakers, sponsors early to create the right program.
3. They  rose to the challenge in this ever growing competitive events industry  with persistence and creativity to communicate their value to attendees.
4. They asked questions, even the “obvious” ones, and listened to all the advice offered.
5. They made hard decisions — discarded advice that didn’t apply to their needs, and moved forward with the best options.
6. They harnessed the power of community support and created an effective volunteer team.
7. They  spent time to cultivate authentic relationships with their speakers and  sponsors to make sure that success meant everyone rose together to win.

I’m sure there any many, many more items to add to this list.

And,  with anything, a list of “things to improve” for the much anticipated  We RISE Tech Conf 2018 event would also be great to share as well.

Did  you join us in Atlanta? Share your thoughts in comments. And hear more  of the behind-the-scenes stories from the organizers Angel, Beth, and  Alicia when they speak at DevRelSummit August 11th in Seattle!