WWCode Cloud 2019

Find out more about the author Sara Bunyard here.

When I stepped into the Women Who Code Cloud Conference at Accenture, I was surrounded by a group of strong women ready to take on the world. I immediately felt like I belonged, and any nerves I had about being a student and not being experienced enough to attend were washed away. I joined in the pre-event conversations, and soon it was time for the keynote addresses. 

 

The first speaker of the day was Women Who Code Interim CEO, Joey Rosenberg. Shortly after introducing herself, she asked for a volunteer. I considered raising my hand for a second but quickly decided I was probably not qualified to volunteer for something at this event. No one else volunteered either; most of us avoided eye contact or pretended to be suddenly busy with our phones. After about a minute, two individuals tentatively raised their hands. They were brought to the front and handed prizes. That was it! We all laughed as we realized the experience we had been avoiding was not bad at all. Joey explained this represented how we should “raise our hands” and step up when opportunities present themselves. It felt amazing to be told that we all deserve to put ourselves out there. 

 

The next speaker was Mary Hamilton, the Managing Director of Accenture Labs. In her talk, she explained that “companies with a culture of equality are six times more likely to be successful at innovation.” As someone who is passionate about data, it was exciting to see there was solid evidence to back up what I believe: diversity is key for innovation. Rashim Mogha, the next speaker and the Head of Product at Automation Anywhere, showed us how to find our superpowers by recognizing and embracing what we do well. She encouraged us to develop our personal brand, invest in ourselves for 30 minutes a day, and diversify our support system. There was excited energy in the room after her speech, and I felt empowered and ready to work on my personal development.

 

The rest of the day was equally amazing. I learned about the different types of cloud platforms, including their strengths and drawbacks. Mamta Nanavati showed us ways that engineers can build this privacy into their designs without sacrificing features, and I even got to test a celebrity face matching app from Avanade. We were challenged to trick the machine learning algorithm, and while it was difficult, my group convinced the program that there was a railroad car located in the conference room by taking a picture of carefully placed backpacks and folders.

The final event of the day was an inspiring leadership panel. The highlight was when the panelists were asked to list the two things they thought were important for women in technology. Responses included being courageous, being confidently yourself, constantly learning, and building a strong support system. In addition, they said to dream big, and to act as if anything is possible, because it is. Hearing these answers inspired me on a deeply personal level. Being in a room full of women successfully thriving in the technology industry made me confident that I could do what they were recommending. I am ready to imagine everything is possible. 

 

Overall, the Women Who Code Cloud Conference was a great event, and one I would highly recommend. It changed my perspective on cloud computing and feeling included in the Women Who Code community of professionals validated my career choice. I felt a sense of belonging in the tech industry that I did not have before, and Women Who Code is a group I hope to be involved with for years to come.