Sessions: WomenTech Global Conference

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Session	Speaker	Share to Vote
Mahak Shah Software Engineer - P3 at Splunk (Cisco)	The Growth Mindset Revolution This talk explores practical frameworks for sustainable skill development, introducing the concept of learning portfolios and the three pillars of continuous learning. Drawing from real-world experiences, we'll examine strategies for overcoming common challenges like imposter syndrome and technology overwhelm, while building a supportive learning ecosystem that promotes both individual and community growth. Did you like this session? Share to vote.
Lauren Kwan VP of Global Marketing at Plus	Building trust in autonomous trucking The autonomous trucking journey is at a pivotal point – after years of research and development, we are moving from promise to reality, from testing to commercial deployment. The road ahead isn’t just about perfecting technology; earning trust is also a critical piece. How do we bring the world along on this journey? At Plus, we are building and deploying autonomous driving software on factory-built driverless trucks with the world’s most trusted global commercial vehicle makers – TRATON Group and its International, Scania, MAN brands, IVECO, and Hyundai. Our autonomous trucks… read more
Pranami Jhawar Sr. Software Engineer at Microsoft	Enhancing Security and Efficiency with OAuth for Authentication and Authorization In today's interconnected digital landscape, securing user data and managing access control are of paramount importance. OAuth (Open Authorization) has emerged as a robust framework that provides a seamless and secure method for token-based authentication and authorization. This presentation will delve into the core principles and mechanisms of OAuth, exploring its evolution from OAuth 1.0 to the more advanced OAuth 2.0 protocol. We will examine the practical applications of OAuth in enabling third-party access without compromising user credentials, and discuss best practices for… read more
Tanya Janca Staff Developer Relations at Semgrep	Using Artificial Intelligence, Safely Artificial intelligence is increasingly prevalent in software development, and as a result its safe and responsible use has become critical. We will dive into risks, such as unchecked decision making, AI agency, lack of validation, broken or missing oversight, and sensitive data exposures. We will also provide constructive insights on leveraging AI for code development, vulnerability detection, threat modeling, design assistance, and more. Through real-life examples and practical advice, this session will help you develop with AI, safely. Did you like this session? Share to vote.… read more
Jiaying Yu Tech Lead at Tesla	From Prototype to Production: A Woman Engineer’s Journey in Disrupting EV Technology As the world accelerates toward a future driven by clean energy and advanced manufacturing, the presence and leadership of women in these emerging, traditionally male-dominated sectors remain critical yet underrepresented. This session explores the evolving role of women in shaping cutting-edge technologies and the structural and cultural shifts needed to support inclusive innovation. Did you like this session? Share to vote.
Dasha Davies CISO at Stealth - ISS Group Inc.	Cybersecurity and AI - Opportunities, Risks and Impacts This presentation explores the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing cybersecurity threat intelligence. This presentation will show the opportunities, challenges and also risks we are seeing and will be facing in the near future: • benefits in the world of cybersecurity to better protect us from hackers • protecting our data including personal and mission critical information • maintain compliance with regulatory requirements for industry and military • limitations, issues, and ethical concerns surrounding Generative AI •… read more
Shelly Jairath Enterprise AI Leader	The Hidden Cost of Tech Layoffs: What Happens to Women Leaders? Abstract (Edgier): Layoffs may balance the books, but they also erase hard-won progress. Women leaders are often the first to go and the hardest to replace — taking with them innovation, mentorship, and cultural strength. This panel pulls back the curtain on the hidden costs of tech’s reset, asking: who gets protected, who gets cut, and what does it reveal about the future of leadership? Did you like this session? Share to vote.
Brianna Mersey VP Data, North America at Monks	Show Me the Money: Salary Negotiation Without Apology Talking about money shouldn’t feel like a career-limiting move—yet for many women in tech, negotiating salary is laced with fear, second-guessing, and a sprinkle of imposter syndrome. In this candid and high-impact panel, we’ll break the silence (and the stigma) around compensation conversations. You’ll hear from women who’ve boldly negotiated major salary jumps, learned tough lessons from missed promotions, and empowered others to do the same. We’ll dig into the gender pay gap in tech—not just what it is, but why it stubbornly sticks around—and equip you with practical… read more
Rebecca Sutter CTO at ASE	The Psychology of Tech Leadership Tech leaders ignore the human side of their job at their risk. We all have worked so hard at being credible engineers and business leaders that we forget the importance of soft skills. This presentation is about how to get the most from your team while helping them thrive. Did you like this session? Share to vote.
Raksha Shinde Business Analyst II at Amazon	Upskilling in Tech – Actionable Insights & Industry Trends In this session, I will explore how women can thrive in tech by staying ahead of emerging AI and analytics trends while strategically shaping their careers. I’ll provide career guidance on how to plan growth paths, develop key skills, and position yourself for success in a competitive industry. Attendees will gain actionable strategies for navigating career transitions, building influence, and creating opportunities through effective networking and interview preparation. Did you like this session? Share to vote.
Gnanaguruparan Aishvaryaadevi Senior Software Engineer	The Critical First Minutes: When Small Failures Become Major Incidents One of your services starts returning errors at a low rate. Shortly after, multiple systems are down and your on-call team is scrambling to understand what happened. This talk examines how failures compound in those critical early minutes through real incident post-mortems. We'll trace common patterns: retry logic that amplifies problems, health checks that miss actual service degradation, and timeouts that cascade across dependencies. You'll learn to recognize when a small issue is about to become a major incident. You'll walk away with practical… read more
Sangeetha Parsan Vice President - Customer Data Solutions and Services at Informa	Localizing in the world of global operations Working with data teams before and AI teams now, the common thread has always been: standardize and centralize to enable analytics, insights, data products, and AI. I was deep into this path, building infrastructures meant to centralize, scale, and power enterprise-wide capabilities. Then data localization hit. Working for a truly global business with shared systems and processes for cost optimization, I faced a critical question: how do we decouple people, technology, and process all at once without breaking a successful business that depends on all three pillars? In… read more
Heather Mojelski Founder & Principal at RetroDev Studio	The Messy Middle: Career Longevity in Tech Tech careers are rarely linear, especially over decades. This talk explores the "messy middle" of long tech careers, the stretch marked by setbacks, pivots, economic downturns, health changes, and shifting identities that many professionals experience but few openly discuss. Drawing on 25+ years across software development, SaaS, education, nonprofit leadership, and consulting, Heather shares practical insights on staying engaged, credible, and grounded in tech when progress stalls or reverses. Rather than offering simple success formulas, this session focuses on navigating… read more
Renee Fisher VP Engineering at Coconut Software	Code, Culture, and Change: The Human Side of AI Adoption The biggest hurdle in the AI revolution isn't how we code—it’s the human culture behind the code. While the industry moves at breakneck speed, many development teams are met with a mix of skepticism, fear of obsolescence, and "tooling fatigue." Bridging the gap between cutting-edge tech and culture requires more than new tools; it requires a shift in mindset. In this session, we move beyond the hype to address the emotional and psychological realities of AI adoption. We will explore how to lead with empathy, acknowledging the valid fears developers have about job… read more
Charu Maheshwari Product finance & strategy at Anthropic	Pricing Intelligence: What AI economics means for leaders building and buying AI AI pricing is fundamentally different from the pricing models that came before it. AI products don't behave like SaaS — the cost curves are different, and the relationship between usage and value is far less predictable. This changes how products get priced, how companies get valued, and how businesses built on top of AI models need to think about their own economics. This session examines the novel economics of AI and what they mean in practice for teams consuming and building on frontier AI. We'll look at how AI pricing affects costs, product roadmaps, and… read more
Hanna Abdel Hamid Head of Sigma Software Canada at Sigma Software Group	Unveiling Unconscious Bias: Exploring the Hidden Forces Shaping Our Perceptions In this engaging keynote speech, we will delve into the intricate world of unconscious bias, shedding light on the hidden forces that shape our perceptions and decisions. We'll start by exploring the origins of unconscious bias, its various forms including racial, gender, and age biases, and the significant consequences it has on individuals, organizations, and society. Through captivating research insights and real-life examples, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how bias influences our thoughts and actions. We will then focus on actionable steps to counter… read more
Sarah Wall Director, Business Analysis at Info-Tech Research Group	Harmonizing Work and Life: Mindfulness, Balance, and Remote Flexibility Many people strive to achieve work-life balance maintaining an equilibrium between the time devoted to one's job and the time allocated to personal life, family, health, and other non-work activities. It often implies a separation between work and personal life and creates a sense of trade-offs, where one's career success is weighed against personal life satisfaction. Consider looking at work-life balance through an alternate lens of striving for work-life harmony. Harmony suggests a more integrated and flexible approach to combining work and personal life. It… read more
Sarah Wall Director, Business Analysis at Info-Tech Research Group	Harmonizing Work and Life: Mindfulness, Balance, and Remote Flexibility Many people strive to achieve work-life balance maintaining an equilibrium between the time devoted to one's job and the time allocated to personal life, family, health, and other non-work activities. It often implies a separation between work and personal life and creates a sense of trade-offs, where one's career success is weighed against personal life satisfaction. Consider looking at work-life balance through an alternate lens of striving for work-life harmony. Harmony suggests a more integrated and flexible approach to combining work and personal life. It… read more
Marissa McNeelands CEO & Co-founder at Toast	Diverse by Design: Crafting AI with Inclusivity In this compelling TED-style talk, Marissa McNeelands, CEO and co-founder of Toast, explores the urgent need for diversity in AI, particularly in recruitment. The session will uncover the ethical challenges and biases deeply embedded in AI systems. Marissa will share groundbreaking insights from Toast’s innovative approach - using AI not just to screen candidates in, but to ensure women and underrepresented groups aren't unfairly screened out. The talk will conclude with an interactive Q & A, diving deeper into individual queries and collective insights on forging a more inclusive AI… read more
Amber Foucault Vice President of Product, Applications at Dayforce	Integrating AI and ML into the Product Development Process In this talk, Amber Foucault, VP of Product Applications at Dayforce, will share tactical strategies and leading methodologies to integrate AI and ML into the product development process – no matter the organization or team size. Amber’s unique experience, including launching 70+ products throughout her career in startups and enterprise, will highlight a scrappy approach to innovation and deliver tangible takeaways. Topics covered will include problem identification, team configuration, and strategic and structural options – all best practices for testing and integrating innovation quickly… read more