After an (unexpected) hiatus, we’re excited to announce our first event for 2022 hosted by Women Techmakers & GDGYYC!

IWD is Women Techmakers annual event campaign where our community hosts events all around the world during the months of March and April in celebration of this moment. From big summits to smaller, intimate gatherings, IWD is a time to host events that create connections, educate and inspire, and recognize that we still have a ways to go to close the gender gap.

Last year our #CouragetoCreate IWD campaign reached 110k+ attendees worldwide!!

The theme for this year's campaign is #ProgressNotPerfection. This celebrates all kinds of progress - big or small - and the strength we demonstrate when we don’t let fear hold us back from following our dreams.

---

Please join us on Thursday, April 21, 2022 at the Central Library from 6pm - 7:30pm. While we’re still ironing out the details, registration is limited and we wanted to get into your calendars as soon as possible!

Important information:
- This event is in-person only, no virtual access is available
- There will be light appetizers and refreshments
- Time for networking is set for after the speakers (about 45 mins)
- As we’re easing back into what “normal” looked like with previous events, seating arrangements will be spaced out, masks are welcome but not required. Please do what feels comfortable! 

More Information to come! 

Speaker 1: Vanessa Ferlaino

Purpose was something Vanessa always held dear to heart, and perfection was about attaining it. But in society where we're constantly thrown messages of who we're supposed to be and how, our true purpose has been stripped from us. Weaving in her own personal and professional experiences, Vanessa will take you through her journey stripping down these assumptions and pushing past progress into presence. In the stillness, she heard her voice and found her true purpose — which was for her, and a gift to others. "When we break down the stories and frameworks thrust upon us by society," Vanessa says, "we unearth new possibilities of what it means to feel, and connect, as humans." 

Speaker 2: Nazlie Shahmir - Be Agile, Do Agile!

A software-intensive organization that aims its software to be for all users should be developed by a team that has an environment conducive to people of all genders. This talk discusses models of software development that may or may not be aligned with such a vision. In doing so, it briefly points out the indispensable role that women have played in modern computing since the beginning, shaping the field to what it is today.