WIT September 2024 Newsletter
Hello WIT!
We’re already in the middle of September. It feels like we’re coming up to the final stretch of the year and time is flying by.
Here’s what’s coming up on the calendar:
October 8th – The Power of Words: How Misguided Descriptions Undermine Women in Tech
Starting in October, we will begin hosting monthly meetups on the 2nd Tuesday. Most of these will be at noon Eastern US time but we will be looking to host several of these at a time that may better align with those in EMEA time zones.
We’ll be kicking things off with Kellyn Pot’vin Gorman presenting “The Power of Words: How Misguided Descriptions Undermine Women in Tech.” To RSVP, go to our Meetup page here with more information and RSVP: https://www.meetup.com/data-platform-wit/events/302672629. While you’re there, make sure to join our Meetup if you haven’t yet.
November 7th – PASS Data Community Summit Women in Tech Luncheon
Did you hear the exciting news? The Women in Tech Luncheon keynote speaker has been announced and it’s none other than Jes Chapman. https://passdatacommunitysummit.com/sessions/2254/. Her presentation is entitled “Amplify Your Voice: Strategies for Visibility and Influence at Work”. We’re excited to hear what Jes has to say and learn from her. Learn more about what Jes has in store for us here: https://passdatacommunitysummit.com/about/news/amplify-your-voice-strategies-for-visibility-and-influence-at-work/
We would like to thank everyone who submitted a session for the keynote. There were so many wonderful speakers and topics, which made making a choice a difficult one. We hope to find ways to include more of those sessions, if possible. Did we mention we have a call for speakers for our monthly meetups yet? No? Let’s fix that….
Call for Speakers
We are looking for speakers for our future monthly meetups. Whether you want to discuss technical topics or WIT issues in the workplace, we want to hear from you! To submit a session, go to our Call for Speaker page: https://sessionize.com/data-platform-wit/
Who We Are
With all of the recent changes, we thought it would be a good idea to take a moment and re-introduce ourselves and our goals.
At Data Platform Women in Tech (WIT), our mission is clear: to create a vibrant community where women and their allies can thrive. We are dedicated to supporting women in technology by providing resources, networking opportunities, and recognition of their skills. We aim to help women flourish in their technical careers, ensuring they have the support they need to succeed professionally.
Our vision is to empower women by offering inclusive spaces for sharing knowledge, showcasing their expertise, and fostering growth. We are committed to education and inclusivity, ensuring everyone feels valued and part of our community.
Our core values guide our work:
- Inclusivity: We believe in the power of diverse perspectives and strive to ensure equal opportunities for women everywhere.
- Collaboration: We foster a supportive environment where women can mentor, inspire, and achieve success together, backed by a strong network of resources.
- Advocacy: We work to raise awareness about the challenges women in tech face and actively seek solutions to overcome them.
- Empowerment: We celebrate the achievements of women in our community and provide them with the tools needed to grow and lead in their careers.
The WIT leadership team includes:
Tracy Boggiano is a Senior SQL Developer at Abarca Health LLC. Her work with SQL Server is only part of her story. Tracy is also a passionate advocate for foster children and individuals with mental illness, using her voice to drive positive change. Her journey is a powerful example of how women in tech can make a difference both inside and outside their fields.
Josephine Bush is an experienced Database Administrator, author, and Microsoft MVP. She works mainly on optimizing performance and automating processes. In her free time, she loves to make art and write stories.
Deborah Melkin is a long-time SQL Server expert, Microsoft MVP, and blogger. She spends her days helping programmers with database design, queries, performance, and deployment. In her spare time, Deborah can usually be found doing something musical or something geeky with her husband, Andy, and their dog, Sebastian.
Together with your help, we are creating a future where women in tech are empowered to reach their fullest potential!
As you can tell, there are a lot of exciting things coming your way as we move into the rest of the year. And don’t forget to keep an eye out at all the upcoming conferences and SQL and Data Saturdays for your favorite (and new favorite) WIT speakers and bloggers!