Event Schedule
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 8 00 | Breakfast, coffee/tea, and check inGet settled, grab your conference swag, and fuel up for the day. Casual connection time with other attendees and speakers. We will provide coffee, breakfast pastries, and other beverages. Doors open at 8am! Duration: 60 mins |
| 9 00 | Opening remarks & keynoteFireside chat Location: Main Stage Duration: 35 mins   |
| 9 40 | Model Context Protocols: Connect AI to anything in minutesHave you ever asked ChatGPT if a Panthers game is on and it confidently replies 'no', but you're currently stuck in pre-game traffic? Large language models are great at chatting but they don't have much awareness of what's happening in your world. They can't check live data, call a website's API, or tell you if it's raining outside. Enter the Model Context Protocol (MCP): a lightweight, open standard that lets anyone connect AI directly to the data source of their choosing! We'll talk about how it works, where you can find existing MCPs to plug into your own ChatGPT desktop, and show you how you can even build your own! Location: Main Stage Duration: 15 mins  |
| 10 00 | From Spark to Startup: Building with the Right Tech PartnerWe'll give a glimpse behind the scenes as a co-founder, and offer lessons learned as a seasoned tech partner for many startups. Location: Main Stage Duration: 20 mins   |
| 10 20 | BreakDuration: 10 mins |
| 10 30 | Let's get a jobWhen I re-entered the tech job market, I quickly realized the old playbook no longer worked. From AI-optimized screening to interviews that tested more than just code, I had to relearn everything. In this honest, practical session, I’ll share the key lessons I learned navigating today’s hiring landscape as a Software Engineer. We’ll cover how to get past resume filters, connect with interviewers, prep for technical interviews, and ask the right kind of questions. Whether you're early in your career, mid-level, or taking a leap, this talk is for anyone trying to land their next tech role with more clarity and a plan. Location: Main Stage Duration: 15 mins  |
| 10 30 | MOVE the conversation: The career skill no one taught youIn the tech field , women are often encouraged to find their voice and speak up but rarely taught how to use it when it matters most. During the hard conversations that shape our careers are when it matters most. Whether it's advocating for a promotion, addressing bias, giving difficult feedback, or pushing back on unrealistic timelines, knowing what to say is only half the battle. In this interactive session, attendees will learn how to apply the 4 step MOVE the Conversation framework, a simple, actionable approach to handling tough conversations with clarity and confidence. This framework is rooted in real world experience and application. It’s designed with women in tech in mind. You’ll walk away from this session with clear next steps on handling that next tough conversation. Whether you're early in your tech journey or leading teams, this framework will help you speak up and move forward with purpose. Location: Albert - Breakout Room Duration: 25 mins  |
| 10 50 | Virtually impossible? Lessons from creating virtual reality training'Our consultants need sharper problem-solving skills. And we’d like the training to be as innovative as the challenges they face” they said.' How about VR?, I replied. How hard could it be? Well, we found out In this session, I’ll take you behind the scenes of creating VR (Virtual Reality) training: what worked brilliantly, what flopped, and what surprised us along the way. You’ll also see how VR stretched not just our consultants’ critical thinking skills, but also our leaders’ ability to embrace new technology in meaningful ways. Beyond the tech, I’ll share the bigger lessons learned: how to approach disruptive ideas without losing your footing, how to spot opportunities in challenges, and how experimenting with new tools can help you (and your company) grow in unexpected ways. Location: Main Stage Duration: 15 mins  |
| 11 10 | Ask Like You Mean It: Confident Negotiation for Women+ in TechNegotiation isn’t just a skill reserved for executives and sales teams – it’s a life-changing tool for clarity, confidence, and professional mobility. Yet many Women+ in tech hesitate to ask for what they truly need and want – whether it’s a better job offer, a raise, healthy boundaries, or growth opportunities. This session introduces a simple 3-step strategy to approach any negotiation with intention and self-assurance. Learn to overcome your limiting beliefs, communicate with impact, and make confident, aligned requests – in your career and beyond. PLUS – walk away with a ready-to-use script cheat sheet to help you navigate any negotiation! Drawing on my experience as a financial coach, tech consultant, non-profit board member, and communications leader, I’ll share how understanding your values can transform how and what you ask for. Location: Main Stage Duration: 15 mins  |
| 11 10 | Effective Leadership: Allowing Your Personal Values to Influence Your Leadership StyleIn this transformative workshop, Retha Summers-Knight invites you to explore, and interrogate, leadership identity. Through guided reflection, interactive exercises, and peer dialogue, you’ll uncover your leadership style and learn how to align it with your top core values. Whether you're leading teams, driving strategy, or influencing your company's culture via individual contributions, this experience will help you lead with authenticity and assuredness. Location: Albert - Breakout Room Duration: 25 mins  |
| 11 25 | Personal Branding with FLAIR: Your Story is Your SuperpowerIn this powerful 15-minute keynote, Tiffany VanDeMark shares how personal branding helps women in tech cut through bias, amplify their voice, and lead with confidence. Drawing from her own journey of reinvention, Tiffany introduces the FLAIR framework — a practical method for clarifying purpose, leveraging strengths, and turning resilience into momentum. With straight talk, humor, and actionable tools, she shows attendees how to transform their story into their strongest asset and leave ready to show up as the boldest version of themselves. Location: Main Stage Duration: 15 mins  |
| 11 40 | Lunch & networkingEnjoy complimentary food and beverages that are included in the ticket fee. We will offer a variety of options to suit a variety of dietary needs. Location: Cafe Duration: 50 mins |
| 12 30 | Burned Out, But Not Broken: The art of reinventing yourselfTen years ago, I was in a near-fatal accident — the kind that forces life to pause. Doctors gave up. My hip was literally broken. Doctors told I cannot walk and I will not have any sensation in my body head down. But somehow, I wasn’t. I chose to rebuild - not just my body, but belief. Since then, life has tested me in ways I never saw coming — emotionally, mentally, professionally. And every time, I’ve had to learn the art of reinventing myself… again and again. This keynote isn’t about a perfect bounce-back story. It’s about the messy, beautiful middle — the space between breakdown and breakthrough. It’s for every woman who has had to keep showing up when nothing inside her feels okay. Through honest reflections shaped by my journey as a woman in tech, a data storyteller, and someone who’s rebuilt from rock bottom more than once, I’ll share what it really means to begin again — with tools, truths, and a quiet kind of strength that lasts. Whether you're rebuilding after burnout, heartbreak, or self-doubt, this session is for every woman who's ever had to ask herself, 'How do I begin again?' and still dared to answer. Because your story doesn’t end when the world says it should. Sometimes, that’s exactly where it begins. Location: Main Stage Duration: 20 mins  |
| 12 55 | Built to stay: creating environments where women+ thriveIn this session, Dr. Sharon Torrence Jones explores practical strategies for developing and retaining women+ talent in today’s workplace. Drawing from her experience as an educator, consultant, and founder of the Dottie Rose Foundation, Dr. Jones highlights the barriers women+ face, the importance of mentorship and visibility, and how organizations can create cultures of belonging. Attendees will gain actionable insights on building growth pathways, fostering inclusive environments, and investing in the human-centered practices that help women+ thrive—and help organizations flourish. Location: Main Stage Duration: 15 mins  |
| 1 15 | B.R.A.G. and Harness the Power of Strategic VisibilityIn today's fast-paced workplace, those who actively communicate their value are more likely to receive promotions, better compensation, and high-profile opportunities, while hardworking women who keep their heads down often get overlooked. In this workshop, you'll learn the empowering B.R.A.G. framework and method for a powerful perspective shift on self-promotion, practical tips and a tool to get started. Location: Albert - Breakout Room Duration: 20 mins  |
| 1 15 | Build native and beyond with FlutterAfter nearly a decade in the React ecosystem, I decided to switch stacks and dive into Flutter—a move that completely transformed how I think about building user interfaces. Flutter isn’t just a mobile framework; it’s a powerful, flexible toolkit that lets developers create beautiful, performant apps that run natively across platforms from a single codebase. In this lightning talk, I’ll share what drew me to Flutter, what surprised me along the way, and why I believe it’s a framework worth paying attention to—especially for front-end engineers looking to stay relevant as the landscape evolves. Whether you’re curious about Flutter or considering your own stack shift, this session offers a fast, inspiring look at how Flutter empowers developers to build beyond the browser Location: Main Stage Duration: 7 mins  |
| 1 25 | The Art of Communication in a Tech-Driven WorldGreat communication has always been the bridge between brilliant ideas and real impact. In this lightning talk, Olga Ryzhikova, co-founder of the women-owned Kepler Team, shares how thoughtful communication, paired with the power of AI, can help technical and non-technical teams truly understand each other. You’ll walk away with simple techniques (and a few AI tricks) to make your messages clearer, more relatable, and more effective in any conversation. Location: Main Stage Duration: 7 mins  |
| 1 35 | AI safety and governanceLocation: Main Stage Duration: 7 mins  |
| 1 45 | Owning Your Voice: Confidence, Courage, and CareerProgress—whether in products, processes, or people—happens when diverse perspectives shape decisions and outcomes. In any environment, from technical teams to operational hubs to executive boardrooms, making your voice heard requires confidence, clarity, and a willingness to challenge the status quo. Owning Your Voice is about more than speaking up; it's about communicating with conviction, contributing strategically, and using your presence to influence real change. This session explores practical strategies for overcoming hesitation, reframing uncertainty as opportunity, and ensuring that your contributions—whether in code, process design, or organizational vision—have lasting impact. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team with a career spanning hands-on technical roles, operational leadership, and enterprise strategy, I have seen how voice transforms influence at every level of an organization. My journey—from solving complex technical challenges to shaping enterprise-wide business decisions—has reinforced that owning your voice is as essential as technical skill or strategic insight. In this talk, I’ll share real-world experiences and actionable techniques to help attendees confidently navigate technical debates, operational decision-making, and leadership conversations—empowering them to influence outcomes and shape the future of their organizations from wherever they stand. Location: Main Stage Duration: 7 mins  |
| 1 55 | Closing remarks & raffle winnersLocation: Main Stage Duration: 10 mins |
| 2 00 | Sponsor fair, networking speed dating, & happy hourComplimentary snacks and non-alcoholic beverages will be available. Mingle with our sponsors, connect with attendees and speakers, find volunteer opportunities and local communities to plug into, and take part in fun activities like a professional headshot station Location: Cafe Duration: 90 mins |