The new network for women working in tech, Female Tech Heroes, has announced the programme for its full-day event on 21 May 2019, at the High Tech Campus. The jam-packed schedule includes eight speakers, one panel discussion and 14 workshops, and features names such as Carmen van Vilsteren from the Eindhoven University of Technology; Yolanda van Dinther, Director Software Development at Thermo Fisher Scientific; and Hinke Malda, Head of Innovation Strategy at Philips.
Seven one-hour workshops run in parallel in the morning, and there is the choice of a further seven workshops in the afternoon, covering a spectrum of topics. Themes include examining your mindset in the career setting (“You deserve more: Overcoming imposter syndrome”; “Be your own career hero”; “Unleash the power within: one life, live it!”); tools for building your profile and brand (“This is how you present yourself”; “Run it like you own it: Networking like a boss”; “Journalism & You”); identifying stereotypes and prejudices – and overcoming them (“Make diversity work for you”; “Are our minds fooling us?”; “Design Thinking”), and new trends in technology (“Interact with Light”; “Interactive introduction on Data Enabled Design”; “Fin-techie: no boundaries for payments with unified commerce”).
Ingelou Stol and Hilde de Vocht from High Tech Campus Eindhoven are the event organisers. Their vision is to build a permanent platform that connects women working in technology.
Stol, who is the Communication Manager for the High Tech Campus, explains that “we are taking the lead in this because, when we talk to companies in the region, we hear that they are all looking for female talent – and that it is a struggle to find women in such a male-dominated world. With research showing that diverse teams – diverse in background, gender, experience, etc. – deliver the best successes and innovations, it all comes down to encouraging diversity. In our view, creating this event and this network builds towards such diversity”.
More than an event: A network to inspire
Female Tech Heroes, which will take place during the Dutch Technology Week in Eindhoven, follows on from last year’s pilot event, which had an enthusiastic reception. “We had an overwhelming response to last year’s ‘Women in Tech’, and we saw that there is indeed a need to connect women, and to inspire one another, so that we can learn from each another. Female Tech Heroes takes it to the next level. It will be more than an event: It will be the start of a network for women in the tech industry.”
This year’s programme reflects the resolve to ensure that meaningful connections are forged. “This time there are more ways for women to interact, and more room for networking. Amazing women will tell their stories – women in high positions, researchers, engineers – all talking about their creations and how they work in the world of tomorrow”, Stol says.
“Inspiring people to show them how cool it is to work as a woman in tech – that is the best way to show the potential of technology.”
The launch event for Female Tech Heroes is fully booked; all are welcome to register to join the Female Tech Heroes network.
(See also: Heroines of tech: The Eindhoven HTC to launch a network for women in technology)
Innovation Origins is one of the ambassadors for Female Tech Heroes. Bart Brouwers, co-owner and publisher of Innovation Origins, and full professor in journalism and media studies at Groningen University, will present the workshop “Journalism & You”.
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