WeAreTechWomen’s first #LevelUpSummit was a huge success. Here, we take a look back at an incredible day of advice, questions, and motivation.
Astoundingly, one in five women are thinking of leaving the tech industry, according to research by Tech Talent Charter and Ipsos Mori. WeAreTechWomen aim to change that urgently and effectively, and a summit like the #LevelUpSummit is a huge step in the right direction.
Looking back at the incredible speakers and invaluable advice from yesterday, it’s hard not to think of the Queen Elizabeth II Centre as hallowed ground. As the first ever #LevelUpSummit came to a close, and we got ready for the much-anticipated #TechWomen100 awards in the evening, we wanted to take a look back at some inspiring quotes from incredible women.
“This is a woman who wakes up every single day thinking ‘How do we increase the female pipeline’” — Julia Streets, CEO, Streets Consulting
Effortlessly charming Julia Streets welcomed Vanessa Vallely OBE to the stage with these words, and after hearing Vanessa begin the entire day with motivational words of wisdom, it’s easy to see why Julia Streets has such a high opinion of her. Speaking to an eager audience of determined technologists, Vanessa declared:
“We have the power to drive technology” — Vanessa Vallely OBE, CEO, Founder, WeAreTechWomen
Off to a roaring start, the #LevelUpSummit went on to invite distinguished speaker after distinguished speaker, all imparting useful advice, asking challenging questions, and encouraging thought-provoking introspection.
Debbie Forster MBE challenged her audience, asking:
“‘Level Up’ is an active verb. What are you going to do for your career? But, more importantly, what are you going to do to change the rules?” — Debbie Forster MBE, CEO, Tech Talent Charter
This was followed by inspirational words by Michelle Garrigan, who went from a career in Archaeology to one in Cybersecurity.
“Put your hand out, and help the next female in line achieve her goals” — Michelle Garrigan, Senior Vice President, EMEA Cyber Threat Intelligence Lead, Bank of America Europe
Dr Heather Melville OBE CCMI challenged her audience, urging the women in the audience to:
“Be the ally that so many of our men are becoming” — Dr Heather Melville OBE CCMI, Senior Managing Director, Teneo People Advisory
Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE spoke candidly about what it means to be a role model, and the ways in which she is exploring her influence.
“What happens as a result of the change that is happening today?” — Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, Founder, Stemettes and Author, She’s In CTRL
Laura Moore enticed her audience to find role models wherever they go:
“Sometimes we look far afield, and sometimes we look closer to home. At a certain point, you will think: ‘It’s me’. And that is a moment to pause, when you realise that someone does think of you as a role model.” — Laura Moore, Global Director of Identity Platforms, Sky
Helen Tupper gave an exciting alternative to the traditional idea of climbing the corporate ladder with the Squiggly Career:
“The idea of a Squiggly Career is that we can all develop in individual directions” — Helen Tupper, Co-Founder and CEO, Amazing If; Co-Author, The Squiggly Career
Looking back at an incredible day of introspection and encouragement, it is clear that WeAreTechWomen’s first #LevelUpSummit was a smashing success.
View our gallery of images from the day here.
