Wonder Women Tech Diversity & Inclusion Conference-Innovate, Empower, & Ignite

Hello!  Hope everyone’s week is going well.  Lately, I've been attending conferences and making a lot of connections, which is one of my favorite things to do!  Do you enjoy learning and meeting new people? I sure do.  Last month I attended one of the most incredible conferences called “Wonder Women Tech”. 

Lisa Mae Brunson,
Founder of Wonder Women Tech

WONDER WOMEN TECH

This conference was started by founder Lisa Mae Brunson and is centered around celebrating women and the underrepresented in the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) industries, innovation, and entrepreneurialism.  This conference is all inclusive, offering panel discussions about real-life scenarios on what it is like to work in the STEAM fields. It presents a variety of diverse speakers, coding classes, workshops, hackathons, a diversity career fair, STEAM camps, community inclusion activities, thought leadership, and other programming geared towards empowering women and girls, people of color, and the LGBTQ community. 

Merora Clothing and Accessories by Meeta Roy

PleaseNotes #Hustlekit by Cheryl Sutherland

As soon as I drove up I saw a sign that said “Wonder Woman Parking”…that was awesome!  When I walked into the doors to this conference, I saw so many smiling faces greeting me at the entrance and inspirational message boards staring me in the face.  Everyone was super friendly!  It was then that I knew that I was in the right place, this was the conference that understood me.  If you are a woman or in an underrepresented group within the STEAM fields, this is the place where you can feel welcomed, understood, and at home. 

PleaseNotes by Cheryl Sutherland

#itwasneveradress When we see women
differently...we see the world differently! Empowered by Axosoft.

PleaseNotes by Cheryl Sutherland

What I enjoyed most about this exceptional conference was that it allowed me to hear their stories of real life experiences in regards to what it is like to work in the STEAM fields, their challenges, their feelings, and perspectives on how they wish to create change within the industry towards more positive outcomes and inclusivity...not just research.  At Wonder Women Tech, I was also able to connect with female founders of brands that are inspiring the next generation of young women and girls in the STEAM fields and you can see some of their pics on my Instagram.  Also, if you are looking for career opportunities in the tech field, there is a Resume Review Corner with professionals from the tech industry dedicated to helping you understand what employers are looking for, and they’d be happy to critique your resume for you too!  Additionally, Google sponsors an interactive STEAM camp for youth through Wonder Women Tech.  This year, Long Beach youth participated in a Junior Innovation camp sponsored by the Long Beach Public Libraries and learned the basics of electronic circuitry to build a light up sketchbook.  Nice!

Merora Clothing and Accessories by Meeta Roy

Please put this conference on your calendar for 2019!  You can even bring your little ones because they offer a Mommy Lounge Daycare hosted by those who have passed a criminal background check and have completed CPR and First Aid training.  Upcoming conferences for next year are in:

• ·        Long Beach, CA
• ·        Washington DC
• ·        London
• ·        Brazil

See you there!  Also, if you’d like to volunteer for this conference, please visit their website @ wonderwomentech.com.

Beautiful architecture at the Long Beach
Convention Center in California

Merora Clothing and Accessories by Meeta Roy

Merora Clothing and Accessories by Meeta Roy

Some of my favorite quotes from the conference were:

“All the hardship in life brings out the best in you.” –Alexa Fleur, Founder, Critiquelt

“You’re not always going to be on time or have all the answers, but you’ll have persistence and that is what it takes.” –Lisa Mae Brunson, Founder of Wonder Woman Tech

“I started with a laptop and a dream.” –Carolyn Rush, VP Worn Creative

The Hivery Booth Fostering Kindness and Connection -a shared coworking space #womendoingcoolstuff

Favorite Hashtags from the Conference: 
#WonderWomanTech #WWT2018 #WeAreInnovators #youmatter #representationmatters #supportingusmatters

My Instagram photo at Wonder Women Tech

Some topics from the conference were:

Be Fearless Over Flawless by Lydia Bettegoni, Sr. VP of Story and Franchise Development, Blizzard Entertainment Inc.

Empathy In Tech-The Need for Humanity at the Heart of Innovation by Maelle Gavet

Become A Negotiate Her-by Lauren Hasson, Founder of Develop [Her]

Panel Discussion: Building an Airplane While in the Air: Deep Confessions from Female Founders 

Lisa Mae Brunson, Founder, Wonder omen Tech Alexa Fleur, Founder, Critiquelt

Jay Pryor, Speaker and Executive Consultant, Opening Keynote Talk: Woman in Man Skin: A narrative on Gender Consciousness

Panel Discussion: Beyond Coding: The Other Tech Skills

Keynote Speaker: Aiko Bethea, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Principal of RARE Coaching and Consulting, #Representation Matters

Keynote Speaker: Michael Greene, Vice President and General Manager, System Technologies & Optimization, Software and Services Group at Intel, Innovation Requires Inclusion—Inclusion Involves ME(N)

Panel Discussion: From Gen Z to Baby Boomers: Generations of Innovators Who Make an Impact

Oracle: Top 10 Ways to Ally for Women

Panel Discussion: Down the Rabbit Hole: How Immersive Tech is Changing the World

Understanding Unconscious Bias to Create Powerfully Diverse Teams

Using Creativity and Kindness to Empower On and Offline Communities

The Pulse of Immersive Technology: How AI Is Making “Smart” Technology Smarter

The Hivery Lounge-A community of women entrepreneurs


There was so much more amazing content than what I listed here!!!  I wish I could have gone to all of the workshops and panel discussions.  There was so much to see and do, I couldn't do it all. I can't wait to see what the next conference will be like. I hope to see you there!

Remember, "You are Capable of Doing Wondrous Things"
PleaseNotes Journal By Cheryl Sutherland