I’ve just returned from the latest conference, and had so many valuable conversations and experiences. Keep reading for my reflections on GHC ’23!
Reflections on Why I Attended GHC
Firstly, I only attended Grace Hopper Celebration hosted by AnitaB.org because of a bright young woman I mentor. I’ve know about GHC for years, as many recruiters from my former companies would attend. The recruiters would meet incredibly talented people to join our organization. As a “tech-adjacent” professional, I never thought it would be the conference for me. Despite focusing my career around supporting women in leadership, and developing leaders at tech companies, I still owe it to this mentee.
Reflections on Brain Dates
One of the coolest features of the conference were Brain Dates! With something like 17,000 attendees on site in Orlando, Brain Dates were a way to connect with people that have shared interests. I’m a neurodivergent introvert and found some aspects of the conference terribly overwhelming. But the Brain Dates were scheduled through the conference app, and then I would just show up to a lovely reception desk to find out what table to meet with folks. Some Brain Dates were 1:1, and others had up to six participants. I joined Brain Dates on topics including:
- Starting Education Programs for Women in Tech
- Striking Balance between work and hobby projects
I also hosted a few Brain Dates on topics I enjoy, and wanted other inputs:
- ADHD @ work – harnessing the perks while managing the challenges
- Breaking the cycle on toxic workplaces – building better teams
Reflections on Diversity in Tech Innovation
I met all sorts of interesting people already in the workforce, and plenty of students angling for the coveted interviews with companies at the Expo.
Protecting Families and Children
Some of the most interesting people could articulate what they do in a way that anyone could understand! While eating lunch one day, I met someone working at YouTube. Earlier in the conversation I mentioned I had a kid, and when she explained the work she does, she said she helps to filter out the bad content I don’t want my kid to see. How easy to understand is that?! I love how this person and her team are doing work that benefits children and families.
Women’s Health
Another person I met works in FemTech, and beyond being a woman in STEM, she is literally influencing the product designs of things that women experience during medical exams or monthly cycles. Speaking with this person made me realize much I’ve accepted as “the way it is.” And it doesn’t have to be! Women like this are changing the user experience, and can only do that by bringing the diversity of thought that comes with inviting more women and minorities into spaces that have been dominated by white males.
AI & Centering Women
There were plenty of people who work closely with AI, and in one conversation, we started discussing my limited usage of ChatGPT. A few months ago, I asked ChatGPT to re-write my website’s “about me” page. I linked the current page, with my experiences and education, and told ChatGPT to create 3-5 paragraphs about Julia Mullins. The output shocked me. Despite my website having zero mentioned of “John Mullins” or the pronoun “he,” ChatGPT decided that all of my accomplishments belonged to someone else named John Mullins. The AI leader I spoke with nodded, but didn’t seem surprised. She said the LLM was trained on the bios that currently exist on the internet, and more often than not, men are the ones holding advanced degrees and articulating their accomplishments. She joked I was too successful to be a woman, and ChatGPT assumed I must be a man.
This was such a powerful reminder to bring your full self to every situation. I’ve heard of women leaving off their PhDs on resumes, or downplaying experience to get an interview. Not only does that impact their compensation package, it is creating junky data inputs. Let’s commit to sharing all our accomplishments, and making sure AI knows that women can earn advanced degrees, hold executive positions, and more.
Reflections on Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone
There were so many sessions centered on diversity. I was over the moon to be able to attend sessions with great speakers and panels with different perspectives. Some sessions were about neurodiversity or ADHD, and others focused on a different aspect of diversity. It was all wonderful. But it was also totally in my comfort zone.
One session, I must have mis-read the description, because after I sat down at a table, in the middle of a large room, I quickly realized this was a workshop or lab where table teams were going to be asked to work on something. I got nervous, thinking I didn’t belong here, but I also didn’t want to be rude and walk out! I told my table team I might not have much to contribute, but I wanted to learn. They all seemed happy to have me sit in on the discussion.
As the activity began, I started to realize that we were addressing user experience, and considering some accessibility features. I’m a user of websites! I have opinions! I like talking about accessibility! I’m so glad I stuck around. We had a great session auditing real websites and brainstorming ways to improve them. I got to share some of my wisdom from the accessibility angle, and I learned so much from my brilliant tablemates.
Reflections on Presenting at GHC
My session was on Friday – the last full day of the conference. I worried people would be exhausted from a full week, and attendance may suffer. But, I was so pleasantly surprised to see hundreds of engaged faces fill the ballroom!
Knowing it was the end of a packed conference, I wanted people to feel relaxed and comfortable. I brought along trusty fidgets for everyone to play with during the talk. From pop-it keychains and acupressure fidget rings, to good old fashioned pipe cleaners, we were able to keep hands busy and brains engaged.
I spoke on “Building Your Inclusion Toolkit: Understanding Your Role in Building a Sense of Belonging at Work.” We started with the loneliness experienced at different stages of a career – from the job hunt, to when ideas aren’t heard or respected, to when you don’t feel included. We used this as the fuel to determine what to add to the inclusion toolkit.
Thinking about inclusion at different stages of our careers changes the narrative too. We talked about the vulnerability that can be perceived as a weakness can be turned into a leadership strength. We also acknowledged there are plenty of institutional and structural dynamics out of our control. And we focused on what is within our sphere of influence.
I was elated when folks lined up to chat after the session. Some folks simply gushed a big “thank you” for normalizing fidgeting, and shared they would be introducing these tabletop items in their meetings. Others had great questions on how to carry forward some of our discussion with their teams.
While I gained so much from the conference, being able to facilitate this session finally made me feel like I was able to give back. What a great way to end the week.
The Elephant in the Room
Lastly, I can’t reflect on GHC without mentioning one of the hottest topics of the week. This conference is centered on women and non-binary individuals, but the registration process trusted everyone to sign up honestly. Early on the first day, I noticed there were more men than I anticipated. But I reminded myself there were 17,000 people here, so maybe I was just seeing them in greater concentrations by coincidence.
I noticed this was a conversation topic in a number of different settings. Everyone noticed the large male presence. As a conference presenter, already more established in my career, I wasn’t angling for interviews or hoping to meet recruiters in the Expo. I learned this was where the most egregious behavior was taking place. Had the men that chose to attend this conference centered on women and non-binary folks acted as merely flies on the wall – soaking up some of the great keynotes and appreciating some powerful conversations – I don’t think this would have bubbled up the way it did.
Unfortunately, too many of these folks were pushing and shoving women to get their resumes in the hands of recruiters. That was pretty disappointing. Leadership from Anita B addressed this on stage twice, and I’m so glad they did. By acknowledging it, it validated the experiences of those who felt most impacted. I’m sure we will hear more from them in the weeks to come, and we can anticipate some changes to registration for future events.
In Summary
Overall, this was such an incredible experience. I’m grateful for the encouragement to attend this event. The opportunity to speak to such an engaged crowd will stay with me for a long time. I’m still reeling from the powerful conversations and interesting people I met personally or heard on stage. And, I’m hungry for more. I look forward to more women in tech events. If you have more opportunities for me to speak and share of my perspectives on neurodiversity and inclusion, please reach out!
