Leadership Lessons from Google I/O 2023

I have been a Google Woman Techmaker since 2015, if not earlier.

Some years later, I joined the Google Developer Group in NYC.

This year, I attended Google I/O as an Ambassador for Women Techmakers. #GoogleIOchau

Google I/O is the annual?developer conference?offered by?Google?in?Mountain View, California.

Thousands attended the conference in-person at the Shoreline amphitheater on May 10th.

Corporate executives covered topics including:

• Generative AI
• Maps Immersive View
• Photos Magic Editor
• PaLM?2 and Gemini
• Bard
• Pixel 7a, Tablet, and Fold
• Duet AI
• Labs

Read more from CEO of Google and Alphabet Sundar Pichai.

There was also discussion about AI responsibility, as well the announcement that Bard is now available in over 180 countries and territories.?Bard will also soon be available in 40+ languages.

@googledevs tweeted, "Meeting and networking with fellow devs is one of the highlights of #GoogleIO!"

And now, Bard can help with communication!

The evening before the official conference presentation, Women Techmakers gathered to meet developers they may have only known virtually. @coder_pilot tweeted, "#WomenTechMakers, #WomenWhoCode I love these communities so much. We had such a great time at the shoreline and then at Google, learning, and laughing. So glad we could all meet up in person after being friends for so long online. @sunfishgurl @madona_wambua @_sierraobryan"

Women Techmakers learned about each other over a game of Scavenger Hunt Bingo

and they took photos to save memories of the fun night.

Cheers to a wonderful community!

The afternoon after the official conference presentation, over 300 Women Techmakers gathered again to build a stronger community in the tech space.

Women Techmakers Program Managers Caitlin Morrissey (left) and Sequoyah Patrick (right) took the stage to explain the ambassador program and kick off the subsequent sessions.

@marsha331 explained, "This is why I do this. Why I'm a #WomenTechMakers Ambassador, why I'm a #gdg organizer. [The power of] Community amplifies impact, everywhere. #GoogleIO #WTMAmbassador"

The Women in Leadership panel provided great advice including:

• A combination of technology, people, and expertise can strengthen community partnerships.
• Have a growth mindset. Learn and be curious. It will help you adapt.
• Have clear and transparent conversations with your stakeholders as well as your team.
• Use feedback to you know if you're the leader you want to be.
• Foster energized teams -- They are a sign of success.
• Don't equate busy-ness with importance.
• Accept that you don't have to have all the answers.
• Accept that you can't do it alone.
• Pay it forward. It's a factor of success.
• Be adaptable & flexible.
• Be on top of what's going on.
• Understand how things evolve & where things are going.
• Understand the priorities of your stakeholders, and make them feel heard.
• Be kind to yourself. Be soft. Be empathetic. That can't be automated.
• Carve out time for yourself. Own your work life balance. It's different for everyone.
• Have each other's back, and demonstrate respect.

Regarding machine learning, speakers advised:

• Measure, mitigate, iterate.
• Learn something new with each iteration.
• Train your models to consistently provide safe outputs.

@tripathiuttam concluded, "As we wrap-up ?? busy #GoogleIO day my view is reinforced on the importance of in-person connections when it comes to #DevRel - If you are looking for massive reach online will give you that, but for deep engagement there is nothing better than in-person!!????"

@googledevs suggested, "Look at those @WomenTechmakers and Google #DeveloperStudentClubs members smiling together!

One big perk of #GoogleIO is meeting up with fellow devs and making friends in the process."

I concur with @UpasnaGautam "It’s been an honor and joy to attend #GoogleIo as a @WomenTechmakers Ambassador!

Mind + heart are so full after a day of meeting so many brilliant people & having energizing conversations about building a world where all women can thrive in tech."

@DrVirtuality agreed, "This was inspiring. Thrilled to be one of the WTM Ambassadors and witness this event! As an educational technologist, I enjoyed the networking with the product developers, engineers, and employees @Google, different start-ups, and other organizations. Ty! #WTMAmbassador #wtm"

@WomenTechmakers tweeted, "One major conclusion from #GoogleIO? Women are changing the world of tech."

Thank you, Google Women Techmakers!! I hope to see you all again soon!