Make an Impact in Tech -- Lend Your Voice

Last fall I wrote the op-ed piece "An inspiring thank you letter all women in tech should read" for The American Genius about the teacher who set me on the path to my technical career. As I described in that post, it's been a winding and often rocky road, but I can credit many mentors -- men and women, young and old -- over the years with shaping the technical professional that I've become.

Giving Back to Tech

I believe strongly that it is my role to "pay it forward," and do so through my community and non-profit involvement in organizations such as the U.S. PostgreSQL Association and ChickTech. The primary reason that I decided to nudge ChickTech Austin Chapter Director Nicole Engard into joining the Advisory Board for our local chapter was the desire to contribute and download my years of knowledge, and experience as well as my networking connections into the capable hands and enthusiastic minds of their Leadership Team. We now have several members of the Advisory Board, all of whom are active at our events and in our programs.

But we can't do it alone -- empowering young women as well as marginalized individuals in technical fields requires massive efforts, but it's not insurmountable. We also don't expect ChickTech Austin to be the sole champion of Women in Tech, or that our needs are greater than others. That's why we've partnered in the past with our colleagues at the Austin chapter of Girl Develop It and Austin Women in Tech, and in 2017 we're partnering with Lesbians Who Tech, Dress for Success, and local Women in Gaming groups here in Austin.

How You Can Help

This is where you come in --

ChickTech hosts Advancing the Careers of Technical Women Conference (ACT-W), and this year Austin is one of the selected event locations! ACT-W is an annual, action-packed event where talented women and supporters can build skills, grow their community, and accelerate their career path by connecting with organizations and community leaders! 

Join us at ACT-W Austin on August 5 - 6, 2017, at the Norris Conference Center - Austin in Central Northwest Austin, for speaking sessions, hands-on workshops, one-on-one coaching sessions, a career fair, and so much more. This regional two-day conference offers plenty of networking opportunities, and focuses on providing content that addresses the unique women-in-tech landscape in Austin and the surrounding cities. ACT-W kicks off on Friday, August 4, with a party where you can mingle with industry leaders and celebrate with other like-minded people.

Our Call for Proposal application is currently open through May 31, 2017. Sign up soon! We welcome all women, as well as anyone who supports the advancement of women in tech.

Want to sponsor? Check out more information here, including a link to our Sponsorship Prospectus.

All proceeds from our first annual ACT-W Austin Conference go towards providing STEM education programs to local high school girls through ChickTech. Find out more about our High School program and other initiatives on our ChickTech Austin website.

Want to volunteer? View our ACT-W Austin volunteer descriptions, and fill out our volunteer interest form here. Volunteer scheduling will take place in mid-June.

About ChickTech: ChickTech is dedicated to retaining women in the technology workforce and increasing the number of women and girls pursuing technology-based careers.We facilitate hands-on technology-centric events to empower, support, and increase the confidence of women and girls.

Debra Cerda is a Volunteer Manager for ACT-W taking place August 3-5 in Austin, TX, as well as ACT-W National which takes place in Phoenix, Arizona next April. Debra has served on the Advisory Board for ChickTech Austin since August 2016.

As an open source advocate, Debra is a Director and Secretary for the U.S. PostgreSQL Association, and an organizer for PGConf US including its new Local series. Learn more about PostgreSQL, as well as events in the Austin community at Austin PUG.