Returning to Grace Hopper Celebration to Support New Generations of Women Technologists

Eleven years ago, I attended the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing as a Stanford graduate student and Google Anita Borg scholar. This week, I'm thrilled to return to the event as a speaker alongside an impressive group of leaders including Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook; Megan Smith, CTO of the United States; and Susan Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube.

The Anita Borg Institute recently interviewed me about GHC, the impact it had on my career, and why I'm returning:

1. Tell me about your experience as a GHC Scholar in 2004. What were the main takeaways you got from the event? It feels like so long ago, but I remember feeling a tremendous sense of community, possibility, and confidence-building. Being the only woman in the room can be lonely at times, and I appreciated the incredible camaraderie and friendship both at GHC 2004 and in the years that have followed. I am still friends with many of the women I met through the Google Anita Borg Scholarship, at GHC, and subsequently when I worked at Google.

2. How have you applied your experience as a GHC scholar to your career since? Especially as CEO of Hearsay Social? My own experience has inspired me to pay it forward and do everything possible to support women in computing both at Hearsay Social and in the tech world more broadly. I'm proud that over 30% of our engineering organization at Hearsay is female, and that everyone is focused on promoting a diverse and supportive work environment. I also advise several women-led or women-related startups, including Goldieblox (engineering toys for girls), Jewelbots (programmable bracelets that teach girls how to code), and Color Genomics (affordable genetic testing for breast and ovarian cancer).

3. How does it feel to be returning to GHC this year as a speaker compared to as a scholar? What are your expectations for the conference? It's an honor to return to GHC this year as a speaker and to speak to so many women who are where I was a decade ago. GHC represents exactly the kind of community, mentorship, and skill-building that we need to change the numbers for women in tech.

I'm looking forward to GHC 2015 and will be sharing my full talk here as a LinkedIn Influencer post soon!