Women Involved in Software and Hardware (WISH), Google Women Techmakers and Google Development Student Club (GDSC) will host an International Women’s Day event, highlighting conversations around women in tech. The event will take place Mar. 8 at Cal Poly’s Advanced Technology Laboratories (ATL, Bldg 7) from 3 – 8 p.m.
According to computer science graduate student and President of WISH Sindu Srivats, the event is intended to celebrate women while acting as an open discussion to learn more about how to navigate careers in industries that are male-dominated.
“I think that especially in the classroom in different majors – specifically in computing – there are a lot of men, and sometimes those are the voices that are heard most loudly and most often,” Srivats said.
Srivats, graduate computer science student Saanvi Dua and computer science senior Kylene Landenberger are the event organizers for the conference
According to Srivats, the event will start with a networking session followed by a keynote speech from VP of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Access at Rewriting the Code Kristen Ausin and Linkedin Top Voice of 2023 and Big Tech Career Coach Morgan Young. A corporate panel will discuss what it is like to be a woman in tech and a founders panel will highlight San Luis Obispo women-led startups. The final piece of the event will allow students to network and seek out mentorship opportunities.
“It can feel daunting to even walk into class sometimes,” Dua said. “I’m currently one of the only girls in one of my upper division CS courses and while everyone else in the class is really cool, I wish there was more representation.”
Both Dua and Landenberger hope attendees can connect, create communities and gain mentors.
“We want to center [this event] around women and be empowering women to make sure they feel comfortable and safe learning about all these different topics,” Srivats said.
Students are encouraged to dress business casual and are required to RSVP for the event here.
“This can kind of change people’s lives; I know it has for me,” Landenberger said.