At the Women in Tech program on the first day of Community Summit, attendees gathered to listen to several conversations and presentations about experiences in the workplace, sharing hard-won wisdom and helpful tips for dealing with the vicissitudes of professional life, ranging from recalcitrant chatbots to elusive promotions. Connection, advocating for oneself, and AI emerged as central themes.
Soft Skills in the Age of AI
Angela Earl, SVP of Marketing, Map My Customers, gave the keynote, which centered around AI, its promises and pitfalls and was illustrated with a slideshow of amusing memes and thought-provoking quotes.
While discussing AI drawbacks, she pointed out that when we get an answer from the technology. “It’s very tempting to take that response as fact and move forward,” despite knowing its fallibility. Further, it’s critical to know that you’re asking it the right questions.
Soft skills come to the forefront as AI increases. It gives us more time, she said, and “let’s be intentional about the time it gives us back.” One way to use the time is by strengthening relationships. Earl spoke compellingly of how strongly she valued work relationships and how those relationships being strong and positive ultimately lead to better business outcomes.
Later, Earl returned to the stage to with Illianna Acosta, Founder and CEO, LeadWell Ventures. Earl and Acosta discussed their relationship, a sort of peer mentor relationship and how it helped them navigate work. They encouraged attendees to forge strong relationships in the professional world.
Lessons from Four Leaders
In the “Four Leaders, Four Lessons: What We Wish We Knew Earlier” panel discussion, Paulina Soto, Channel Manager NA, Boyum IT, Julie Edmonds, Sr. Director SMB, Marketing, SAP Concur, Krystle Fay, D365 Business Central Practice Director, Citrin Cooperman, and Nicola Young, President, PowerApps91, talked frankly about the strategies they took to advance in their careers.
Fay spoke about how she’d assumed being a hard worker and getting good results would be enough to get her ahead but later realized it wasn’t enough. As a mentor of hers put it, she could also benefit from “Focus[ing] on your brand. People need to know you in the organization.” In fact, there is a difference between being visible and being capable. Another quote that she found helpful for career guidance was from Dolly Parton, who said, “Find out who you are and do it on purpose.”
Becoming more visible and being your authentic self doesn’t necessarily ensure success. Young discussed what to do when a company just isn’t a good fit and how to think of careers in terms of different seasons of life. At certain points, career advancement and earning potential may take priority, while at others, family responsibilities or the need for flexibility may become more important.
The discussion culminated in an examination of prioritization and how to handle tough conversations about it. People-pleasers may end up taking on more than they can handle, and it may behoove them to learn how to tactfully express when they’re unable to take on additional tasks, negotiate deadlines, or ask managers to help establish priorities.
She Builds
The final part of the afternoon was eight short presentations from a diverse group of women, each based around the “She Builds” theme. The speakers were:
- Michelle Hebding, Sales and Marketing Manager, ProcessOne Solutions
- Stephanie McColly, CMO and EOS Integrator, Crestwood
- Melissa Wilhelmi, Senior Director, Strategic Growth at Sunrise Technologies
- Danielle Estrada, Microsoft Alliances Leader, Ludia Consulting
- Jennifer McNamara, Chief Marketing Officer at Rand Group
- Amiee Keenan, Founder of The ISV Society
- Kate Pinyan, Director of Operations at Lanham Services
- Kate Coffey-Bacon, SVP of Marketing and Strategy at US Transactions Corporation (UST Pay)
These women, Misialek reminded attendees, were chosen through a blind selection process, with names and company affiliations removed from their submissions.
The presentations ranged from the deeply personal to the practical. Stephanie McColly shared the challenges of becoming a mother at 15, attending school and working while struggling to support herself. “Your circumstances don’t define you. How you show up in them does,” she said. Danielle Estrada, Ludia Consulting, discussed how AI helped her do everything she wants to do—and she wants to do a lot. “AI didn’t make me bold; it made my boldness more sustainable,” she said.
Other speakers reflected on finding their voices, taking risks, and building careers on their own terms. Their stories touched on everything from skydiving and overcoming career setbacks to starting businesses, turning down promotions, and learning to network authentically.
Final Thoughts
Women in Tech proved to be an inspiring afternoon. It offered a mélange of different voices offering a wealth of perspectives and insights. Connection, the big theme, was felt and seen from speaker to speaker, speaker to audience, and among audience members, too. And the glittering, sequined cowboy boots worn by Danielle Estrada seemed to capture something of the magic, individuality, and excitement of building a career with confidence and boldness.
