Levitt Auditorium • October 28 • 9:20 am
We all know being in tech is a daily challenge. With a new controversy about workplace violence or gender discrimination coming out almost weekly we find ourselves working in an industry that has shown time and again that it doesn’t want us. We’re forced to carve out spaces like Ela Conf for support and validation. The beauty in it, however, is that these spaces allow us to grow and thrive on our own terms and is subsequently beneficial to everyone. How can we leverage the history of our struggles to propel us forward and continue to demand and fight for what we deserve?
With that fight comes the pressure to succeed. Not only do we face societal pressures, but we also internally struggle with the pressure we place on ourselves. Society tells us we need to constantly look for ways to advance ourselves, ways to elevate our status. Internally, we battle the urge to conform to standards we did not set for ourselves. Rather than exploring how to move up the ladder in our careers, it is more valuable to think about WHO it is that we want to be in our careers. Who is going to show up every day to carry out our work? How will that person impact our communities?