Week 3 of the TechWomen program has drawn to a close, marking one of the most impactful weeks yet. From honing their pitch skills to navigating dynamic professional ecosystems in Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area, our Emerging Leaders have been hard at work, shaping their impact projects and expanding their professional networks. With the essential Pitch Workshop led by Eileen Brewer, the galvanizing mid-point Community Networking Events, and numerous awe-inspiring cultural and professional opportunities, this week was packed with growth, collaboration and motivation.
We kicked off the week with our bi-city Community Networking Events, where our Emerging Leaders and Mentors had the opportunity to gather and celebrate the program’s halfway point. Hosted by Salesforce in the San Francisco Bay Area and nvisia in Chicago, these events provided a vibrant platform for community-building and cross-cultural connection.
“What I wish I had known when I was 20 …You can’t wait for it all to start to align. If you keep waiting to take that new job when you think you’ve got all of the skills finally lined up, or when everything in your life is perfectly lined up, you will never ever do it. Don’t wait for the perfect moment. You just have to leap and grow wings.” – Amy Weaver, CFO of Salesforce
In the Bay Area, more than 50 Salesforce team members, including TechWomen Mentors Roojuta Lalani and facilitator Sandy Chen, collaborated with TechWomen to host a reception sparked by a panel of trailblazing women leaders in tech featuring Amy Weaver, CFO of Salesforce, Andrea Leszek, EVO & COO of Salesforce Christina Janzer, SVP of UI/UX at Slack and Chaitanya Rayula, VP of Software Engineering at Slack.
Chaitanya Rayula, VP of Software Engineering at Slack, also shared an important lesson about embracing one’s identity:
“As an immigrant, a minority woman of color in tech, I spent a lot of time trying to belong and not embrace my identity. Now I know that my diverse background and experiences are actually strengths, not something I need to remove.”
In Chicago, our returning partners at nvisia welcomed Emerging Leaders with open arms, thanks to Vice President Janet Stroobosscher, who was supported by Janice Anderson Cadieux and Savina Imrhan.
The lively reception, which included a tour of the nvisia space and Chicago-themed trivia, fostered meaningful dialogue around collaboration, friendship, and empowerment, setting the tone for the busy week ahead.
“In the agile methodology, what we do is we plan what we’re going to build, start designing it, do minimal development, and take it out to test. We start exposing people to it. When we have the minimal viable product, we can talk about urgency around wanting to get something to market right away so that we can start impacting lives and making a difference.” – Eileen Brewer, Executive Director of 757Accelerate
Next up we held our Pitch Workshop, where esteemed Mentor Eileen Brewer, Executive Director of 757Accelerate, reprised her role as facilitator. This hands-on, virtual workshop helped the Emerging Leaders refine their ability to pitch their impact projects and professional ideas. Participants dove into the art of delivering concise and impactful pitches, learning how to distill their projects into engaging 3-minute presentations. They also gained valuable insights on how to develop minimal viable products, sustainable products, and captive audiences.
Beyond workshops and networking, Emerging Leaders had immersive experiences across the STEM ecosystems of both cities. From visits to Marvell Technologies, Apple, and Stanford University, to cultural outings to local gems such as San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts and a special trip to TedX Chicago, where TechWomen was called-out in the event, facilitated by Mentor Kelly Fernandez, the week provided countless opportunities to learn, connect, and explore.
As we look ahead to Pitch Day on Monday, excitement is building. Our country teams will present their impact project ideas and compete for $3,000 seed grants to implement these solutions in their home countries. We extend our heartfelt thanks to our Mentors and partners for curating these life-changing experiences and supporting our Emerging Leaders in their journey of growth and innovation.
Stay tuned—there’s more to come!
Talk about an impactful week, phew! Congrats to all for making it happen. Very much looking forward to Pitch Day on Monday, Oct. 7. Go teams!!
Thank you to our ultimate cheerleader!!