I have had the pleasure of attending FITC Toronto for the last two years running. Now that I am an Instructor in Web Design at Sheridan College and the Founder of Women In Technology Hamilton, it is even more important that I attend yet again this year to assert the need for women to be in the technology space. Lead by example as the saying goes!
Last year, FITC gave me the ability to launch my Women In Technology Hamilton initiative. I didn’t have business cards and had just barely gotten the website up and running since moving there about a month earlier. I had so much support it was incredible and FITC put the icing on the cake by giving us a discount code. Since then, I’ve had my first networking event and planning our second one very soon!
Every time I go, the number of women presenting goes up and up and I hope that it will improve even more so this year. In an effort to do so, I not only posted it to two of my classes, but got up in front of a room of almost 100 students and told them about it. I believe in this initiative and hope that it will continue. It NEEDS to continue if we are to improve the ratio of men to women in the STEM areas. The bridge between design and technology is a great way to make this happen. And I thank FITC for having their women’s initiative because they are helping to make this happen.
Last year, FITC gave me the push to start Women In Technology Hamilton. This year, they’ve given me the push to start my own website which I should have done long ago. With this post, I’m officially launching shanta.ca. Thanks FITC for once again inspiring me, even before I’ve attended the event.
If you go, I highly recommend that you see (in no particular order). I couldn’t list just three or five:
- James White
- Jason Theodor (if he’s going to be there.)
- Aaron James Draplin
- Matthew Potter (if he’s going to be there. I’m pretty sure, but they may not have updated the speaker list yet.)
- Stacey Mulcahy
- Kyle McDonald
- Paul Laberge
- Pearl Chen
Previous blog posts on and inspired by FITC that I’ve written, both on my blog as well as Women In Technology Hamilton:
Favourite Session – James White (2011)
My Event With Canadian Customs
Here are some of the photos that I’ve shot at previous FITC Conferences: