History was made in October 2019 when, for the first time, an all-female crew of NASA astronauts carried out a spacewalk. This momentous achievement, coupled with the advancements women all over the world have made within the tech industry inspired the theme “Women Taking Up Space, for the first-ever Women in Tech 24h Virtual World Tour.
The event was hosted by Women in Tech®, a non-profit organisation whose mission is to empower women and girls with the skills and confidence to succeed in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) career fields. With members in over 60 countries, the Women in Tech® community is a global movement striving for an inclusive tech industry.
In just 24hrs the Women in Tech® Virtual World Tour featured over 200 speakers, 68 discussions and panels, and drew more than 4,500 participants. Numerous topics were covered, including EdTech, Identity, Leadership, Diversity and Inclusion, SexTech, Blockchain, Crisis Management, Space, Entrepreneurship, Human Collaboration, Climate Change, FemTech, Storytelling, and the Future of Innovation.
The tour began in Sydney Australia with opening discussions from some of the Women in Tech®’s top executive board members including Ayumi Moore Aoki, President and Founder, Honorary President Dr. Christyl Johnson, and Carine de Meyere CCO. Participants then heard from some of the Women in Tech® ambassadors located in Thailand, Israel, Russia, Netherlands, Portugal, Angola, South Africa, UK, Canada, U.S.A., and Peru. Each shared the evolution of inclusivity within their nation’s STEM fields, the advancements they’ve made, and the challenges they face.
Just a few of the event’s fantastic guest speakers included;
Tanya O’Carroll, Director of Amnesty International Tech program
Blanca Juti, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of Heineken
Danièle Henkel, Founder & CEO of Danièle Henkel Enterprises
Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Innovation and Economy Québec, Canada
Galit Ariel, TechnoFuturist at Future Memory Inc.
Bryony Cole, C.E.O. of Future of Sex
Rashmi Sharma, Software Development Director for Oracle Global Services
Nima Wardeh, Award-winning broadcast journalist and Founder of S.H.E. Strategy
Dr. Cara Antoine, President & Advisory Board of Women in Tech Netherlands
Quy Vo-Reinhard, Head of R&D, Board of Directors of Centiva Health
Katerina Trajchevska, CEO of Adeva
Dr. Adriana Marais, Founder of Proudly Human
Kathryn Rose, Founder & C.E.O. of wiseHer
Several thought-provoking panels took place covering a wide variety of topics including pitch strategy for startups, crisis management, youth in tech, the role of digital health in a post-pandemic world, men championing for women in the tech field, and the steps still needed to close the gender gap.
Some of the events expert panelists and moderators included;
Tayo Rockson, President C.E.O. of U.Y.D. Management
Dennis Just, C.E.O. of Smallpdf
Antonio Santos, Social Media Business Evangelist of Atos
Caroline Codsi, Founder and President of Women in Governance
Marieme Jamme, C.E.O. of I am the Code
Regina Honu, CEO of Soronko Academy
Karen Nadasen, CEO of PAYU
Haweya Mohamed, Co-Founder of Afrobytes
Gloria Fataki, Founder & President of Inclusive Society
Betty Bonnardel, CEO of AB5 Consulting
Asma Brini, Director of ABSHORE
Denisse Salas, Consultant of WOMENVAI
Yvette Ramos, President of WOMENVA
The event culminated in the “Women Taking Up Space” panel that featured four doctors currently working at NASA. The women leading the discussion included Dr. Christyl Johnson, Deputy Director for Technology and Research Investments, Dr. Holly Gilbert, Director Heliophysics Division, Dr. Christa Peters-Lidard, Chief Scientist, and Dr. Lori Glaze, Director of the Planetary Science Division. The panel focused on how Space technologies can improve life here on earth, the implication for humanity, and the possibilities for the future.
Hosted on the VirtualConference.com platform, an all-in-one solution that enables users to host engaging events within any business vertical online, the entire event was free to attend. Both Women in Tech® and VirtualConference.com made generous donations to help finance flagship programs in education, entrepreneurship, social inclusion, and innovation for women.
If you were unable to attend the event or would like to revisit some of your favorite discussions and panels, video replays are currently available.
Thank you to all who participated in this exciting event, and we hope to see you again next year!
