【Report】She Powers Tech #reinvent #WPT204

This blog article is an English version of this.

Post by:Aimi Shioya, Lead Operations Engineer, Classmethod CANADA

Introduction

I took part in re:Invent 2017 session "WPT204 - She Powers Tech".
This is a report about this session.

Outlines

Join senior leadership from AWS as they introduce some of the most innovative women in fashion, philanthropy, and technology, who have gender equity at the center of their work. In this series of rapid talks, you get a front row seat to the world’s leading, and up-and-coming women in tech.

Session Document

Women Supporting Women in Tech

In this session women who are active in various industries talk about their opinions and experiences.

1st Speaker

1st speaker:Anina Net
A model and CEO of her own company, 360 fashion

・Fashion tecnology is amazing platform
・Reason is fashion, clothes, beauty, arts, theater, performance and technology which was abled to be combined together.

・This picture is the product, "LED Ribbon" which 360 fashion provided.
・It's on LED light.
・There are things of various lengths and thicknesses, using this on dresses and corsages etc.

This is like that. It's very stylish. In this session, she only introduced LED Ribbon on the picture. I wanted to see if it is shining, so I've found it on Youtube. It looks gorgeous. I think it has versatility and looks pretty if it is put on a key ring that has a stuffed animal on it.

・When she creates products, she talks about the technology side first. After, she talks about the fashion side.

・Paticular items for her to make using fashion tech
　-> Using technology
　-> Moreover looking stylish
　-> Trys to fit into our lifestyle

2nd Speaker

2nd speaker:Maria Rose
Co-founder and exective director for MEANS Database
A student in Washington DC

・MEANS Database has a service that takes left-over foods which has been expired date and/or unsold, and give away those food free of charge for those who can not buy it for themselves because hunger.
・You can donate and recieve food just by downloading an app on your mobile phone.
・The speaker is strongly inferring to having diversity inside her company.
・She has disability and people who work at MEANS Database also have physical or mental disabilities.
・Various races of people are also working at MEANS Database.
・Everyone has their own disabilty but they keep on challenginging themselves.
・The important is for understanding and connecting each other.

3rd Speaker

3rd speaker:Catherine Gulsvig Wood
Senior manager for Accenture

・She is a pianist who finished her studies in the top of school.
・She was a self-taught programmer and got a job in a tech company.
・Her recommendations are:
　1. Do not divide groups into technical and non technical.
　2. companies and leaders should listen to the voices and ideas of women.
　3. Change the technical conversation.

The speaker said when she applied to the tech company, the person in charge asked her "Why are you applying to a tech company, when you are professional pianist?". She got a job at that company because it incorporated diversity, and if it didn't she would not be today.

4th Speaker

4th speaker:Lakeshia Grant-Shephard
CEO for Virtual Enterprise Architects

・Her life was changed by re:Invent 2014.
・While participating in re:Invent 2014, she realized there was little diversity.
・She is working at AWS and has her own company.
・Her company connects volunteers in communities.
・She assists veterans to be able to get involved inside the technology industry.

5th Speaker

5th speaker:Anne-Jeanette Peterson
Enterprise architect for Capital one

・When she was working she never thought she was a woman, but she was an engineer.
・She used to be a mechanic for cars.
・When she was talikng to men, she was trying to understad their mind set.
・When you have a chance, you shoud just do it.
・You can do whatever you want. There should be no boundly.

Conclusion

These stories of women being active in various fields such as the fashion industry, charity work and the IT industry was very interesting. The room was full, most of the participants were women.
I heard the word "diversity" many times while the speakers were talking. Before my perception of diversity was to accept women in various fileds and positions. However nowadays I realized the meaning of diversity has grown. To mean accepting people who are different races, different work history, age and disability.

In Japan, when candidates apply for jobs, they put their photos on their resume and write their age and gender. This is important information for the people in charge to decide their employee. I was very suprised that in Canada candidates are not expected to do this. That information is not important for hiring. Diversity in Canada is more advanced than Japan.

After this session, I talked to the speakers. It was an amazing experience for me. They brought up my motivation!