Women in IT

Launching across Canada on May 16th is Women in IT Week (WinIT), an inaugural cross-disciplinary initiative with the mission to recognize women’s contributions and their future role in the IT sector. Special initiatives throughout the week include coding, product management and digital marketing course scholarships which aim to encourage a new generation of women to enter the tech industry. The Women in Leadership Foundation will host events across Canada with their partners and stakeholders to facilitate the dialogue in encouraging women to participate in the tech industry.

One of the long list of events happening in Vancouver during WinIT is a Women in IT Luncheon & Forum taking place on May 20th from 11.30am to 2pm at BrainStation (Yaletown). Sponsored by BC Innovation Council and FocalPoint International, Inc., the event includes a career development workshop, networking lunch and a panel presentation. Below, you will find the full agenda.

Full Agenda:
11:30am - 11:40pm:  Welcome Address
11:40am - 12:30pm:  Career Development Workshop
Discussion:  A common misconception about working in the IT sector is that you have to know how to code. This tech workshop will be led by two successful HR Professionals, Jane Si, Senior HR Generalist at airG and Meghan Nichol, HR Manager at BrodbandTV, who will faciliate a deep dive into your personal growth within a career path in tech.  Attendees will have the opportunity to discover what skills they bring to the table in tech, what they need to learn, what barriers exist and how to overcome them.
12:30pm - 1:00pm:  Networking Lunch
1:00pm - 1:45pm:  Panel Presentation
Discussion:  This panel profiles trailblazing women in tech who are currently making their mark on the local tech community in Vancouver. The panelists come from various backgrounds within the IT sector and will share their own stories about working in or breaking into the industry. Discussions will be had around why they got into tech, the challenges they have faced, and the opportunities they have had to push the boundaries in the tech industry. Afterwards, the panel will be open to the floor for a Q&A session where attendees will have the opportunity to ask burning questions from these outstanding women in IT.
  • Natalie Cartwright - Co-Founder, Payso
  • Erin Silo - Sales & Marketing Manager, nTrust
  • Yolande Lougheed - TV Tech Star, GetConnected Media
  • Becky Smith - Director of Production, Eventbase 
  • Alicia Close - Trulioo (Moderator of Panel)

Alicia Close Trulioo Business Support Lead Women in ITAlicia Close, Trulioo's Business Support Lead, and Chapter Co-Chair for the Women In Leadership Foundation in Vancouver will be moderating the panel discussion during the event. As the Committee Lead for the WinIT, she sheds light on what motivates her to take part in this initiative.

"I have always been passionate about empowering women and girls to achieve their personal best by expanding their horizons and create meaningful goals of contribution within their community," said Close. " With my recent transition into the tech scene, it is important to promote the outstanding role models we have in Vancouver within the IT sector and the benefits these women can bring to young professionals by demonstrating the diverse opportunities in this growing industry."

We encourage you to join the conversation using the hashtag #WinITstrategy. To register, click here!

About Women in Leadership Foundation:
Established in 2001, Women in Leadership (WIL) (www.womeninleadership.ca) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to advancing women in leadership roles and empowering the next generation of female leaders. We do this by delivering innovative programming to help thousands of women across Canada to develop their leadership skills, including skills workshops, industry forums and events aimed to provide education and mentorship on pertinent leadership topics and aid in tearing down barriers to success.