We were SO excited to have our first IRL Women+ In Tech Geek Out with our sponsors Aura and CyberArk back in April. The energy from that event truly felt like it did pre-pandemic, and that had us thinking about why women+ networking spaces are so imperative, regardless of the job functions of the people in the room.
Building a community for women+ in tech has been the overarching goal of our work here at Inclusion Geeks. From the beginning, we’ve adopted a no-asshole policy to create environments for women+ in tech to just be. And while the pandemic had us shifting what these environments looked like (hello virtual platforms!), our commitment to creating safe spaces for women+ to network with, geek with, and learn from each other has been at the forefront of what we do. But what’s been even better? Having our community expand and redefine what being a woman+ in tech means! The tech industry has adapted and grown beyond measure in the past ten years, and we’ve seen our community include folx outside of the typical tech roles and into diverse industries.
Let’s break down three reasons why creating women+ spaces is still essential.
1. Building supportive communities creates opportunities for support, friendship, and mentorship.
At its core, networking events act as opportunities to expand one’s social network, whether in career or social development. Humans are hardwired for connection (thanks, Brené Brown!) and deserve opportunities to meet and connect with new people.
Everyone’s heard the adage that it’s hard to make friends as an adult, even more so since the COVID-19 pandemic. Creating virtual and in-person COVID-19-aware opportunities for women+ to meet each other can help break down the barriers to creating meaningful friendships with others. And while support ≠ friendship ≠ mentorship, we’re all for just gathering people together around a shared purpose.
2. Amplifying women’s voices during the event…and beyond!
Through our signature networking events called Geek Outs, we ask women+ to speak for 10 minutes about anything they’re geeking out about. And we mean it…anything. We’ve had speakers talk about what even is product management, what’s the Enneagram and how you can use it, even Animal Crossing! When women+ can talk about the things they’re passionate about and that bring them joy, that creates additional connection points with others more informally! Any time we can boost happiness and joy to start meaningful conversations is a win in our books.
3. Empowering women to take charge and build their community beyond their families and workplaces.
Creating these spaces gives permission to anyone who feels they don’t have the time or ability to be in community with others. Family and work commitments tend to take precedence over building other relationships, and we’re here to remind women+ that you’re allowed to take this time.
Granted, being able to attend networking events along with work and familial obligations is a privilege, and we love working with our fabulous community to find ways to do this in as lowkey of a manner as possible.
If you’re a woman+ looking for community, we’re excited to support you! We’re hosting two Geek Outs with incredible companies in the coming weeks. Also, find us on social media! We love it when fellow Geeks engage with us on what we’re chatting about on LinkedIn and Instagram.
For more information on why women+ need a professional and personal network, check out these articles below!
Forbes – Why Women Need a Professional Network
FastCompany – The Benefits of Women’s Networking Groups
Entrepreneur – This Is Why We Still Need Women’s Networking Groups