Agenda

Blockchain is set to be the investment of the future according to many, but beyond crypto what are the possible applications in your business? This presentation will assess blockchain beyond crypto, taking a vertical approach to its potential applications and some of the interesting applications seen to date.

Key take aways include:

• Gaining a clearer understanding of blockchain’s cross-vertical applications - from banking, healthcare, politics, insurance, Government, retail, real estate, legal industry, charities, education and beyond
• Road mapping its potential for forecasting, crowdfunding, smart contracts, identity management, security and more
• Identifying how blockchain could work in your organisation e.g. protecting IP
• Clarifying where not to use blockchain

This presentation will cover the basics necessary for understanding AI. The most basic question of ‘What is artificial intelligence?’ will be answered!

Key take aways include:

• A clear understanding of the recent advances in AI
• Understanding of where AI sees practical application
• Clarity on future uses for AI
• Confidence that AI won’t replace humans, only enable them to make better decisions!
• Beginner-level understanding of the 2 common approaches to achieving AI: Machine
• Learning and Deep Learning
• Understanding that an AI’s biases are not its own!

Whilst we are still a long-way away from reaching true AI via the singularity, cognitive technologies are certainly here to stay! Whilst AI specifically may be still to knock on your office door, it doesn’t mean that it’s not on the horizon – and sooner than you might think! 2019 will see the technology advance further, and here we will assess how AI will impact your business in the coming year.

Key take aways include:

• Leveraging AI to create more customer-centric experiences via improved data analytics and predictive machine learning
• Examining how AI can create personalised content via behavioural targeting methodologies
• Analysis on how AI is truly propelling advancement in fraud detection in the face of fraud schemes utilising automation, machine learning, natural language processing and more!
• Maximising on the advancements in chatbots for 24/7 customer support
  Integrating IoT with blockchain for improved security and greater proliferation of IoT adoption
• Creating greater efficiency in early stages recruitment processes utilising AI powered software

This session will take a look over the security threats businesses will face in 2019, balancing today’s realities with what’s coming down the line.

Key takeaways include:

• A clear overview of the 2019 security threat landscape
  Understanding of the over-reliance on connectivity and its impact to your crisis response plans
  A review of your vulnerability to ransomware hijacks, especially around IoT
  Pin-pointing who are your ‘privileged insiders’ susceptible to outsider coercion
  Recognising that misinformation affects us all, especially automated misinformation

Natural language processing (NLP) is a commonly used technology for many businesses. In fact, in an increasingly global marketplace, NLP’s business case is clear, so much so that today NLP is as common as communication itself! So how can we further capitalise on the potential of NLP in 2019? This presentation will assess where the biggest business potentials lie for NLP in 2019.

Key take aways include:

• Understanding the next phase in machine translation – Neural machine translation
  Assessing NLP’s role in the advancement of chatbots – Where are we and what’s possible?
  Understanding how NLP can help in the creation of diverse and inclusive recruitment practices
  Examining NLP’s potential around conversational searching

It’s easy to get caught up in the fervour of digital, analytics and cloud, however it is crucial that businesses - large and small - do not overlook the advances being made around infrastructure and operations. Software-defined everything has the potential to elevate your infrastructure investments, and businesses need to remember that infrastructure is the back-bone of IT! During this presentation we will review the advantages and potential pitfalls of a move to a software-defined everything model.

Key take aways include:

• Understanding the risks of a move to software-define everything
• Realising the importance of making standardisation a design mandate from the off in easing maintenance and supplier negotiations
• Realising the benefits of a robust DevOps function combined with Software-defined everything to redefine your IT architectures

Containers have revolutionised the way businesses do software development both inside and outside for the cloud. The forecast for containers also continues to look rosy, with 451 Research saying containers are beginning to replace virtual machines, and that it expects the market to grow to nearly $3 billion by 2020. It’s no surprise then that there are several important trends emerging and during this session we will consider the container landscape for 2019.

Key take away include:

• Reviewing the implications of the move from centralised to dsitriburt3d orchestration tools
• Examination of the need for a common open API approach
• Understanding how container security is continuing to evolve into 2020 and the need for cooperation between open-source users and vendors
• Underlining the importance of effective containerisation planning within your deployments – What will you need vs. what will you likely get?

In the world of programming languages, it can sometimes be likened to something of a popularity contest! There are the consist, mainstream languages, that you better know at least 1 of if you want a job – These include Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, PHP, C#, C++, and Objective-C. However, as we head into 2019, what are the new languages that are emerging and gaining popularity?

Key take aways include:

• Pinpointing the top emerging languages to keep an eye on as we move through 2019 – Python, JavaScript, Java, Kotlin, Go, Rust, Elm, Elixir, Crystal to name a few!
  Assessing the pros and cons of the different languages
  What will the 2019 tech advancements most likely require?
  Which languages are likely to ‘die out’ as businesses continue their march to digitalisation?

As we move into 2019 it’s clear that business is moving quickly in applying machine and deep learning into their business decision-making. However algorithmic bias is one of the biggest risks companies are creating for themselves. Algorithmic biases can cause costly errors, which if undetected can result in failed projects and worse – an organisation going down the entirely wrong path completely! So how can we prevent this bias creeping into tech in the first place?

Key take aways include:

• Critiquing how data scientists using algorithms need to master the shaping of their data samples to minimise the potential for bias
• Understanding that there are still some circumstances where algorithm-based technologies are simply not yet the answer for accurate results
• Examining the importance of testing in order to drive out bias from data-sets
• Pinpointing the common pitfalls where unconscious bias creeps into algorithms

It’s fair to say that cloud is no longer a niche solution, but a fairly standard way of running IT in an organisation. However, trying to understand and then articulate the differences between the 3 main cloud models of public, private or hybrid can be a challenge for even the most experienced tech professional! Here we examine the models and what it really means to work in multi-cloud environments.

Key take aways include:

• Understanding how to get the perfect mix between public, private and hybrid cloud in your organisation
• Beyond SaaS - Highlighting what today’s public cloud offering actually includes
• Exploring when private cloud is still the right solution
• Simplifying what ‘hybrid cloud’ actually means and how it might benefit your organisation

The science of why certain things are able to engage us better than others is complex, and multi-factored. However modern technology, such as eye-tracking, allows us insights into our user’s behaviour like never before. The tech giants are increasingly turning to neuroscience-based approaches to study how people are using their products. Here we will provide project managers, designers and engineers alike with the tips and tricks you need to create kick-ass UX!

Key take aways include:

• Understanding the science of psychology and its importance in design
• Examining how to keep designs signs simple, keeping brand, services, and products front and centre
• Utilising eye tracking technology for improved UX

Deep learning is what makes big data more than a buzzword. But where can it be used, what can deep neural-networks achieve within a business and is it worth the investment? During this presentation we will consider ‘what is deep learning?’ and how it can benefit your organisation.

Key take aways include:

• Understanding what deep learning can provide to your business in terms of insight into patterns and habits (that would otherwise take millions in market research!)
• Examining how deep neural networks can be trained to perform tasks to deliver these data insights
• Pinpointing the challenges and obstacles you’ll likely face in adopting deep learning approaches
• Recognising that deep learning can be applied to the ‘old’ as well as the ‘new’ – revamping old processes to gain newer, deeper insights

With the emergence and gaining popularity of Agile and DevOps development technologies, the software development industry is undergoing major disruptions. This has led to the evolution of new testing approaches. The Quality Assurance professionals have to rapidly adapt to the changes in the software testing industry to stay relevant. During this presentation we will consider the key software testing trends to watch out for in 2019.

Key take aways include:

• Digitising with agile methodologies – Beyond the buzz words!
• Adapting machine learning to your test environment for predictive analytics, traceability and test suite optimisation
• Building in DevOps to bring testing to the forefront of the development cycle
• Adopting big data testing via commodity clusters
• Exploring the impact of IoT adoption and its implication for IoT testing
• Beyond performance testing – Moving to performance engineering to exceed your customer expectations
• Examining the benefits of combining manual and automated testing and shortening the delivery cycle

Globalisation has made it difficult to have in-person meetings for every collaborative project. This can negatively impact productivity, especially when companies have employees across the country, continent or globe. During this session we will look at what benefits businesses are discovering through the ease and convenience of online collaboration tools.

Key take aways include:

• Assessing the major players in the 2019 collaboration tolls market
• Improving employee recruitment and retention through cleverly utilised collaboration tools
• Implementing virtual training processes through the use of collaboration tools for improved productivity
• Future applications for collaboration tools – Recruitment, innovative customer service and new ways for employees to collaborate

When you hear the term VR/AR or MR, most of us immediately think of gaming, but there is considerable potential for these technologies across a variety of industries than just gaming. As hardware developers make AR and VR headsets more affordable and user-friendly, startups are developing new use cases far beyond gaming — applying the technologies to everything from marketing to healthcare to space exploration, and more, some of which we will examine during this presentation.

Key take aways include:

• Reviewing VR & AR’s potential to shape society for the better
• Exploring the potential for VR/AR within education
• Understanding today’s possibilities for VR/AR tech within healthcare
• Examining how VR can be applied to manufacturing: from supply chain modelling to helping warehouse workers pick out goods to designing products

Good UI (User Interface) design needs an understanding of human psychology. These UI design tips are based on how humans perceive and manipulate digital tools. Whether you’re working on a website or app, these 10 UI design tips will help you deliver a tool that users love to use.

Key take aways include:

• Understanding the importance of putting the users before business needs
• Excelling in being concise with your content!
• Exploring how to create strong visual hierarchies
• Defining the need to have vs. nice to have when it comes to giving users choices
• Why speed really is everything in terms of human interaction
• Forming emotional connections with your users for improved UX

Although not a new concept as we arrive into 2019, SaaS is for many of us a mainstay of everyday IT. But what’s next in 2019, and can it truly take corporate IT into the digital future we all hope for? During this presentation we will assess the main trends for SaaS in 2019.

Key take aways include:

• Understanding the implications of allowing shadow IT to emerge in our organisation and its impact to transparency
• Realising that 2019 will see data security be as difficult a challenge as it’s ever been
• Examining how the need for SaaS integration into existing ecosystems is as wide reaching as its ever been
• Analysing how to collaborate in a world of 4 million plus apps – Will cloud MSP’s finally integrate their apps in 2019?

2018 was an exciting year for crypto traders, as the market started to finally edge its way toward maturity. But what does this mean for us all? Is crypto truly going to be the future of money, will we all be speaking in terms of ‘value transfers’ in years to come than monetary values? This presentation will assess the state of crypto in 2019 and its outlook.

Key take aways include:

• Understanding why we need to see a move from centralised to decentralised exchanges
• Examining how dApp platforms are scaling up for improved investor attention towards the applications that can be built on top of these platforms
• Exploring why we need to see more substantive valuation models in order to coalesce the market
• Understanding how smart contract 4chnology can be used to raise funding for open-source protocols
• Understanding the benefits of increased adoption of security tokens in 2019

Is file storage and computing power the only use businesses will have for the cloud as we look ahead? Or will we see SaaS, PaaS, IaaS and even DaaS start to dominate becoming the ‘cloud’ of the future?

Key take aways include:

• Develop a broader understanding for the future forecasts around DaaS, SaaS, PaaS and IaaS and where the drivers are coming from
• Understanding what decentralised cloud computing really means and looks like!
• Recognising developer inclusion of usability and interface elements with great user experience rising in priority in cloud computing
• Exploring how the original revolution centred on placing apps in the cloud, whilst the future lies in true app-to-app integration

An exciting application of AI can be found in chatbots. During this presentation, the limitless scope of chatbots will be explored.

Key take aways will include:

• Understanding of the various milestones reached by leading players in bot technology
• Clarity around the future and potential of chatbots as it adopts greater AI
• Roadmaps of the current and future applications for chatbots
• Tech-investment strategies – Pinpointing the industries that stand to gain the most both now and in the future?

Technologies like AI, blockchain, and IoT are changing our lives and work, and business leaders must make decisions right now about the best routes forwards. It is essential to therefore understand how (and when) AI will affect their organisations—and what they should do about it today. Here we will consider what the next decade of Ai will look like.

Key take aways include:

• Analysing the potential to simplify work with AI
• Examining is AI will finally help answer the ROI question around data
• Understanding AI’s potential for harm as well as good, especially in the field of cyberattack
• Reviewing who’s already onboard with AI and who isn’t – Will AI cause nations to war?
• Evaluating where privacy fits in with the advance of AI, or will it simply be a sacrifice we have to make?

The opportunity to apply robotic process automation (RPA) to business processes has captured the attention of many organisations as they compete in a digital-first world that requires seamless operations, and greater value from resources. The next stage in the automation journey – beyond RPA – is intelligent automation, incorporating machine learning and dynamic workflows, but what should we be considering as we move towards intelligent automation and AI?

Key take aways include:

• Understanding that to maximise the impact of robot-led automation, business leaders need to have a solid understanding of the available tools and a clearly defined strategy for automating their enterprises
• Clarity around good intelligent automation applications, such as non-routine tasks involving intuition, judgment, creativity, persuasion or problem solving
• RPA implementation roadmaps incorporating strategies that look beyond initial deployment to how automation will grow and evolve
• Looking beyond the immediate productivity benefits, and exploring how organisations are impacting top-line growth as the evolution into intelligent automation includes more advanced AI

When it comes to winning the war against hackers today, AI and machine learning represent critical innovation, but there is still far too much hesitation when it comes to AI, machine learning and its future in security. The future of cybersecurity is about embracing and innovating for the partnership of man and machine – both relying on each other in the fight against hackers. During this session we will consider just what this might look like and what are the next steps?

Key take aways include:

• Exploring how AI can aid in reducing the complexity of analysis performed by humans in security events
• Understanding the role of machine learning to mitigate anti-malware and anomaly detection
• Looking from the other side – How are hackers utilising AI and machine learning to create malware?
• Pinpointing the danger of using AI and machine learning security algorithms

Among the trends we had experienced in the recent times, one is undoubtedly the adoption of DevOps practices within businesses. As we are move into 2019, it is becoming more obvious that DevOps is becoming mainstream, with many large organisations getting on board with DevOps., but does DevOps have a longer-term future, or will it be replaced by something else 10 years from now? During this presentation we consider what the future holds for DevOps.

Key take aways include:

• Realising the benefits seen to date from DevOps – How far have we come?
• Does DevOps live up to the hype to make it a worthwhile investment for a business?
• Exploring the current trends – Microservices and containers
• Recognising the relationship between big data and DevOps in taking a step forward toward the design of predictive analytics

The benefits and advantages of 5G technology are expected to be available sometime in 2019, bringing with it a new age of interconnectedness. Many believe 5G will change the world even more profoundly than 3G and 4G; that it will be as revolutionary as electricity or the automobile, benefitting entire economies and entire societies. So, where will 5G take us? This and more will be explored during this presentation.

Key take aways include:

• Realising the scope of impact from 5G, across every industry
• Considering what new services, we will be able to build?
• Exploring the implications for real-time connections and advancements in VR and AR technology
• Assessing if 5G will truly herald the advent of wireless business?
• Examining the possibilities for businesses to decrease operational costs whilst increasing their connectivity

Natural language processing still has a long way to go, but there is a new approach to solving problems from a UX perspective – conversational interfaces. Conversational interfaces are changing the way users interact with their devices every day. Understanding the benefits of these interfaces can help you decide if these interfaces are right for your design.

Key take aways include:

• Creating better user attentiveness through conversational interfaces
• Reducing user frustration from reduced user inputs via conversational interfaces
• Improving cost effectiveness through web-based conversational interface technology vs. NLP
• Analysing what works best with your users – Reducing unnecessary chatter

The role of coders is changing. We are now entering a new epoch driven by big data, semantic computing, machine learning and artificial intelligence, and 5G.
“So, what does this all mean for coders?” – During this session we will consider what coding for the future will look like.

Key take aways include:

• Understanding that software developers need to focus more and more on continuous learning to keep pace with new open source ecosystems and tools
• Recognising that data, algorithms, neural networks and natural language processing are becoming increasingly intertwined in code, requiring more end-to-end systems knowledge than before in the coding community
• Exploring what this means in the future – Should we all be seeking to become data scientists?
• Examining if the future heralds the end for human coders with the advent of AI-enabled self-coding?

'The Future of Tech – Disrupt or Be Disrupted’ is the name of one of this year’s technology themes at Women of Silicon Roundabout, and here we will consider - at an industry level - just what this could mean for you.

Key take aways include:

• Considering what the factories of the future will look like?
• Artificial intelligence – Improving man with machine
• Understanding the potential of autonomous vehicles for the future
• Assessing what a more connected future will mean at an industry-by-industry level
• Realising still unseen potential from IoT across industries
• Automation on the rise and its opportunities at industrial sites

Today, we find ourselves in a world fast filling with robots. They’re driving our cars, performing our medical procedures, influencing our elections and threatening to take our jobs (according to some). It is obvious we can’t live without them, but the deeper question of how we live with them remains unanswered.

Key take aways include:

• Does the ethical development and use of AI require regulation?
• What are the biggest opportunities and risks legally over the coming decade in relation to the development and use of AI?
• As AI systems become increasingly autonomous in practice, will legal systems need to change in order to reflect and accommodate this autonomy?
• Does the creation of some form of electronic personhood need to be considered?

IoT is everywhere, creating lots of smart ‘edge’ devices pouring out a torrent of data. However, without analysis, the data and these IoT devices are pointless, which is where intelligent edge could be the solution. What is ‘Intelligent Edge’? Its where the IoT devices are, but they’ve become intelligent because they provide analytics capabilities, something that was previously only available in either on-premises facilities, or the cloud.

Key takeaways include:

• Pinpointing the potential hidden gems being dropped in your current edge data and how it could help you become more agile, save money or discover new revenue streams
• Clarity on cloud-based big data solutions, leveraging machine learning for data analysis and edge distributed execution
• Examining the common barriers to edge adoption: costs of storing/processing unbounded data streams in the cloud, security and privacy, accessibility to data scientist created data-flow pipelines
• Understanding that devices will need to automate learning, becoming their own data scientists to create digital personas presenting locally learned and predicted data

It is estimated that by 2020 there will be 300 million pages of regulations in existence, with fines for non-compliance likely to rise accordingly. In a financial world that has seen regulatory compliance obligations expand rapidly in the years since the financial crisis, RegTech is gaining traction as a cheaper, simpler and faster way of meeting said obligations. But what does the future hold for this emerging tech and what could industries outside of finance learn and leverage?

Key take aways include:

• Analysing what RegTech can currently be used for - prudential, structural reform, anti-monetary laundering, tax and reporting
• Assessing complexity and costs vs. ROI
• Reviewing where RegTech is heading over the next 5 years
• Exploring the potential wider applications outside of financial services

As we move into 2019 it seems quantum computing is suddenly buzzing with almost feverish excitement and activity. Although the field of quantum computing is still in its nascent stages, researchers have made significant advances in recent years on the development of working quantum computers. They’ve found ways to sustain the life of qubits to increase the length of time information could be contained in a quantum system, and according to experts, working quantum computers will very likely be available in the next couple of decades. So, what can we expect from the future of quantum computing?

Key take aways include:

• Understanding the potential real-world applications quantum computers might have
• Examining the impacts of quantum to other technologies such as machine learning and AI
• Assessing if the advent of quantum will bring more problems than it solves, especially around security
• Considering the possibilities to remove language barriers in everyday business transactions through real-time language translation

The great milestone in AI development will be the creation of artificial general intelligence, sometimes also referred to as Human Level Machine Intelligence. Put simply: the creation of AI on a par with humans. During this session we’ll explore how humans will stack up against future artificial general intelligence’s, and finally, how society will change the day after the first artificial general intelligence is announced to the world.

Key take away’s include:

• What will it take to build and artificial general intelligence – The role of big data, better algorithms and improved hardware?
• Assessing if artificial general intelligence will only possibly alongside the development of quantum computing?
• What will the creation of artificial general intelligence mean to society?
• Evaluating if we should be creating artificial general intelligence in the first place?

We've come a long way in UI to be sure, but many say that we haven't seen anything yet! The coming decade will see the next evolution, the next quantum leap in communication and interconnectivity, entirely intermediated by a range of future computer interfaces … and it may just reshape what it means to be human.

Key take aways include:

• Assessing how open-air gesture control will help make wearables easier to use, and thus more attractive to a wider audience
• Understanding how desktop interfaces could be replaces with gesture interfaces
• Examining how haptic holograms could open up new industries of digital products
• Exploring where speech will fit in – the advancement of virtual assistants
• Considering the role of wearables to find new ways to engage with the digital space of the future
• Advancing AR/VR to eventually replace traditional computer interfaces?
• Contemplating the ultimate goal of implanted brain-computer interfaces

Today’s virtual assistant services are infants compared to what they will one day become. We might struggle with current virtual assistants misunderstanding what we want when we ask them a question or issue a command, but by 2020 that will be rare thanks to the introduction of semantic search. Here we will explore how far virtual assistants are projected to develop and their impact on or future lives.

Key take aways include:

• Assessing how future virtual assistants will act as your guardian, personal assistant, and co-worke
• Understanding the potential for future virtual assistants to become the new search engines
• Considering how far reaching virtual assistants could become in the future – will they be driving our cars and using voice commands to control our houses?

As abstractions progress and new software languages automate ever more routine software development work, what will it mean to be a software developer in 10 to 20 years’ time?

Key take aways include:

• Assessing the likelihood that standardised, repetitive coding work will disappear and be replaced by a vast library of predefined component behaviours, UI’s, and data-flow manipulations
• Considering how future software developers will execute through specialised software applications or platforms
• Understanding that future prototyping will be conducted through visual interfaces utilising AR and VR
• Exploring how future AI systems will refine the drafted software design and automate all quality assurance testing, eventually learning their developer’s intent and generate the code themselves
• Examining how eventually, AI will automate standard bug fixes

A controversial statement, but one intended to challenge the real reasons as to why we are struggling still with gender diversity in tech. Let’s discuss what a good coder needs to be in 2019, where will this talent that’s needed come from, and what strengths can we ALL bring in terms of coding requirements for the future? Clearly, men cannot be said to be better at coding just because they are men. Code written by women garners higher ratings on GitHub for example than that written by their male colleagues, so why is gender diversity still an issue in 2019?

In the run-up to the 2019 Women of Silicon Roundabout, we will be offering you the chance to actually submit your own ‘Elephant in the Room’ questions for consideration…Take the opportunity to help shape and mould the debate, and get your challenges heard! We want to ensure we are moving from words to action, and honest debate, around the issues that matter is an important part of this process!
We will soon be opening the Debate Den question submission process, so stay tuned and have your questions ready – Those selected will see their questions included in the 2019 Women of Silicon Roundabout agenda!

In an industry that favours youth over experience, is there an unspoken age-cap in place which once you hit means the end? And how ‘old’ is too old, especially in a society where we are increasingly working longer before retiring? One thing is certain: Widespread age discrimination is affecting many of us working or seeking to work in the IT industry, but will this modern-day age ultimately result in the death of innovation and development?

In the run-up to the 2019 Women of Silicon Roundabout, we will be offering you the chance to actually submit your own ‘Elephant in the Room’ questions for consideration…Take the opportunity to help shape and mould the debate, and get your challenges heard! We want to ensure we are moving from words to action, and honest debate, around the issues that matter is an important part of this process!

We will soon be opening the Debate Den question submission process, so stay tuned and have your questions ready – Those selected will see their questions included in the 2019 Women of Silicon Roundabout agenda!

Implementing mandatory diversity quotas has long been put forward as a solution for improved D&I, but it is by no means a perfect answer. Whilst it’s true that D&I Quotas are a quick way to get D&I into tech roles, some fear that people will not believe these D&I hires get these jobs based on their abilities. So, should we take the wins of an imperfect system if its increasing diversity and inclusion, should we abandon quotas all together, or we should we push for stricter quota implementation where we would see all women/all black etc recruitment mandates?

In the run-up to the 2019 Women of Silicon Roundabout, we will be offering you the chance to actually submit your own ‘Elephant in the Room’ questions for consideration…Take the opportunity to help shape and mould the debate, and get your challenges heard! We want to ensure we are moving from words to action, and honest debate, around the issues that matter is an important part of this process!
We will soon be opening the Debate Den question submission process, so stay tuned and have your questions ready – Those selected will see their questions included in the 2019 Women of Silicon Roundabout agenda!

‘BAME’ is not a new term, it’s been around since the 1970’s, but does anyone in real life ever refer to themselves in this way? Should we be using labels at all? Is to do so itself patronising and potentially insulting? Does the BAME label ultimately help or hinder when we all want to be recognised as individuals?

In the run-up to the 2019 Women of Silicon Roundabout, we will be offering you the chance to actually submit your own ‘Elephant in the Room’ questions for consideration…Take the opportunity to help shape and mould the debate, and get your challenges heard! We want to ensure we are moving from words to action, and honest debate, around the issues that matter is an important part of this process!

We will soon be opening the Debate Den question submission process, so stay tuned and have your questions ready – Those selected will see their questions included in the 2019 Women of Silicon Roundabout agenda!

We often hear said to us, “just be yourself”- but in a work environment is that ever truly possible? Further, is it wise to “just be yourself” in an increasingly competitive and hard-fought industry such as the IT industry? It sounds like an amazing thing to do, but what does it really mean? What if someone is a rude to other people? Is it okay for them to just be themselves and go on being rude to everyone? How about people who are fearful of being around others, or those more introverted/extroverted? What if being yourself doesn’t fit with that company’s corporate culture? It’s time to examine what’s possible, what’s advisable and where the truth ultimately lies.

The Cambridge Analytica scandal exposed how Facebook’s data was being used to influence political opinions. But why does a tech company such as Facebook have all this data about its users in the first place? Facebook, Google, and other tech companies are tracking your every move, and can learn almost anything about you through the developments in AI tech. In a world were data is king, are we reaching a tipping point? Should the regulators be stepping in to protect our rights to privacy, or should we simply accept that being globally connected comes at a price?

In the run-up to the 2019 Women of Silicon Roundabout, we will be offering you the chance to actually submit your own ‘Elephant in the Room’ questions for consideration…Take the opportunity to help shape and mould the debate, and get your challenges heard! We want to ensure we are moving from words to action, and honest debate, around the issues that matter is an important part of this process!
We will soon be opening the Debate Den question submission process, so stay tuned and have your questions ready – Those selected will see their questions included in the 2019 Women of Silicon Roundabout agenda!

For those women who do break into the technology field, a startlingly low retention rate is evident. In the tech industry, the quit rate is more than twice as high for women as it is for men. But what exactly is attributing to their decision to move on? What can businesses do to support women and encourage them to fulfil their whole careers in the industry?

In the run-up to the 2019 Women of Silicon Roundabout, we will be offering you the chance to actually submit your own ‘Elephant in the Room’ questions for consideration…Take the opportunity to help shape and mould the debate, and get your challenges heard! We want to ensure we are moving from words to action, and honest debate, around the issues that matter is an important part of this process!
We will soon be opening the Debate Den question submission process, so stay tuned and have your questions ready – Those selected will see their questions included in the 2019 Women of Silicon Roundabout agenda!

We all know about the gender pay gap, but there is also ethnicity, disability and more in terms of pay gaps to broach in the tech sector. Why are pay gaps still prevalent? How bad is the true state of the gaps? Will we ever see equality? Pay gaps are both a difficult and uncomfortable area of discussion for many, but it’s time to really peel-back the truth about what’s going on and why?!

In the run-up to the 2019 Women of Silicon Roundabout, we will be offering you the chance to actually submit your own ‘Elephant in the Room’ questions for consideration…Take the opportunity to help shape and mould the debate, and get your challenges heard! We want to ensure we are moving from words to action, and honest debate, around the issues that matter is an important part of this process!
We will soon be opening the Debate Den question submission process, so stay tuned and have your questions ready – Those selected will see their questions included in the 2019 Women of Silicon Roundabout agenda!

The workplace is the most important environment to discuss mental health and illness, yet it is the last place we expect to hear about it – Why? Employees are afraid of discussing it with co-workers and bosses for fear of losing their jobs, damaging relationships or risking future employers learning of illnesses and judging them. The stigma of mental illness keeps them silent. But why? How do we rid ourselves of this climate of fear?

In the run-up to the 2019 Women of Silicon Roundabout, we will be offering you the chance to actually submit your own ‘Elephant in the Room’ questions for consideration…Take the opportunity to help shape and mould the debate, and get your challenges heard! We want to ensure we are moving from words to action, and honest debate, around the issues that matter is an important part of this process!
We will soon be opening the Debate Den question submission process, so stay tuned and have your questions ready – Those selected will see their questions included in the 2019 Women of Silicon Roundabout agenda!

We all bring unconscious biases into the workplace – yes even you! These deeply subconscious attitudes span race, gender, appearance, age, wealth and much more. They influence everything from the car you drive to the employee you promote and the one you don’t. These unconscious biases can impact many areas of business, from impairing diversity and retention rates to promoting a disconnected culture. So if it’s so ingrained in us, is it futile to try?

We have seen a surge of technology organisations publicly declared their commitment to D&I, but how have they translated strategy into execution and what impact is it having on employee experience? During this session we will consider the stats and review the realities around a decade of tech-sector D&I…. But will we like what we hear?

Key take aways include:

• Exploring the difference between CSR and D&I and how this has lead focus away from the workplace
• Examining if we are starting to see ‘D&I fatigue’ from lack of action
• Critiquing D&I initiative implementation to translate strategy into action
• How much of a barrier to employee progression comes from the lack of D&I?
• Reviewing which industries have progressed and how?
• Assessing the D&I laggards and how to tackle this

In April this 2018, thousands of employers were required to publish their gender pay gap figures for the first time. In the technology sector especially, the reports make for interesting reading, with pay disparity for both hourly rates and bonuses and a clear lack of women in high-level roles. But what did these reports really show us, and where are the hidden truths?

Key take aways include:

• Understanding the gap in the tech sector and where it is coming from – Is it roles or pay?
• Assessing the impact of the changing jobs market
• Reviewing how improved STEM for girls can help towards closing the tech-sector gender pay gap
• Examining how technology can help close the gender pay gap?

Ageism is a hidden inclusion issue and most of us harbour some level of unconscious bias when it comes to age. Studies have shown, that at the age of 45, almost half of tech professionals believe their age stacks against them. It is how organisations make use of and support this growing group of people and, just as important, how this group of older workers manages their careers, that will increasingly define the tech sector.

Key take aways include:

• Assessing how widespread is the problem of ageism in the tech sector?
• Exploring the benefits those 40 and above bring to tech organisations
• Understanding the importance of keeping skills up to date to stay relevant
• Examining how companies can make positive, meaningful changes – Age-inclusive language

When the issue of pay gaps is raised, it more often than not centres around gender, but ethnic pay gaps are also a big problem. There is clearly discrimination in employment, with people with equivalent qualification but with African and Asian surnames having to send in twice as many CVs just to get an interview. Black and minority-ethnic people are also more likely to face disciplinary action and other decisions that most affect progression and pay. In 2019 its time to give equal light to ethnic pay gaps as well as gender. Here we will consider what the next steps need to be.

Key take aways include:

• We have gender pay gap reporting, but currently nothing exists for ethnicity – why?
• Asking if venture capitalists should be demanding ethnic diversity targets before funding?
• Understanding why ethnic diversity is an issue in the tech sector?
• Analysing the importance of ethnic diversity goals emanating from the top

In the tech world, there's often an unconscious bias in the workplace. Women are still underpaid compared to male co-workers, and worry about becoming ""mummy-tracked"" after pregnancy. Plus, there's still a lack of minority representation in tech that has yet to be overcome. The way past this unconscious bias in hiring and the workplace begins with individual companies becoming aware and taking action.

Key take aways include:

• Understanding the importance of removing the term ‘cultural fit’ from corporate vocabulary
• Highlighting the benefits of role models and leaders who belong to marginalised groups
• Assessing how to design inclusive company benefits packages to attract a more diverse and inclusive workforce
• Fostering an environment that brings people together to network and support one another
• Creating workplaces with conscious design at the heart of everything they do
• Leveraging tech to help remove unconscious biases – How can AI help?

2018’s pay gap reporting has been like pulling back the curtain, as we’re seeing the real picture behind the often-secretive world of pay: one in which every industry from academia and local councils to FTSE companies is underpaying women. However, despite this step forwards disability hasn’t been mentioned at all when it comes to the state of pay gaps.

Key take aways include:

• Understanding the state of disability pay gaps in the tech sector and why these exist?
• Reviewing flexible working and job sharing, especially at management levels
• Assessing the role of Government in creating further barriers for disabled workers
• Debating if new law requiring employers to publish their disability pay gaps should be introduced?
• Exploring the possibilities of advertising more jobs on a flexible and part time basis

When it comes to diversity and inclusion, nothing ignites greater debate than goals, targets, and quotas. On the one hand, setting specific diversity goals has been found to be one of the most effective methods for increasing the representation of women and other minority groups in companies. On the other hand, contentious arguments about targets vs. quotas, accusations of reverse discrimination, and fears of incentivising the wrong behaviours have arisen around goal-setting efforts. So, where does the truth lie around quotas?

Key take aways include:

• Understanding the importance of communication when setting quota targets – Do your leaders understand what they do and do not mean?
• Ensuring that goals set include inclusion and not just diversity!
• Championing your leadership with the D&I message through personal responsibility for D&I in the business
• Considering what actions to implement when reaching goals – The importance of recognition and reward

Whilst diversity and inclusion in tech is commonly discussed in general terms, one area that is often overlooked is neurodiversity. During this session we will consider what neurodiversity is, but also what it means in terms of application to your organisation and its potential positive impacts for improved diversity and inclusion in your workforce.

Key take aways include:

• Understanding what we mean by ‘neurodiversity’?
• Recognising that future tech will need neurodiverse workforces if it is to realise its potential
• Considering which industries are already embracing neurodiversity, and what impacts they have seen to business
• Assessing the practicalities of leading a neurodiverse team

The value of diverse teams goes well beyond the obvious sentiment that inclusion is the right thing to do. Simply put, diversity is how we ensure the best ideas rule the day. During this session we will take a more practical look at exactly how diversity and inclusion makes a difference in tech.

Key take aways include:

• Understanding that diverse teams win more often and more consistently!
• Recognising that diversity is a pathway to a broader thought-pool you can leverage to better serve your customers
• Realising that a company is much more likely to experience innovative change if it has a diverse tam, with different knowledge bases
• Admitting that diversity also includes background, perspective, age, education and more, which if harnessed builds products capable of serving everyone

Feeling like an imposter is more common than you might think. In fact, 58% of people with technology-focused careers suffer from Impostor Syndrome, according to a study from workplace social media site Blind. Indeed, its estimated that 70% of people experience impostor syndrome at one point in their lives. So how to tackle this if you’re in tech?

Key take aways include:

• Realising the importance of mentorship
• Developing the abilities to recognise your current skills and expertise and therefore identify where you might need upskilling
• Remembering what you do well and not being afraid to talk about it!
• Exploring how to challenge your current mindset and change your thinking

Introducing a D&I programme into any business can be a tricky thing, fraught with potential pitfalls and constant fears that by taking one course of action, you may be excluding someone?! During this presentation we will hear real life lessons from those that have broached this difficult task and what they have learned along the way.

Key take aways include:

• Understanding the importance of planning – D&I doesn’t happen overnight!
• Examining how important messaging should be in your D&I programme roll-out if you are to establish truly inclusive initiatives
• Starting with the small things is often overlooked
• Factoring in continuous feedback than a one-size fits all approach
• That D&I cannot be tackled in isolation, by one person in a company

Intersectionality considers different systems of oppression, and specifically how they overlap and are compounded. This is increasingly important because more companies are giving attention to D&I than ever, but often with a narrow, single-minded strategy: “We’re focusing on women first.” This approach, while well-intended, might actually get in the way of progress. Here we consider what organisation can do to adopt a more intersectional approach to D&I.

Key take aways include:

• Realising that by focussing on one area of diversity, like gender, can in turn only ever benefit a subset of the population
• Recognising that in 2019 non-intersectional D&I initiatives are effectively telling people they have to wait their turn!
• Evaluating what will happen if we fail to adopt intersectionality to our D&I initiatives
• Understanding how to go about adopting a lens of intersectionality?

Men, as the majority player in the tech workforce have a very important part to play in paving the way to increased female tech representation. But specifically, what can, and should men be doing to help pave the way for more women? We will consider this and more during this presentation.

Key take aways include:

• Encouraging business mentorship for female employees
• Understanding the importance of making women feel comfortable in male-heavy tech environments
• Recognising that it shouldn’t start on entering the workforce, but at a much earlier age ensuring we’re encouraging our children to pursue tech careers – girls especially!
• Analysing why female assertiveness is often perceived as aggressive or even bitchy, and why assertive women in the workplace shouldn’t be seen as a bad thing
• Discussing how more women in tech will benefit us all, men included

Today, our multigenerational workforce is challenging why work/life boundaries have to be so fixed? From a business perspective, one of the biggest challenges is attracting and retaining talent, an area where work/life balance can really make a difference in recruiting top talent. With an ever-growing ‘gig-economy’, mobile working is at an all-time high, so how do we achieve true work/life balance in the tech sector?

Key take aways include:

• Exploring how a connected office is essential in supporting global collaboration, time management and resources
• Considering environmental and behaviour monitoring for optimum work environments
• Encouraging employees via innovative perks
• Adopting and adapting to flexible work arrangements
• Encouraging and investing in professional development and learning opportunities

Mental health and wellbeing are essential in terms of productivity, staff retention and making your business an attractive place to work. But how do we move employee mental wellbeing up the corporate agenda?

Key take aways include:

• Assessing how to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing in your organisation
• Analysing the importance of having senior leaders onboard in promoting wellbeing
• Understanding the importance of involving staff in decision-making and dialogue
• Fostering a culture of openness
• Adopting robust attitudes to work/life balance
• Promoting positive working relationships and social activities
• Implementing peer support and mentoring, especially for line managers

Managing cultural conflict in your organisation not only creates a more harmonious workplace, it also ensures that you reap the creative benefits of multiculturalism. In today’s globalised world, it’s easy to assume that everyone speaks a common language. Yet, managers leading global teams find that there are still a lot of communication minefields stemming from cultural differences. Here we will examine the best practices in tackling cultural conflicts and biases.

Key take ways include:

• The importance of taking the time to study our colleague’s work cultures before engaging in a project
• Recognising the differences in the globalised English language, or where English is a second language
• Understanding the differences in body language across cultures
• Realising that dinner and business card rituals differ globally
• Implementing cross-cultural awareness programs within your business

Finding people to look up to may be one of the most important things we can do to help actualise our potential. Because no matter where we are on our journey, we all need role models. However, with the skills shortage in tech as vast as it’s ever been, finding female STEM role models can be difficult. Here we will examine what we can all do to encourage women into STEM fields.

Key take aways include:

• Evaluating best practices around creating more female role models in STEM careers
• Analysing what diverts girls from STEM as they get older?
• Consideration to what can be done to keep women in STEM fields
• Establishing that whilst there is no silver-bullet solution to motivating girls into tech, we must collaborate to develop solutions

As we move into 2019, we are starting to see some in the tech sector embracing ‘returnships’ over apprenticeships in tackling their labour shortages. But what are returnships, why should we be giving them consideration and what are the benefits business can reap?

Key take aways include:

• Embracing career-breakers/changers into your recruitment strategies for greater diversity
• Examining the pros and cons of returnships over apprenticeships in tackling recruitment and retention
• Reviewing how to upskill fast to take advantage of returnships
• Assessing where the greater risks lie for businesses: Hiring returners vs. graduates

Great mentors can have an enormous impact on your career. Their connections can open doors that would otherwise be closed, and their experiences can save you from suffering from the same mistakes they've already made. But finding the best mentor for you isn't as simple as picking a name from a hat. You'll need to be able to recognise what makes a great mentor, know how to approach one and then how to maximise the relationship. Here we will explore the top tips and tricks to help you find your ideal mentor-match!

Key take aways include:

• Recognising what makes a great mentor – the tougher the better?!
• Pinpointing how a mentor can help you develop
• Understanding what’s in it for mentors?
• Examining what sort of person makes a suitable mentor
• Exploring the best methods of finding a local mentor

AI has been a sound career choice for a while now because of the growing adoption of the technology across industries and the need for trained professionals to do the jobs created by this growth. Pundits predict that AI will create close to 2.3 million jobs by 2020. However, it is also forecasted that this technology will wipe out over 1.7 million jobs, resulting in about half a million new jobs worldwide. In addition, AI also offers many unique and viable career opportunities. AI is used in almost every industry, from entertainment to transportation, yet we have a huge need for qualified, skilled professionals. During this presentation we will discuss the future of AI and machine learning as career fields.

Key take aways include:

• Exploring the current AI career landscape and which industries are currently using AI
• Assessing how to get into AI if you are new to the field
• Understanding the alternative routes to entry if you are already a programmer
• Examining the options for those already in data science

Everyone is at a different place in their lives, and career paths are no longer linear, instead marked with twists, turns, and sometimes breaks. If you should either decide to take a career break, or unexpectedly find yourself in one how to you keep pace to ensure you’re still marketable when you return? During this presentation we will consider the practical tips for staying relevant and making yourself employable when you are ready to step back in.

Key take aways include:

• Ensuring you keep an open-mind to saying ‘yes’ during your break, especially around important key skills such as project management, leadership and communications
• Understanding the importance of staying in touch with the working world and be aware of potential untapped relationships
• Underlining the importance of updating your skills and developing new ones
• Reiterating the importance of small steps to keep things moving
• Leveraging social networking platforms to your advantage, such as LinkedIn
• Pinpointing the signs of complacency

Working with other team members whom you have a great work relationship with can actually make work fun. Furthermore, it improves morale, and ultimately improves productivity. It also helps in fostering an environment of ownership, with better information flow and where people are prepared to ‘go the extra mile’. But when this doesn’t work well, the impacts to business can be further reaching than you might think. During this presentation, we will assess tried and tested methods for improving work relationships.

Key take aways include:

• Establishing crystal-clear performance expectations from the start for true transparency
• Reviewing best practices in identifying where issues come from and how – Understanding how to see both sides of thecoin
• Understanding when management should be involved, and when they shouldn’t!
• Iterating the usefulness of seeking advice
• Evaluating how best to communicate in areas of conflict
• Providing co-workers with incentives and the importance of celebrating and rewarding successes

It’s easy to just think of career advancement as a straight line. But increasingly many people are taking a different approach and look at more lateral moves as well. Why? A lateral move can be very beneficial in arriving at your ultimate goal. It offers the opportunity to learn new skills, increase your visibility and could ultimately prepare you for the promotion you are looking for. During this presentation we will consider the pros and cons of lateral career moves.

Key take aways include:

• Understanding how a lateral move is proactive career management
• Assess how best to leverage a lateral move to increase your visibility and build your brand in your organisation
• Exploring how to leverage lateral moves to improve yourself awareness
• Examining the potential pitfalls of lateral moves: stagnation, perception and professional side stepping

No matter what some of us try, work-life balance always seems like a destination that we have yet to reach. We all say we want it, you envision that perfect 50/50 balance point, where you magically finish everything you need to do at work and still have time left over for going to the gym, seeing friends, getting 8 hours of sleep, and everything else in-between. But how to actually build a harmonious work/life environment? During this presentation we will hear case studies from those that have alternative approaches to the holy work/life grail!

Key take aways include:

• Accepting that ‘perfection’ might be the wrong targets to be setting ourselves
• Figuring out the key components you need in your days and giving them equal seriousness
• Understanding the importance of setting boundaries in order to create time/space
• Creating your self-review system to keep things on track
• The importance of adaptation!