How We Built TechLadies in Singapore - SREcon17

This talk was given at SREcon17 Asia/Australia. SREcon is a gathering of engineers who care deeply about site reliability, systems engineering, and working with complex distributed systems at scale.

In this presentation, I shared about the inspiration behind setting up TechLadies, the what and how of the programs we do, and the lessons learned on how to introduce more women to the tech industry. Hopefully it will be useful for you in increasing gender diversity at your workplace!

Transcript

1. TechLadies.co How we built TechLadies in Singapore Elisha Tan Founder, TechLadies lah
2. TechLadies.co Plot twist!!!
3. Program Mission: Create active communities for any developer around the world to access information, share knowledge, and collaborate with other developers. Introducing
4. TechLadies.co TechLadies techladies.co
5. Online marketplace for in-person classes
6. TechLadies.co Writing codes is amazing
7. TechLadies.co The community is amazing
8. TechLadies.co Where are the women?
9. TechLadies.co
11. TechLadies
12. TechLadies.co TechLadies is a community-led initiative for women to connect, learn, and advance as programmers.
13. TechLadies.co Technology is a superpower to do good
14. TechLadies.co Technology is a superpower to do good + be a bridge between women and tech communities
15. TechLadies.co Technology is a superpower to do good + be a bridge between women and tech communities + women-focused, not anti-men
16. TechLadies.co TechLadies do 3 things: Community | Education | Opportunity
17. TechLadies.co Community - Build a trusted community in Asia where people can find their peers in tech. - Provide a channel where women can connect through shared experiences and knowledge.
18. TechLadies.co Education - Equip women with basic programming skills. - Cultivate interest and facilitate learning technical skills through online resources.
19. TechLadies.co Opportunity - Kickstart women’s careers in the tech industry. - Increase the visibility of women’s impact on the tech industry.
20. TechLadies.co TechLadies do 3 things: Community | Education | Opportunity Go Eat Study Coding Weekend Tech Talks Bootcamp
21. TechLadies.co Bootcamp
22. TechLadies.co How it works 1. Find NGOs 2. Screen their pain points and proposed solutions 3. Decide if they fit the program, pass them to the head coach 4. Head coach will select the NGO they want to work with 5. Design studio 6. Select bootcamp participants 7. Bootcamp!
23. TechLadies.co
24. TechLadies.co
25. TechLadies.co Clara Chow Junior Software Engineer - kaligo.com “Since I’ve always been keen in technology, why not rekindle that childhood flame? It’s time to move into the tech industry as a programmer.”
26. TechLadies.co “I was extremely lost and my self- confidence fell tremendously after being kicked out from NUS Master programme two years ago. Today, I am here standing up again to pursue my new-found dream.” Oon Xin Tian Freelance programmer
27. TechLadies.co Lessons learned • It.. works? • People learn better if there’s an end goal in mind • A lot of NGOs are really not technical • People want to help but needs direction • Marketing is as important as programming!
28. TechLadies.co Tech Talks
29. TechLadies.co Community | Education | Opportunity Go Eat Study Coding Weekend Tech Talks Bootcamp
30. TechLadies.co Coding Weekend
31. TechLadies.co Study Coding Weekend Tech Talks Bootcamp Study
32. TechLadies.co Lessons Learned
33. TechLadies.co Starting a passion project has a lot of benefits
34. TechLadies.co Win by helping others win • It’s extremely rewarding • Don’t need to worry about profitability • Helps with your career • Gain skills without needing your manager’s approval • Great way to meet people passionate about the cause
35. TechLadies.co It also has its costs
36. TechLadies.co Everyone can contribute, even if you can’t code
37. TechLadies.co
38. TechLadies.co Help out at events
39. TechLadies.co talk to
40. TechLadies.co Teach someone
41. TechLadies.co Help out at events
42. TechLadies.co Share someone else’s knowledge
43. TechLadies.co
44. TechLadies.co Little things count
45. TechLadies.co Non-tech contributions to the tech community • Organize events • Help out at events • Share your knowledge • Share someone else’s knowledge • Do the little things
46. TechLadies.co Thank you for your contribution! Elisha Tan | @elishatan | elisha@techladies.co