Cape Town - The inaugural Women in Tech & Digital Conference was announced, with the event scheduled for 12 June at the Belmont Square Conference Centre in Rondebosch, Cape Town.
Featuring an all-female speaker line-up, the event - orchestrated by Useful & Beautiful and Women in Tech ZA - is targeted at men and women already active in the technology and digital spaces and seeking to master the skills they have.
“Tech and digital marketing are often seen as discrete sectors and part of what the event aims to do is bring them closer together - in discussion and in practise thereafter," said Lynette Hundermark, CEO and founder of Useful & Beautiful.
"We also want to touch on more complex topics like how to retain women in the sector and creative ways we can accommodate their responsibilities and roles outside the workplace, that often cause them to drop out of tech once they get married or have children, for example.”
The event will showcase a range of topics including Entrepreneurship at any age, Demystifying AI and other tech trends, Creating purposeful solutions, Advanced digital marketing and Self-care.
“This event is tailored to showcase the high degree of skills and expertise we have in the tech sector, and specifically among women in tech, who are very under-represented at events as speakers and delegates. That said, and while the name and content are tailored to women delegates, we want to make it clear the conference is for everyone,” says Samantha Perry, Women in Tech ZA co-founder.
“Bridging the gender divide in tech requires an inclusive approach and a joint effort from everyone in the sector.”
The speaker lineup so far includes:
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Anna Collard - Popcorn Training founder and MD
- Aisha Pandor - SweepSouth co-founder and CEO
- Birgitta Cederstrom - Frost & Sullivan Global Commercial Director, Growth, Innovation and Leadership
- Barbara Mallinson - Obami founder and CEO
- Jacqui Mackway-Wilson - Go Social SA founder
- Lorraine Steyn - KRS founder and CEO
- Lynette Hundermark - U&B co-founder
- Samantha Perry - Women in Tech ZA co-founder
As part of U&B and Women in Tech ZA’s commitment to giving back, the event beneficiary will be Sisters Incorporated, a safe house for abused women and children. All delegates will be asked to bring a donation of a toy, item of clothing, or a handbag to the event and will have a chance to hear more about the organisation.
Hundermark says plans are in place to bring the event to Johannesburg later in the year. Tickets for the Cape Town event are on sale now at an early-bird rate of R1750 (full rate R2000).
* Please email [email protected] or visit http://usefulandbeautiful.co.za/events/ to purchase.