From allyship to action: reflections on Empower Women in Tech
Jo Larby, Accessibility Community Lead at Leighton recently attended the Empower Women in Tech conference where she joined the Power Together panel to discuss the role of allyship and advocacy.
This year Empower Women in Tech was held at Convene in Manchester, the event, dedicated to creating safe and supportive space, brought together technical experts and industry leaders to learn, develop and connect in a truly accessible way. Throughout the event attendees were encouraged to embrace vulnerability and explore growth opportunities confidently in a way that suited their unique tech journeys and empower others to do the same.
The theme for the day centred on stepping into the future with confidence, courage, and collective strength for women and underrepresented voices in tech.
The conference began with attendees sharing what they hoped to gain from the day, setting the tone for meaningful conversations and collective learning.
Personally, I wanted to meet and connect with new people, and that was more than fulfilled with a few surprise reunions along the way!
On the Powerful Together panel, we wanted to explore the importance of allyship and advocacy, as well as the support systems and practices that encourage collaboration over competition. The discussion was both practical and inspiring, with panellists sharing personal experiences, real-world examples, and strategies that resonated deeply with the audience. The session sparked lively reflection, highlighting the transformative impact of allyship when applied in everyday environments.
A key piece of advice I gave delegates was to go to more meetups, get involved and make connections. Using my position on the panel I wanted to share my experiences and demonstrate the practical ways individuals and organisations can create inclusive and supportive environment, while inspiring others to take an active role in collaboration and empowerment.
Advocacy isn’t just about speaking up once, it’s a continual effort to create space, amplify voices, and stand alongside others. Allyship and advocacy are about the small, everyday actions that build trust, encourage growth, and foster collaboration. The panel, and the conference, was a powerful reminder that when these values are practiced consistently and visibly, they transform not only individual careers but the culture of an entire industry.”
In the afternoon, attendees took part in an ideation workshop on the AI Gender Gap, led by Equal Experts. This session explored how bias shows up in AI and ways to encourage more women to engage with the technology. The discussions highlighted how many women lack confidence in using AI and when they do, they often distrust the outputs. One practical idea was to host “lunch and learn” sessions on AI prompt creation to help build confidence and improve outcomes.
This was followed by a Crisis Management exercise hosted by Sage, where participants were challenged to respond to a simulated ransomware attack. Acting as members of a crisis team, they had to think on their feet about both technical and non-technical responses. The interactive session created a realistic sense of urgency, shining a light on the complexities of managing such high-pressure incidents.
Throughout the day the mix of keynotes, panels, and workshops kept everyone engaged and sparked conversations that continued long after the event, which was a true testament to its impact.
Jo Larby, Accessibility Community Lead at Leighton recently attended the Empower Women in Tech conference where she joined the Power Together panel to discuss the role of allyship and advocacy.
This year Empower Women in Tech was held at Convene in Manchester, the event, dedicated to creating safe and supportive space, brought together technical experts and industry leaders to learn, develop and connect in a truly accessible way. Throughout the event attendees were encouraged to embrace vulnerability and explore growth opportunities confidently in a way that suited their unique tech journeys and empower others to do the same.
The theme for the day centred on stepping into the future with confidence, courage, and collective strength for women and underrepresented voices in tech.
The conference began with attendees sharing what they hoped to gain from the day, setting the tone for meaningful conversations and collective learning.
Personally, I wanted to meet and connect with new people, and that was more than fulfilled with a few surprise reunions along the way!
On the Powerful Together panel, we wanted to explore the importance of allyship and advocacy, as well as the support systems and practices that encourage collaboration over competition. The discussion was both practical and inspiring, with panellists sharing personal experiences, real-world examples, and strategies that resonated deeply with the audience. The session sparked lively reflection, highlighting the transformative impact of allyship when applied in everyday environments.
A key piece of advice I gave delegates was to go to more meetups, get involved and make connections. Using my position on the panel I wanted to share my experiences and demonstrate the practical ways individuals and organisations can create inclusive and supportive environment, while inspiring others to take an active role in collaboration and empowerment.
Advocacy isn’t just about speaking up once, it’s a continual effort to create space, amplify voices, and stand alongside others. Allyship and advocacy are about the small, everyday actions that build trust, encourage growth, and foster collaboration. The panel, and the conference, was a powerful reminder that when these values are practiced consistently and visibly, they transform not only individual careers but the culture of an entire industry.”
In the afternoon, attendees took part in an ideation workshop on the AI Gender Gap, led by Equal Experts. This session explored how bias shows up in AI and ways to encourage more women to engage with the technology. The discussions highlighted how many women lack confidence in using AI and when they do, they often distrust the outputs. One practical idea was to host “lunch and learn” sessions on AI prompt creation to help build confidence and improve outcomes.
This was followed by a Crisis Management exercise hosted by Sage, where participants were challenged to respond to a simulated ransomware attack. Acting as members of a crisis team, they had to think on their feet about both technical and non-technical responses. The interactive session created a realistic sense of urgency, shining a light on the complexities of managing such high-pressure incidents.
Throughout the day the mix of keynotes, panels, and workshops kept everyone engaged and sparked conversations that continued long after the event, which was a true testament to its impact.
Jo Larby, Accessibility Community Lead at Leighton recently attended the Empower Women in Tech conference where she joined the Power Together panel to discuss the role of allyship and advocacy.
This year Empower Women in Tech was held at Convene in Manchester, the event, dedicated to creating safe and supportive space, brought together technical experts and industry leaders to learn, develop and connect in a truly accessible way. Throughout the event attendees were encouraged to embrace vulnerability and explore growth opportunities confidently in a way that suited their unique tech journeys and empower others to do the same.
The theme for the day centred on stepping into the future with confidence, courage, and collective strength for women and underrepresented voices in tech.
The conference began with attendees sharing what they hoped to gain from the day, setting the tone for meaningful conversations and collective learning.
Personally, I wanted to meet and connect with new people, and that was more than fulfilled with a few surprise reunions along the way!
On the Powerful Together panel, we wanted to explore the importance of allyship and advocacy, as well as the support systems and practices that encourage collaboration over competition. The discussion was both practical and inspiring, with panellists sharing personal experiences, real-world examples, and strategies that resonated deeply with the audience. The session sparked lively reflection, highlighting the transformative impact of allyship when applied in everyday environments.
A key piece of advice I gave delegates was to go to more meetups, get involved and make connections. Using my position on the panel I wanted to share my experiences and demonstrate the practical ways individuals and organisations can create inclusive and supportive environment, while inspiring others to take an active role in collaboration and empowerment.
Advocacy isn’t just about speaking up once, it’s a continual effort to create space, amplify voices, and stand alongside others. Allyship and advocacy are about the small, everyday actions that build trust, encourage growth, and foster collaboration. The panel, and the conference, was a powerful reminder that when these values are practiced consistently and visibly, they transform not only individual careers but the culture of an entire industry.”
In the afternoon, attendees took part in an ideation workshop on the AI Gender Gap, led by Equal Experts. This session explored how bias shows up in AI and ways to encourage more women to engage with the technology. The discussions highlighted how many women lack confidence in using AI and when they do, they often distrust the outputs. One practical idea was to host “lunch and learn” sessions on AI prompt creation to help build confidence and improve outcomes.
This was followed by a Crisis Management exercise hosted by Sage, where participants were challenged to respond to a simulated ransomware attack. Acting as members of a crisis team, they had to think on their feet about both technical and non-technical responses. The interactive session created a realistic sense of urgency, shining a light on the complexities of managing such high-pressure incidents.
Throughout the day the mix of keynotes, panels, and workshops kept everyone engaged and sparked conversations that continued long after the event, which was a true testament to its impact.
Jo Larby, Accessibility Community Lead at Leighton recently attended the Empower Women in Tech conference where she joined the Power Together panel to discuss the role of allyship and advocacy.
This year Empower Women in Tech was held at Convene in Manchester, the event, dedicated to creating safe and supportive space, brought together technical experts and industry leaders to learn, develop and connect in a truly accessible way. Throughout the event attendees were encouraged to embrace vulnerability and explore growth opportunities confidently in a way that suited their unique tech journeys and empower others to do the same.
The theme for the day centred on stepping into the future with confidence, courage, and collective strength for women and underrepresented voices in tech.
The conference began with attendees sharing what they hoped to gain from the day, setting the tone for meaningful conversations and collective learning.
Personally, I wanted to meet and connect with new people, and that was more than fulfilled with a few surprise reunions along the way!
On the Powerful Together panel, we wanted to explore the importance of allyship and advocacy, as well as the support systems and practices that encourage collaboration over competition. The discussion was both practical and inspiring, with panellists sharing personal experiences, real-world examples, and strategies that resonated deeply with the audience. The session sparked lively reflection, highlighting the transformative impact of allyship when applied in everyday environments.
A key piece of advice I gave delegates was to go to more meetups, get involved and make connections. Using my position on the panel I wanted to share my experiences and demonstrate the practical ways individuals and organisations can create inclusive and supportive environment, while inspiring others to take an active role in collaboration and empowerment.
Advocacy isn’t just about speaking up once, it’s a continual effort to create space, amplify voices, and stand alongside others. Allyship and advocacy are about the small, everyday actions that build trust, encourage growth, and foster collaboration. The panel, and the conference, was a powerful reminder that when these values are practiced consistently and visibly, they transform not only individual careers but the culture of an entire industry.”
In the afternoon, attendees took part in an ideation workshop on the AI Gender Gap, led by Equal Experts. This session explored how bias shows up in AI and ways to encourage more women to engage with the technology. The discussions highlighted how many women lack confidence in using AI and when they do, they often distrust the outputs. One practical idea was to host “lunch and learn” sessions on AI prompt creation to help build confidence and improve outcomes.
This was followed by a Crisis Management exercise hosted by Sage, where participants were challenged to respond to a simulated ransomware attack. Acting as members of a crisis team, they had to think on their feet about both technical and non-technical responses. The interactive session created a realistic sense of urgency, shining a light on the complexities of managing such high-pressure incidents.
Throughout the day the mix of keynotes, panels, and workshops kept everyone engaged and sparked conversations that continued long after the event, which was a true testament to its impact.
