Fosterly had DC techies abuzz with their conference in January. New networking opportunities? Check. Speakers from Facebook and Google X? Double check. Sponsorship from Tesla? Ooh, fancy.
Digital District scored tickets, so you know we were there taking notes and passing out business cards. Below, I geek out on my favorite moments from the event.
Thursday: Kickoff party
On Thursday night before the conference, Collaborate held a kickoff party at the top floor of 1812 in Rosslyn. The posh venue overlooked the DC skyline, and Collaborate’s signature blue color, drenched the seemingly empty room.
They might have gone a little overboard with the blue theme. Case in point: there was an azure tinted cotton candy/ Prosecco atrocity that made its way onto the cocktail list, simply because it’s blue. I can’t imagine another reason why it’d be on there. It was gross. But hey, open bar!
That drink is not blue because of the ambient light. It’s blue because it’s sad it exists.
But there were perks that outweighed the tooth-rotting drinks. The best swag I got there, or possibly at any networking, ever, was a personalized flipbook, courtesy of .
They film you for six seconds, then print out each frame, cut the images, staple them together and hand the finished product to you five to ten minutes later — lickety-split. So yeah, it was like an analog gif. My boyfriend and I made one, and the result was awesome.
Let’s not forget Swatchroom, which flaunted a modern art masterpiece that everyone lined up to snap a selfie with. Here I am, doing Digital District proud.
Taking care of business at 's kickoff, featuring
— Digital District ()
Friday: Day 1 of Collaborate
The first day of the actual conference had a much better turnout than the kickoff party. Collaborate even upped their decoration game. The conference center at the Ronald Regan building was lined with deluxe banners and smack dab of the middle was the gem of the event: a brand new Tesla.
Much to his resistance, I snapped a picture of Digital District’s president, Elliot Volkman, in the Tesla. So boss.
The Tesla looks good on prez
— Digital District ()
“How to Fail Doing Agile” Workshop
This workshop was actually a happy accident. I was supposed to attend another seminar, but it was rescheduled at the last minute. Tsk tsk, something to work on for next year, Collaborate.
So, I attended the How to Fail Doing Agile workshop instead, run by , (President, Agilious). Since I arrived late, I missed a few important details, like what a scrum is, which was the main topic of the lecture. It doesn’t help that I’m a tech newbie, so all I had on my mind were rugby scrums.
But thanks to deductive reasoning and a quick Google search, I discovered that a scrum is an IT strategy used to develop products. Or in other words, make shit happen.
Ideally, Manjit advises there should be no more than five to nine people on a scrum. What’s more, for it to be a well-functioning scrum, there should be regular coaching, training and mentoring. The most effective method is to hold weekly 15-minute scrum meetings to discuss who’s responsible for implementing which tasks and who’s responsible for managing which processes.
But, whatever you do, “don’t cancel scrum meetings,” Manjit says, “because [your employees] won’t think it’s important.” Just as crucial, make sure anytime you do have a scrum meeting, it has a clear purpose. In other words, don’t have meetings just to say you’re having meetings. Your employees’ time is important, too.
As helpful as the advice was, my favorite part was the outlets at each seat. Such a plus when you’re live-tweeting a conference all day.
Aw yiss.
Fangirling at the Women in Tech Panel
Men outnumber women in the tech and STEM fields — we know this. That’s why it didn’t surprise me that I was outnumbered at Collaborate, too. Even weirder, as I was networking during a break, I looked around there were no women anywhere to be found. I couldn’t have been the only woman at Collaborate. So, where did they all go?
Shortly after this realization, I ventured into a forum without obvious signage (again, something to work on next year, Collaborate). I had no idea what the forum was at first, but I took a seat anyway. Turns out, that’s where all the women were.
I soon found out why. The three speakers, Erin Andrew (Assistant Administrator, US Small Business Association), (Founding Member, US Digital Service) and (Code for America), were all discussing the gender gap in Silicon Valley.
“Society is training girls from a young age not to be persistent” I quoted in my notepad, “and we need to teach them not to be.” I underlined the last part three times. “Yes!” I thought to myself. “They get it!” I knew I had wandered into the right place. It might be cliché to say this forum was empowering, but I’ll be damned to say it wasn’t.
So, what are tech- and STEM-focused women supposed to do when they’re starting out in a male-dominated field? Find a mentor to start you on your path, then find a sponsor to help you along the way.
And if you feel insecure or like you don’t belong? “Fake it ‘till you make it,” the panelists agreed. Aliya Rahman even admitted that most the time people at the top are just winging it. So, don’t let self-doubt stand in your way. Becoming a pro takes years of practice and, more importantly, taking the risk in the first place.
"It's not about being a genius, it's about devoting your time to something"
— Digital District ()
One of the most surprising revelations came from a man from the audience who was a hiring manager. He said even if a man and woman are equally qualified for a position, women are less likely to market themselves for how amazing they are in their resumes and interviews. That, unfortunately, can cost them the job.
Men, on the other hand, aren’t bashful at all when it comes to bragging about their expertise. In other words, ladies, if you want that job, don’t be modest — flaunt it. You deserve it.
Saturday: Day 2 of Collaborate
If you’re searching for Day 2 of my Collaborate highlights, don’t bother — you won’t find any.
Not for slacking or skipping out, no. I had a sinus infection and missed out on all the fun. Boo, I know. But shaking hands with dozens of strangers, then walking home in the freezing rain will do that. At least there’s next year.
Want more #CollaborateDC highlights? Read the rest of my coverage at .
