Why the Women in Tech Keynote, Panels, and Networking Were Big Hits at Community Summit 2022

On Day 2 of Community Summit North America, the Women in Tech session took place on the Legends Stage in the Expo Hall. Hundreds of attendees filled every seat as well as the standing room to hear from the keynote and panel discussion.

Gayle Keller (right) delivered her powerful keynote “Sustainable Empowerment: Taking Calculated Risks in Your Career.” She covered topics including allyship, gender bias, imposter syndrome, closing the gender gap, achieving sustainable empowerment, and how to take calculated risks.

Cathy Richards-Ingram (left) is the audio-visual engineer of Avalara as well as the co-chair for the Women of Avalara. She shared her story of how she took a big leap from being a dancer then entered the technology field later in her career and talked about how to foster community and relationships in the workplace. Sitting on the right is Vertex Channel Sales Manager Ann D’Emilio.

Jennifer Harris (left) is the founder and CEO of Technology Management Concepts (TMC). Sitting next to Avalara’s Cathy Richards-Ingram, Harris displayed her passion for Women in Tech during the panel discussion, explaining what it means to be an ally for women, support an inclusive workspace, and bring awareness to unconscious bias.

Ann D’Emilio is the channel sales manager of Vertex. She shared a personal experience when she took a calculated risk after seeing an opportunity and had encouragement from an ally; she said that taking that risk has led to her being the happiest she has ever been in a career.

After the Women in Tech session concluded, there was a period for networking and connecting with other attendees. Women in attendance were emotionally moved, expressing how much the topics covered resonated with them. Many shared that the session truly inspired them, as they left feeling empowered to take risks that they had been hesitant to make.

Photos by James Kovacs, Onward Productions