It’s been a while since I updated this blog, and as I have just had a GREAT weekend meeting and listening to some of the most exceptional women in computing, I thought it might be time for a blog update.

This weekend, I attended ONCWIC, the Ontario Celebration of Women in Computing, modeled after the famous Grace Hopper Celebration that takes place in the States every year. ONCWIC is a regional conference that brings together Ontarian women in computing, providing inspiring talks, workshops, and a space for them to meet, learn and have fun! This year’s conference was held at the Waterloo University. It was my first time attending (and first time in the city of Waterloo!).

Day 1 of the conference consisted of a very nice dinner at the Tannery in Waterloo, followed by a keynote speech by Axonify‘s CEO, Carol Leaman.

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Leaman’s talk was filled with funny anecdotes throughout her career (including a bit about a fraud guy who referred to himself as “G6”, long before the song came out). Throughout her the talk, her message was to believe in yourself (“I believe. If somebody else can do it, why not me?”) and take things as they come (“You just kinda have to roll with it and expect good things to happen. There’s only so much you can plan”). I thought it was refreshing to hear someone talk about how their success wasn’t carefully planned, but rather came out of a progression of things that was driven by a strong self-belief. It was a great way to cap things off for the night.

All in all, a great talk and a great dinner spent catching up with old friends and making some new ones! 🙂