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AGENDA

Check out our 2024 conference agenda!

9:00 am 

Arrival & Registration

30 minutes

9:30 am

Welcome & Opening Remarks

15 minutes

10:15 am

"I've got the power": an intro to Power Platforms

As a student I thought I'd encountered everything Microsoft had to offer; I was very wrong. Microsoft Power Platforms was completely foreign territory to me; I had never considered app development before until a chance project opened my eyes to low / no code app development through Power Apps. From this my passion for Power Platforms has grown into a career. I want my talk to help introduce this suite of business intelligence applications to people who may not have considered app development before as they don't come from a technical background. I want to show people that low / no code options can help empower their clients to develop applications they can manage themselves. I will also be discussing the co-pilot and how it can be leveraged to elevate app development.

Niamh Quigley

15 minutes

10:30 am

Step Up Your Game - Simplifying Complex Workflows with AWS Step Functions

In the ever-evolving world of serverless architecture, managing complex systems can become a daunting task. Without proper management, dependencies between services such as lambdas can create bottlenecks and reduce efficiency. Throughout this talk I will walk through a real-world example of how we transformed a collection of lambdas that had growing complexity and dependencies on each other, with the use of AWS Step Functions. I will dive into the challenges we faced as our service grew and explore how we harnessed Step Functions to build better workflows, removing bottlenecks and streamlining the development process. Managing our serverless event orchestrations this way, has allowed us to isolate these services further from the rest of our product, opening up new business opportunities through the AWS Marketplace!

Chloe McAree

30 minutes

11:00 am

Visionary Women in Tech: Transforming Project Management with AI

This presentation aims to explore the following key areas:

1. Introduction to AI in Project Management: An overview of how AI technologies are currently being integrated into project management, including examples of AI tools and systems that are enhancing efficiency, decision-making, and predictive capabilities.

2. Future Trends and Predictions: An analysis of emerging trends in AI as they relate to project management. This section will also provide insights into future possibilities and how women can be at the forefront of these advancements.

3. Empowering the Next Generation: Strategies for encouraging more women to enter and thrive in tech fields, particularly in AI and project management. This includes mentorship, education, and community building initiatives.

4. Interactive Session: The presentation will conclude with an interactive Q&A session, encouraging dialogue and exchange of ideas among participants.

Participants will leave the presentation with an enriched understanding of how AI is revolutionizing project management, coupled with inspiration and actionable strategies from the successes and leadership of women in this evolving tech field.

Svitlana Samko

15 minutes

11:15 am

Group photo!
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5 minutes

11:20 am

Morning break

15 minutes

11:35 am

Reimagining Translink Digital Experience

Public transport is a crucial element that helps fulfil basic physiological needs. Be it for a resident in the local community or for a new person traveling to or moving into a new place, learning to use the public transport system can be a challenge if the service interface neglects user needs and pain points.

Motivated by our personal experiences with Translink service in Northern Ireland, we have tried to address the same. In this talk, we will be exploring quantitative and qualitative data surrounding user experience on the mLink app to take informed design decisions for a redesign of the app.

Reflective of the WTM Belfast's theme of the year - Impact the Future, this session is aspirational to the service enhancement of public transport in Northern Ireland. One key takeaway from the session is the implementation of design thinking to solve real life UX problem.

Mamina Shresthra
Rachael Aluko

30 minutes

12:05 pm

Addressing Algorithmic Bias: Fostering Fair and Inclusive Healthcare

The integration of AI algorithms into healthcare has revolutionized patient care, with the potential to improve diagnosis, treatment, and overall health outcomes. However, this transformative technology also introduces the risk of algorithmic bias, which can have detrimental consequences for patients and perpetuate existing health disparities.

What will be discussed:

- The dangers of algorithmic bias in healthcare, i.e. how bias can infiltrate AI algorithms and lead to unfair treatment of marginalized groups.

- How bias can arise from data collection to algorithm implementation, and how it can distort healthcare decisions and lead to disparities in care for diverse patients.

- Illustrate real-world implications of algorithmic bias in healthcare.

What the audience will learn:

- The significance of algorithmic bias in healthcare and its potential to harm patients.

- The dangers of biased AI algorithms, including misdiagnosis, delayed treatment, and poorer health outcomes for marginalized groups.

- The various ways in which bias can arise in healthcare algorithms, from data imbalances to flawed evaluation metrics.

Key Takeaways:

- Develop a comprehensive understanding of algorithmic bias in healthcare.

- Identify the potential sources of bias in AI algorithms.

- Become an advocate for responsible AI development and contribute to a healthier, more equitable future for all.

Marija Siddik

30 minutes

12:35 pm

Data for change

You can’t change what you can’t measure. At TechFoundHer we are data activists. We are on a mission to address the resourcing and funding gaps facing women tech entrepreneurs. We are data driven and aim to uncover hidden patterns, reveal inequalities, and push for meaningful solutions in relation to addressing the resources and funding gaps.

Data is a powerful leverage for change. It is a super power. Establishing the facts mean that you don’t simply have an opinion – you have insights and can make an impact and stir things up. Data is more than establishing the facts of the current situation it’s about transforming the status quo.

The use of data can - empower people by providing information, raise awareness, and hold those in power accountable. So what have we discovered about using Data for Change? We’ll share what we’ve been doing:

Establishing a baseline to track progress from.
Following the data - looking for answers, collating what’s there and identifying the gaps.
Calling for transparency.
Uncovering blurred definitions and ambiguities that mislead the message.
The power of data visualisation to tell a story

Máirín Murray

15 minutes

12:50 pm

A Lazy Engineer's Guide To Operational Health

Striking fear and dread into the hearts of engineers everywhere, the on-call notification sound is the last thing you want to hear at 3am on a Tuesday morning, but so many of us end up picking up that phone to deal with whatever issue our production environments are facing. We will explore how tools like operational metrics and service health visibility are an engineer’s best friend in preventing outages and customer escalations. We’ll take a look at strategies for improving operational health using a “work smarter, not harder” mindset, and how to get monitoring dashboards as habitual as turning on your computer in the morning.

Laura Kelly

30 minutes

1:20 pm

Lunch!

40 minutes

2:30 pm

Credit-Worthy Code - Writing Innovative Financial Logic with Python Smart Contracts
 
Have you ever looked at a banking product and thought 'wow that is exciting'? If you said yes, you probably have your finances in much better order than me - but apart from high-interest savings or a snazzy customizable debit card, they tend not to be too engaging, or so I once thought...

Thought Machine is a cloud-native core banking platform that has added a touch of pizzazz to the way we think about financial products, through the introduction of aptly-named 'Smart Contracts'. An intelligent Python solution to give banks complete control over product logic. Are you ready to redefine banking with code? Join me as we delve into cloud banking, postings and how to make yourself rich with your own cutting-edge banking products (you will have to find yourself a FinTech job and banking transformation project alongside this but that didn't sound as catchy) - viva la financial revolution!

Catherine Dodds

15 minutes

2:45 pm

Elevating Analytics by mastering the art of Data Storytelling

This presentation delves into a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of data analytics—the art of data storytelling. While analytics projects are often celebrated for their technical expertise, the final act of effectively communicating findings is equally vital. I will explore the pivotal role of data storytelling in ensuring that analytics projects not only uncover insights but also convey their significance to diverse stakeholders.
The key to data analysis is the output, the why. What did you find? Why is this analytics project important for the business? Which parts of the analysis are important for which stakeholders? How can you get a busy non-technical stakeholder to understand and use the findings? What is the potential impact of implementation of your analysis recommendations?
I will talk about the importance of marketing your data as a data analyst with no marketing experience. The audience will get quick win tips for how to elevate their data presentations through dashboards, PowerPoints, infographics and papers that will grab attention at all levels and help them to influence senior leaders through their work. I will also talk about consultancy soft-skills that go hand-in-hand with being a data analyst and how to effectively present data analytics with maximum impact.
Key Takeaways:
• Know your intended audience and adapt work or presentation to suit
• Keep it simple and clear (dashboards, insights, messaging)
• You don’t need complicated graphs – the basics often have the most impact
• It’s about you and your ability to influence – data analyst with soft skills
• In a world where Data Science, AI and Engineering are increasingly sexy, remember your role as a data analyst and storyteller pull all these other skills together!
 
Katie Willoughby

30 minutes

3:15 pm

From Newbie to Next Level: a Guide to Getting Good

Embark on a transformative journey with me as I unveil valuable insights from my personal trajectory as a Software Engineer, from a pandemic-initiated novice to career advancement. In this talk, I'll share pivotal tips and tricks that propelled my professional growth, transcending the basics. Join me as I demonstrate 10 impactful software tools (not just ChatGPT) designed to enhance your daily work life and elevate your technical capabilities. This isn't just a discussion; it's a practical guide for the audience to implement directly in their work routines. The call to action is clear: empower yourself with these tools and techniques to thrive in the dynamic tech environment. Whether remote or in-office, I'll demonstrate how adopting a mindset of continuous improvement can lead to lasting success, irrespective of your experience level.
 
Maisy Sinclair

30 minutes

3:45 pm

Afternoon Break

15 minutes

4:30 pm

The Power of Visual Storytelling: Transforming Data into Insights

In an era where data dominates, the ability to visualise and present business insights through data is a compelling skill that can revolutionise the way we communicate insights. This talk explores the profound impact of visual storytelling in the field of Data Analytics. From humanising complex data to creating memorable dashboards/reports, we delve into crafting narrative that resonate with our audience. By the end of this session, you will not only understand the significance of visual storytelling but also realise how your data can be transformed into a piece of story.

Key Takeaways:
There are a few components which builds and designs the entire data-story-
The Human Touch in Data: It is very important to understand the end-user thought process and then start working on the insights from data.
Crafting Clear Narratives: A clear narrative emphasises the ideology behind preparing the insights and gives a sense of reasoning to the user.
Designing Impressive Reports/Dashboards: Good choice of colours, layout, design, template, these are all directly proportional to the adherence the end-user has with the product.
Interactive Visuals: Use of Interactive visuals in dashboards leads our way through to achieving the best insightful story from the data.
Client-specific scenarios: Every dashboard/report is ever-changing and new when it is created for a specific client.
What will People walk away knowing:
The audience will have a concrete understanding on how visual storytelling is not just choosing charts/items from the visuals section in BI tools. They will know that an insightful dashboard is like a great dinner at your favourite restaurant, where you can order what you like and will be served with the exact dish the way you like it.
 
Meghna Singh

30 minutes

5:00 pm

Building your start-up 101
 
This talk is ideal for first-time Founders, together we’ll explore the journey of building a tech start-up.

From the perspective of a non-engineering Founder, this won’t be a tech heavy discussion and should support Founders from all disciplines.

This talk will take us from Ideation to our first sale, we’ll touch on UX, Opensource engineering, no code solutions and building your brand awareness.

Your key takeaways will include:
• Getting to know your users
• Understanding Product Market Fit
• Picking your techstack and controlling engineering budgets
• The power of building in public
• Attracting investment via grants and equity
• Managing your wellbeing and accessing startup networks for support

Jemma Simpson

30 minutes

5:30 pm

Closing Remarks
 
10 minutes

After party!

Join us at Post House, Botanic for some food and drinks at our after party!
 

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