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WTM 2018

Friday 13th - Saturday 14th April 2018

Speakers

HEATHER MCNAMEE

Open Source Changed My Life and It Can Change Yours Too

Open Source Software communities offer a chance to get involved, get experience, and build connections. In this talk I’ll show you how and why you should get involved in open source.
I started using open source software when I worked for a not-for-profit. I was self-taught, and spent a lot of time saying how I didn’t really know anything (read: imposter syndrome.) That is, until my local Drupal community staged an intervention and forced me to get out and apply for a job in a tech field. It has been a whirlwind experience.
I’ll be focusing on the web development roadmap and the related technologies and communities. It’s what I know best and I know there are lots of excellent communities you can tap into. Bonus: the toolchains and software required to get started are free, and everything works in your browser.
In this talk we’ll look at:

What opportunities are available
What avenues you might like to explore
What open source projects need
How to spot good open source communities
Example newcomer programs in some fab communities
Tips on how to avoid burnout

JOAN MCALEER

Leading a Software Delivery Team to Success

This talk is a crash course in leading agile development teams not just as a tech lead or project manager but leadership skills the entire team can exercise.

CLAIRE WILGAR

Accessibility for Everyone

Do you think about accessibility when building your product? Have you ever had a look but not been sure how to get started?
Claire’s talk highlights not only why accessibility is important, but worth considering from the start of a project, as well as explaining how this approach will make your life easier as the project develops. It also goes through the initial steps you should take during the design and development stages to make sure your project is accessible.

BRENDA HUTCHINSON

A Female Perspective of Architecture

I’ll describe my role, what it entails on a day to day basis. How my role is changing as our company is trying to drive agile working practices and innovation. How the job differed from my initial perception. And the skills that I think have differentiated me from the boys.

GILLIAN MCCANN

Conversation as Code:Building an Enterprise Digital Assistant

Its relatively simple to create a chatbot in the AWS console but for many enterprise companies everything must be created through code. Conversation as Code explains how we at Liberty Mutual built an extendable Digital Assistant for its 50,000 global employees with Amazon Lex and a Serverless Architecture.

This talk will provide a holistic view as to what it takes to deliver a complex open domain bot to production. I will explore concepts such as:

Bot CI/CD through multiple AWS Accounts.
Rapid Build & Deploy of Conversation and Bots.
Contextual Conversation personalized to the Employee.
Chat Stream Analytics to provide real time insight.
Bot Ops

CLAIRE BURN

How to be a Time-Travelling Productivity Wizard Whilst Working

I'll give a short talk on productivity, stress, pressure and the general tech industry's view on work ethic. I'll also give a short intro explaining why I do the things I do, and how that creates a positive energy feedback loop, and the importance of taking a step back and knowing when things are becoming too much to handle. It's important to have a supportive network of colleagues and friends to help you through the tough times.

DEEPA MANN-KLER

Making Pain Fun with VR/AR

"Making Pain Fun" - explore incredible possibilities of virtual and augmented reality on impacting lives in a positive way and how it can actively rewire and successfully distract people from pain. Share the development of BreatheVR and Whack A Mo - two apps currently in development - one VR and one AR.

DESY KIRSTIANTI

Middleware Integrations: An Innovative Approach to Connecting Enterprise Applications

In large enterprises it is not surprising for them to have multiple applications in their technical architecture serving different purposes. It goes without saying that these applications would have to talk to each other in achieving their goals and ensuring all data are synchronised across systems. Traditionally this is done via point-to-point integration. However middleware tools such as Dell Boomi and MuleSoft can serve as an Integration Platform as a Service (iPaas). They facilitate building a network of applications that communicate with each other in a robust and powerful way. Come along to find out more about how it works and see it live in action.

RACHEL MCKANE

The Science of Where

The Science of Where? A whistle stop tour of the history of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), their many applications, the technology and jobs in the industry.

GOSIA PYTEL

I'm a Design Thinker - What's Your Superpower?

Awaken your superpower of design thinking! Whatever the reasons may be if you’re not in the design thinking supporters club… you need to up your game!
Design thinking is a problem-solving methodology that taps into the creativity and humanity of people. Its humanity, eagerness to learn, and acceptance of failure makes it a unique superpower for anyone.
Let me show you what that superpower entails, via real-world examples of how and why it worked. I’ll show you real products and services that were created following design thinking. Let me take this opportunity to scout any skeptic to my design thinking supporters club!
No waxing poetics with me, just facts. Become a superhero!

ANNA SZABELSKA

Utilising Tech within Psychology

I'll share my ideas on how we can utilize tech in the less obvious field, such as cognition, and even more widely - in psychology. (I will do that by sharing my story on how I convinced my supervisor that it's not the middle ages anymore and we can actually use machines in our research.)

RACHEL GAWLEY

Emerging Tech and Rule Bending

I'm a CTO actively developing tech. I've been developing tech for 18 years, commercially for 15. I started a small company from nothing, we now have Medical Tech products being clinically trialled. Our recent space is immersive tech. I'' cover my career - how I ended up where I am now (the good, the bad and the ugly bits).