Celebrating Innovation and Empowerment: A Recap of International Women's Day 2024 - Impact the Future

TL;DR: GDG Central Florida, GDG Space Coast, and WTM Ambassadors' International Women's Day event, "Impact the Future," was a day filled with inspiring talks from industry leaders at the forefront of AI and technology. The event not only celebrated the impact of Women Techmakers but also fostered promising connections between attendees, demonstrating the power of community and innovation.

• Inspiring talks on AI, STEM education, and creative thinking.

• A sneak peek at a presentation on Workflows and Generative AI by Mete Atamel of Google.

• STEAMDivas empowering young women to lead the robotics revolution.

• A lively discussion on human creativity vs. AI with Kim Morrow Design.

• Networking opportunities and, of course, pancakes!

By Javi

This past Saturday, Apr 6, GDG community gathered at The Studio at Violet's Garage in Kissimmee, FL, to celebrate International Women's Day 2024 with an event themed "Impact the Future." It was a day to remember, surrounded by the vibrant atmosphere of sculpture, leatherwork, and paintings, where innovation and creativity met at every corner.

Empowering Women in Tech

Christi Kapp, presenting her talk on the importance of Women Tech Makers.

The event kicked off with a warm welcome from Christi Kapp, our esteemed GDG CF Leader and the visionary behind The Studio at Violet's Garage opened the event. Christi is not just a Technical Management Consultant but a beacon of creative thinking and leadership in technology. Her welcoming speech was more than just a greeting; it was a call to action, highlighting the importance of Women TechMakers in driving change within the tech world.

Pancake Bot, making pancakes.

She also fueled our brains with delicious food – complete with pancakes made by a Pancake Bot!

Amanda Soto, presenting her talk on Women in K-12 STEM & Leadership.

Amanda (Betlow) Soto, Assistant Principal at the School District of Osceola County, shared valuable insights into 'Women in K-12 STEM & Leadership.' Her talk was a profound reminder of the roles of access, exposure, and inspiration in empowering women to take up leadership roles in STEM. She highlighted the importance of encouraging young girls in these fields.

Candice Shields, discussing the offerings at TechCentral.

Candice Shields, Zone Manager for the Osceola Library System, introduced us to TechCentral, a fantastic creative space at the Osceola Library where people can explore 3D printing, VR headsets, and more - all for free!

Building the Future with AI

Mete Atamel, presenting his talk on Orchestrating generative AI with Workflows.

Our very own Mete Atamel, Developer Relations Engineer at Google, beamed in all the way from London to give us a world premiere presentation before the Las Vegas Google's Cloud Next '24 conference on "Orchestrate generative AI with Workflows." His talk explored the potential of using Workflows to streamline generative AI calls within Vertex AI. He showed us how you can effortlessly orchestrate and parallelize generative AI calls, creating a map-reduce style workflow for summarizing large amounts of text.

Chioma Aso, inspiring young women in STEM.

Chioma Aso, Founder of STEAMDivas Inc., captivated the audience with her talk, "STEAMDivas: Inspiring Girls to Lead the Robotics Revolution." Chioma is passionate about empowering young women in STEM fields and shared her mission to shape a future where women play a pivotal role in technological advancements.Her message was clear: the future belongs to those who dare to dream and create, emphasizing the importance of diversity in technology's evolution.

Human Creativity vs. AI

Kim Morrow, explored the intricate dance between human creativity and AI.

Kimberly (Kim) Morrow Design, a UX & Content Design Strategist and facilitator extraordinaire, led a thought-provoking discussion on "Not Replaceable Yet: Human Creativity vs. AI." Kim explored the concept of creative thinking as a skill that can be nurtured and challenged the idea that AI will ever replace human ingenuity. Through engaging discussions and exercises, she challenged us to consider our role in shaping the future alongside AI.

A contemplative exploration of creativity in the age of AI.

Her discussion referenced the intriguing painting 'Untitled' by Kerry James Marshall, sparking a conversation about perception and identity, and how AI might sometimes misunderstand these concepts.

Building Connections and Looking Forward

A snapshot of the vibrant community at Impact the Future, GDG Central Florida's International Women's Day 2024 event.

The event wasn't all talks and presentations! We also had ample time for networking, making connections with fellow tech enthusiasts, and pancakes crafted by a pancake bot. You can relive all the amazing moments from IWD 2024 by checking out our photo album: photos.app.goo.gl/wAaXtLTwkbGiPoT3A

To all our speakers, attendees, and collaborators, thank you for making "Impact the Future" a truly memorable event.

Stay tuned for more exciting events by following us at googledevsflorida.blogspot.com!

¡Hasta la próxima!