Insights into the #wetechtogether conference

Last month, I had the pleasure of attending the 6th edition of the #wetechtogether conference, a two-
day event organised by TechFace that took place in Zurich. Priska Burkard, co-founder and Managing Director at TechFace, played a key role in bringing the event to life, which aimed to empower women in tech and provide a platform for learning, networking, and collaboration. The conference featured insightful talks, and focused on knowledge sharing, practical workshops, and community building. A brief summary of the schedule:

Day 1: Hidden Figures Award Ceremony

The first day of the conference was all about recognition and celebration. Four awards were presented, for categories Non-Profit, Startup/Innovation, Empowered Woman, and the Audience Award for Diversity Ally. Alongside the awards, speakers included Dr. Fungai Mettler (MSD), Lisa Weinzierl (Swiss Post), Corina Schedler (42 Zurich), and Anais Salson (42 Zurich).

Day 2: Conference Day

The second day was all about activities aimed at career development and skills enhancement. The day started with a keynote from Tanja Vainio (Schneider Electric), followed by workshops and knowledge sessions, and a break for some time to browse the exhibition hall. Knowledge sessions covered topics like using AI to combat social media threats, deepfake detection, and tackling environmental challenges. Finally, the evening was wrapped up with a panel on allyship, featuring experts like Eugenia Bajet Mestre (University of St. Gallen), Martina Niggli (Hello 50:50 World), and Marc Maurer (MittLiv). Follow this link for a full schedule.

Personal insights

I first heard about the conference on the Radio – specifically, SRF. I didn’t think to take it seriously at first, as one might react to radio ads – until looking it up online. Even the low pricing of the tickets seemed too good to be true. But that low pricing must have been due to the overwhelming amount of sponsors and the desire by TechFace (the event organiser) to keep the event accessible.

I remember my first contact with Puzzle was my attendance at the workshop «Women in Tech: Diversität als Erfolgsfaktor» by Werkplatz Égalité, which at the time was hosted in the Puzzle office in Bern. The topics discussed and the contributions by colleagues played an integral part in my decision to join Puzzle. It felt fitting that, one year later, I was once again immersed in that subject area (although it is, of course, always in the back of my mind).

I have to admit, I went to the conference with zero expectations, which definitely helped to calm my nerves. As I was attending by myself and not as part of a group, I was worried I might not get the chance to network much. Needless to say, that worry dissipated quite quickly – I noticed many others who had attended by themselves, and it didn’t take long to strike up a conversation. On day 1, I connected with a woman who had travelled to the event from Germany with the same motivations as me: curiosity and drive, openness, and willingness to learn. She was an IT Strategy Manager who had recently switched to the tech domain. I also connected with two women pursuing quantum physics PhDs, who mentioned that they attended out of curiosity, to get a sense of career opportunities and the job market.

On day 2, I attended the Zürcher Kantonalbank coding dojo: «an interactive workshop aimed at women who want to improve their coding skills in a collaborative and supportive environment». The workshop was open to all skill levels, and we worked together in small groups, with a focus on solving the task together. Throughout this experience, I was able to interact with many more women, and hear their backgrounds and motivations for working in tech. One thing in particular that stood out to me was that many of us were career switchers into tech, and therefore, our academic background had a broad range. During our teamwork, we came to the conclusion that there are many ways to solve a problem – and one way is not inherently better than another. Most importantly, I got the impression that we all learned something new that day.

In addition to the coding dojo, the workshop organizers also provided information on Code Excursion, a non-profit organization aiming to get women with any background interested in programming. The organization provides web development courses «For women* from women» in Zurich and St.Gallen, with plans to expand to other locations. They offer a pay-what-you-can model, which further supports accessibility and inclusivity.

Edith Schnapper, winner of the Empowered Woman award, leads the Swiss TecLadies Mentoring Program, which pairs girls and young women aged 14-19 with female mentors in scientific and technical fields. Through her extensive STEM network, she provides support and resources for young women, fostering a strong community of mentors and mentees. Edith’s work is bridging gaps and encouraging a new wave of female talent in STEM. After winning the award, her statement resonated with me: «We’re giving young women and girls support to pursue their passion and their talents [in tech], but my dream is that one day my job is obsolete. […] We need programs like Swiss TecLadies and we will keep doing them, but I know one day I won’t have to be on this stage anymore, because it will be normal for everyone to thrive in those fields and for women to have a seat at the table. Not only that, but they will lead the conversation.»

During the speech given by Anais and Corine from 42 Zurich and 42 Lausanne, Anais also shared some advice that stuck with me: she had been tasked to organise a Women in Fintech event, despite having limited experience in the field. As a result, she reached out to the community on LinkedIn, asking, «Who knows women in Fintech?» – receiving hundreds of replies. Anais voiced her frustration with the lack of female representation at events, often hearing the excuse, «We couldn’t find any.» She emphasised the importance of leveraging your connections to include women in tech spaces. Her message was clear: it’s not hard to reach out and find women in tech – you just need to use your network.

Closing thoughts

A shared experience between me and the women I met is that we were all asked about our motivations for attending this conference. Even by our colleagues – a general sense of: «But why? Are you missing something? You don’t have any issues in your daily work environment.» Often followed by, «It sounds too vague for me – not enough technical depth, too much focus on personal experiences.» And we all came to the same conclusion: it means a lot to just be there. To get that sense of community.To understand that, there are other people like you out there, with similar backgrounds – both personal and career-wise. In a male-dominated industry as tech still is, this is vital. I want to understand how others navigate the tech world as women. What their experiences have been. If I want deeper technical insights, I can attend specialised conferences or participate in workshops.

I also noticed that while the conference focused on women in tech, there were few men in attendance.
For diversity and inclusion to really succeed, it’s vital that these conversations involve people of all
genders, not just men and women, but also non-binary and genderqueer individuals. Encouraging
gender inclusivity in all its forms is key to building a more balanced and equitable tech community
where everyone, regardless of gender identity, has a seat at the table. This experience has definitely
motivated me to engage more in the community – to support others, and to keep making tech a more
inclusive space for all.

Useful Links

WeTechTogether Conference
Code Excursion
Swiss TecLadies Mentoring Program