Session: Daring to be Different
Do you want to break barriers as a minority in tech? Do you want to learn from someone who went from being a misfit to a global leader? Do you want to hear some real talk on how you can do it?
Then join Raji Rajagopalan for her talk where she will share the top skills that helped her thrive in a 20-year career in tech. She will explore the insights from her book "Daring to be Different: Stories and Tips from a Woman Leader in Tech" and draw on her lessons from her own unique career journey.
This talk will help you learn how to adapt and excel in changing times. You will:
- Learn about Raji's journey of going from an introverted immigrant and a woman of color in the technology industry to a global leader in a Fortune 50 company
- Understand how you can use your unique story as a source of power and inspiration
- Explore the eight skills that are essential for leadership in tech
- Learn practical tips and tools to navigate the changing times in the tech industry
Bio
In her day job, Raji Rajagopalan is a Partner Director of Software Engineering at Microsoft. Her journey in tech started two decades ago, working for a software company in Canada. Over the last two decades, her work has spanned building startups, growing global teams, and creating products used by more than a billion customers. She has worked with over fifty entrepreneurs to bootstrap their own social enterprises. As a leader, her mission is to build diverse, innovative teams that do outstanding work, where every employee feels like they belong and can make a difference in their own lives and in the world.
Raji mentors young professionals and sponsors many Diversity and Inclusion efforts in her organization. She has run large teams of software engineers across five countries and four continents. She is often called an inspiration and a role model to underrepresented professionals and immigrants, especially women of color. She is regularly invited to speak at conferences globally on topics ranging from technology to women's issues to career progression.
Raji is the author of the bestselling book "Daring to be Different: Stories and Tips from a Woman Leader in Tech" (www.rajiraj.com/daring). Raji has published her writing in magazines such as Herizons, India Currents, and Khabar, and she is a regular writer on her blog. In her spare time, Raji loves traveling, photography, and books. You can learn more about her on her website www.rajiraj.com.