October 30, 2018
Valtech is proud to be sponsoring the first ever 2018 #MoveTheDial Global Summit on November 7th in Toronto, Canada. The event aims to create a future where all women can thrive in tech. Trailblazing women leaders will discuss strategies, tactics, ideas, and tools for advancing women with future and other current members of the tech industry.
Valtech has been a long-time supporter of advancing women in technology. Recently, Valtech North America expanded Valtech’s Tech_Girl program and plans to continue it into the future. The program introduces young girls aged 9-13 to the world of coding and hopes to empower them with the skills and confidence to pursue their interests and passions, including, if they so choose, a future career in the tech space.
Allison Abraham Simpkins, SVP North America, Managing Director of Valtech Toronto and North American program leader of Tech_Girl is a big proponent of advancing women in the technology and innovation space. She points out that women are traditionally underrepresented in tech, which becomes apparent at conferences, mentioning that many women in tech “have really felt like we’ve been to conferences and there’s been a handful of women.” The 2018 #MoveTheDial Global Summit is sure to be an event where women are more than well-represented, but feel seen and empowered to learn and grow.
When it comes to advancing women in tech, Simpkins continues by saying, “We (women and men) are only going to be able to get more participation of women in technology and more leadership positions for women in technology by creating awareness, starting mentorship and sponsorship programs, and beginning initiatives within our own companies that allow everyone to participate in moving the dial.”
She considers the business perspective of moving the dial explaining, “In our industry, we’re trying to create engaging customer experiences. If you take commerce for instance, women hold 83% of the purchasing power. So, if we don’t have the voice of women to be able to speak to what our customers want, how are we going to create amazing customer experiences? It’s statistically proven that diversity creates a return on investment, and that it’s a business imperative at this point. It’s really about ensuring that the voices are heard, that women are represented, and that we can actually speak to good customer experience.”
The #MoveTheDial Global Summit will be a time for women to connect, learn from others’ challenges and successes, and share insights.
For more information about this exciting sold out event and to register for the livestream, visit #MoveTheDial.