The HERd Conference 2023

Keynote Speaker, Shola Kaye

Shola Kaye is the author of two books and an award-winning international speaker on Communication, Inclusive Leadership, and Empathy at Work, including TedX. She’s passionate about helping organizations create an atmosphere of belonging for their people. When a workplace is fully inclusive and welcoming, amazing things happen. People are transformed into leaders. Teams and groups perform better. Everyone gains. Shola’s work has appeared in a variety of industry journals, she’s a LinkedIn Learning instructor, and her clients include The United Nations and Deloitte.

“When individuals have the confidence and tools to share their brilliance, amazing things happen.”

Keynote Host, Andrea Goulet

Andrea Goulet is on a mission to integrate empathy into the tech industry. As a sought-after keynote speaker, she is best known for making empathy accessible to analytical skeptics who code. Andrea is the Co-Founder and former CEO of Corgibytes, where she has spent more than a decade creating a corporate culture based on using empathy to effectively modernize complex legacy systems. Through her online courses, Andrea has taught over 50,000 students how to turn “soft” skills, like empathy and communication, into software skills. Andrea’s current projects include Heartware, a niche training company she co-founded; Empathy-Driven Software Development, her forthcoming book; and Empathy in Tech, an online community where code and compassion connect.

“We don’t code for the compiler. We code for people. All code is communication and empathy is a technical skill.”

Fundraising for Girls Who Code

Girls Who Code is a nonprofit organization that aims to close the gender gap in technology and empower young women to pursue careers in computer science and other STEM fields. Founded in 2012, Girls Who Code has reached over 500 million people through its programs and initiatives. The organization offers a range of programs, from after-school clubs to summer immersion camps, to help girls gain the skills, confidence, and community they need to succeed in tech. Girls Who Code also works to advocate for policies that support gender equality in the tech industry and beyond. Through its efforts, Girls Who Code is helping to create a more diverse and inclusive future for the technology industry.

Tackling diversity at the education level is a crucial part of creating change and making tech a more inclusive space in the future. We’re fundraising for Girls Who Code at the HERd Conference 2023 by asking attendees to donate the cost of a ticket to the organization if they enjoy the event.