Beyond the Build: The Business of Technical Leadership

Technical excellence meets business impact. An evening of conversations, insights and connection with inspiring women technologists shaping executive impact and influence.

Presented in partnership between WAAC and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Sponsored by First Tech Federal Credit Union.

EVENT DESCRIPTION:

What does it actually take to climb to the top of a technical career — and hold your footing once you're there? The path is steep enough alone. It's steeper still when you're also expected to bring others up with you. But there's more room than ever to lead, unapologetically, on your own technical terms.

From quantum computing to robotics, from chip design to mathematical modeling — the most impactful technical careers aren't built on expertise alone. They're built on business acumen. On the soft skills that only come from experience. On knowing how to translate deep technical work into business outcomes, advocate for its value (and your own), navigate the strategic conversations that shape careers, and grow into leadership without losing the technical edge that got you there.

Join us for an unfiltered panel conversation with senior women technologists — scientists, engineers, architects, and technical leaders — who've navigated exactly this path. They'll share how they built their careers, the pivots that mattered, and what they wish they'd known sooner. Come for the insight. Stay for the community.

This event is proudly sponsored by First Tech Federal Credit Union, a longtime partner in building Oregon's technology talent pipeline. First Tech's support makes it possible for TAO to bring this caliber of conversation — and this level of access to senior technical leaders — directly to our community at no cost to attendees.

WHAT YOU’LL GAIN:
How to turn technical depth into measurable business impact you can champion

Real stories of why these leaders chose the technical path — and how that choice became a career

How to pursue technical roles while staying on the bleeding edge

The specific skills that accelerate the jump from contributor to leader

Strategies for navigating being "the only" or "the first" — and building the path for who comes next

Honest, unfiltered lessons from setbacks, reinventions, and unexpected turns

How to build sponsorship, visibility, and allies across your organization