Due to some unforeseen technical difficulties, we will be hosting the in-person component at the Shopify office at 620 King St West, level 14.

 

QueerTech, Women Techmakers and OUT at Shopify are proud to present "Cracking the Silicon Valley North Ceiling: Tackling Challenges Faced by Women and Non-Binary People in Tech", a Queer Women + Nonbinary in Tech Lunch & Afternoon happening on September 29th from 12:00 pm to 3:30 pm at Accenture's office at 40 King St W Suite #32M-251 (Tkaronto room), Toronto. Registration is required for both in person and live streaming access. Limited spaces are available on a first come, first served basis.

There will be a light lunch, panel & networking session where we will discuss and learn more about the challenges and barriers for women and non-binary folk in tech. We will be handing out swag and giveaways from a queer Shopify merchant to in-person attendees. Thank you to our host sponsor Accenture and our presenting partners, Women Techmakers and OUT at Shopify, for making this event possible. See you soon!

 

THINGS TO NOTE ABOUT THE EVENT:

• Space is limited so please be sure to get your ticket for this event soon.

• Please stay home if you are feeling sick.

• We will be serving light food and non-alcoholic drinks.

• This event will be photographed and recorded.

• By registering for this event, you hereby agree to QueerTech's Event Terms & Conditions.

 

MEET OUR PANELISTS:

Za Ali (she/her) is a proud Polynesian lesbian in Vancouver, BC, originally from Aotearoa, New Zealand. She leads a team of 15 advisors in Singapore and Canada for Shopify, and is also the Talent and Professional Development Lead globally for Shopify's OUT ERG.

 

Daniella Bellaire (she/her) is a go-to-market executive with experience building teams and growing revenue at companies like Shopify ($70B valuation) and 7shifts (Softbank $80M Series C). Daniella has had the pleasure of building and scaling revenue engines in both startup and large high-growth mission-driven SaaS/tech companies. Today Daniella is Chief Revenue Officer at Diversio, a first Round and Golden Ventures-backed company. Diversion is the #1 DEI platform on the planet for HR and DEI teams helping companies build more inclusive workplaces. She lives in the Toronto Beach community with her wife Amber, daughter Penelope, and their dog Teddy.

Lucile Nihlen (she/her) has worked at Google for over 13 years, serving in a variety of roles across the company. She's contributed code and engineering leadership to YouTube, Chrome, Daydream, Android TV, and Cloud. Before Google she worked on serious games. She's currently focused on compilers and programming languages, and serves as the Tech Lead for Google's production C++ compiler toolchain. In her spare time she likes to tinker with code and video games, exercise, cook and bake, and hang out with her wife and their dogs and cats.

Negar Farjadnia (she/her) is Avanade’s Lead for Security practice in Canada. She is responsible for driving Avanade Security consulting business and being the leading cybersecurity experts in the Microsoft ecosystem.

Negar has served as a board member for Pink Triangle Press since 2015, where she advises the board on technology and security. She is the Canada lead for the LGBTQ+ Employee Network (Prism) as well as an active contributor and panelist to other Employee Networks.  Negar has been named Canada's top woman in Cybersecurity in 2022.

MEET OUR MODERATORS:

Helen Ahrens (she/her) is the global Chair of OUT at Shopify ERG, leading several Leads and 40+ OUT Activators. She is also the Senior Merchant Success Manager of Key Accounts at Shopify, a Women Techmaker Ambassader for Google, and Advisory Board Member for Lesbians Who Tech. With 16+ years in tech from APAC, EMEA to NA, she focuses on scaling inclusive teams for success in global enterprises. She is based in Leslieville, Toronto where she loves running on the beach, sailing her Ace with the QCYC and flying off to explore the world.

 

Sara Velimirovic (they/them) is a speaker, activist, and Partnerships Manager at QueerTech, a Montreal-based nonprofit organization that promotes diversity and inclusivity within the Canadian tech industry. Sara was born and raised in Belgrade and later moved to Paris to pursue their studies in political science at Sciences Po Paris. Sara is a nature lover, runner, yogi, and passionate advocate for mental health awareness.

 

ABOUT ACCENTURE:
Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services in strategy and consulting, interactive, technology and operations, with digital capabilities across all of these services. We combine unmatched experience and specialized capabilities across more than 40 industries — powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. With 509,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture brings continuous innovation to help clients improve their performance and create lasting value across their enterprises. Visit us at: www.accenture.com.

 

ABOUT WOMEN TECHMAKERS:
Google’s Women Techmakers program provides visibility, community, and resources for women in technology. Learn more here https://developers.google.com/womentechmakers.
 

ABOUT OUT AT SHOPIFY:
OUT at Shopify is the Employee Resource Group representing LGBTQIA2S+ Shopify employees, families and merchants. Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide. Learn more here https://www.shopify.com/about/social-impact/people.