Join us at the QT Connect Meetup in Ottawa on May 15th from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM, hosted by Invest Ottawa. As part of our overall 2024 theme "Queering Up: Expand Your Mindset to be Future-Ready", we'll be exploring the topic "Tech in the Age of AI: Queer Perspectives."

This event delves into the intersection of technology, artificial intelligence, and the diverse experiences within the queer community. We'll discuss a range of topics related to this theme, such as exploring the challenges, responsibilities, and opportunities inherent in developing AI technologies that authentically represent and protect the queer community and many others.

Whether you're a 2SLGBTQ+ professional, an ally, or simply interested in the future of technology and its impact on diverse communities, join us for an evening of insightful discussions, networking, and community building.

We don't want ticket costs to be a barrier to joining us in this discussion. We have scholarship and volunteer tickets available. To sign up for a scholarship ticket or to volunteer, fill out this form.

ABOUT THE PANELISTS!

Vanessa Thomas, Senior Advisor, Tech Review, Government of Canada

Dr. Vanessa Thomas, CIPT (all pronouns), is an award-winning queer technologist, designer, and researcher with a background that spans computer science, mathematics, privacy engineering, cyber security, feminisms, peace building, leadership, and public policy analysis. During their career, Vanessa has been privileged to live and work in Ecuador, Bolivia, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and a few provinces in Canada. Vanessa currently conducts technical research for the Government of Canada, and is taking a break from teaching part-time at Carleton University; they have published over a dozen peer-reviewed papers and book chapters. 

Eduardo Cuducos, Lead Backend Engineer, Rings AI

Eduardo Cuducos (they/them) is a backend tech lead in the private sector and one of the founders of Operação Serenata de Amor, a data science for social accountability project in Brazil. Cuducos holds a Ph.D. in Sociology and is passionate about culture, open-source and politics. They have worked at Shopify and ran civic technology for institutions such as the World Bank and Open Knowledge Brasil.

THANKS TO OUR HOST!

About Invest Ottawa

Invest Ottawa is Ottawa’s leading economic development agency for fostering the advancement of the region's globally competitive knowledge-based institutions and industries. Invest Ottawa delivers its economic development services through a unique partnership with the City of Ottawa, where the City and Invest Ottawa, through its members set the strategy and manage the programs that move Ottawa’s economy forward.

Invest Ottawa is a non-profit, partnership organization that operates on an annual budget that comes from a variety of sources including: municipal, federal and provincial government; membership fees; professional development programs; and private sector contributions.