If you had told me a year earlier that I’d be presenting solo at our company’s internal tech conference—and helping plan a whole new segment of it—I probably would have laughed. But there I was, making history in more ways than one. Not only was it my first time presenting solo, but it was also TechCon’s first time going fully virtual and having a lightning talk component.
The irony wasn’t lost on me. Here I was, reaching my biggest professional audience yet, while standing completely alone in my spare bedroom turned home office. But sometimes, the most meaningful things come wrapped in unexpected packages.
The Conference That Changed Everything
TechCon isn’t just any tech conference—it is our company’s annual two-day celebration of technology, innovation, and the people behind them. Typically, it meant packed rooms, hallway conversations that sparked new ideas, and the kind of energy you can only get when you put hundreds of tech enthusiasts in the same space.
But 2021 was different. Like the rest of the world, we had to reimagine what connection looked like in a virtual space. That’s where TechCon, Etc. came in—a new segment we created specifically for this virtual format. Think TED-style lightning talks, but with a twist: team members sharing raw, authentic stories about their experiences in tech.
When I was asked to help plan this new segment, I jumped at the chance. After all, what better way to turn the challenges of virtual connection into an opportunity? We wanted to create something that would bring the human element back to tech conversations, even if we couldn’t be in the same room.
Double Duty: My Presentations
My first presentation, “Git Effective: Managing Software Using GitHub,” might sound technical—and it was—but it came from a very human place. After years of watching fellow team members struggle with the same project and GitHub challenges over and over, I wanted to share the strategies and shortcuts I learned about at GitHub Universe and working on personal projects.
Standing (well, sitting) in front of my webcam, I walked through everything from basic issue tracking to complex workflows. But my favorite moment came when technology did what it inevitably does during a live demo, behaving in the complete opposite way expected. It actually gave me the chance to show my resilience and problem-solving. I received lots of comments and feedback that they had learned so much but there were lots of the comments that spoke of how gracefully I handled the technical difficulties.
Then came my TechCon, Etc. talk: “Unlike Me” The title alone raised eyebrows, but that was exactly the point. In just 10 minutes, I took the audience on a journey through an experience with unconscious bias in tech—not just as someone facing it, but as someone who had internalized it. It wasn’t an easy story to tell, but it was one that needed telling.
The response was immediate. The chat exploded with messages from people sharing their own experiences, their own moments of recognition. I shared that I was working on a book that goes deeper on the topic and was overwhelmed with messages of support and a desire to read the book when I finish it. That’s when I knew that taking this risk, being this vulnerable in front of my colleagues, was worth it.
Behind the Scenes: Creating Something New
Planning TechCon, Etc. was like building a plane while flying it. We knew we wanted something different from TechCon’s traditional tech talks—a space for stories that often go untold in our industry. But how do you create intimacy and vulnerability through computer screens?
Our planning sessions often ran long as we debated questions like: How do we coach speakers to be authentic but concise? How do we create a safe space for vulnerable stories in a virtual environment? Should we allow chat during presentations, or would it be too distracting?
With presenters and audience members spread across the country and such short time-slots, we had to carefully choreograph the entire segment like a virtual dance. Every technical check, every transition, every moment had to be precisely timed. But there was something beautiful about seeing someone in California sharing their story while someone in Detroit responded in real-time via chat.
Moments That Mattered
While my presentations were highlights for me personally, TechCon 2021 offered countless moments that reminded me why I love being part of this tech community. Several speakers gave presentations that had me frantically taking notes. What made it even more special? The follow-up conversations with team members in chats and direct messages. The chat became an unexpected source of magic throughout the conference. The thoughtful exchange of ideas, complete with resource sharing and impromptu virtual coffee meetings scheduled for later made this such a success.
But my favorite moment? When a product owner directly messaged me after my GitHub presentation to share that she’d been too intimidated to ask questions in front of everyone. We ended up having a fantastic one-on-one session where I walked her through some additional scenarios. That conversation led to a mentoring relationship that continues today.
Even the technical glitches became memorable. When one speaker’s internet cut out mid-presentation, the chat erupted with supportive messages and impromptu memes. It was a reminder that even in our virtual world, the human element of tech communities remains strong.
Lessons Learned
Looking back, TechCon 2021 taught me lessons I never expected to learn. First, there’s something oddly liberating about presenting from home. Yes, I still felt nervous (and spent way too much time adjusting my lighting), but being in my own space helped me find a comfort level that translated into more authentic presentations. Who knew that having my desktop plushy bunny-friend Leon just off-camera could make such a difference?
The virtual format also forced me to be more intentional about audience engagement. Without being able to read the room in person, I had to rethink everything—from how I structured my demos to when I posed questions to the audience. I learned to use the chat as a powerful tool, not just for questions but for creating those “aha!” moments that usually come from seeing nodding heads in the crowd.
But perhaps the biggest lesson came from helping plan TechCon, Etc. I discovered that sometimes the most impactful moments don’t come from polished presentations or perfect code examples. They come from creating spaces where people feel safe enough to be vulnerable, to share their struggles, and to connect with others who’ve walked similar paths.
Technical lessons learned:
- Always have a backup recording of your demos
- Practice your screen transitions as much as your content
- Chat moderators are worth their weight in gold
Human lessons learned:
- Authenticity resonates, whether you’re in person or online
- Sometimes the best connections happen in unexpected ways
- Your story matters more than your slides
- Taking risks (like sharing personal struggles) opens doors for others to do the same
Looking Back, Moving Forward
If you had told me that after going through the early pandemic years, I’d be presenting two sessions and helping shape a new conference segment for TechCon, I wouldn’t have believed you. But that’s the thing about growth—it often happens in unexpected leaps rather than the steady climb we imagine.
While I have participated as a panelist at several tech events, including TechCon19 a couple of years earlier, I was used to being the one furiously taking notes, feeling simultaneously inspired and intimidated by the speakers. I remember thinking, “I could never do that.” Not just because of the technical expertise required, but because I didn’t see many speakers who looked like me. Now here I was, not just presenting, but helping create a platform for other voices that often go unheard in tech.
The virtual format, which initially felt like a setback, turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Without the physical presence of a large audience, I could focus entirely on sharing knowledge and connecting with people through their questions and comments. The chat became a continuous stream of encouragement, creating a different kind of energy than a physical audience—less intimidating, more collaborative.
What surprised me most? The power of showing up as your full self. When I decided to give that lightning talk about unconscious bias, I worried it might be too personal, too raw. But the messages I received afterward showed me that our industry desperately needs these conversations. Technical expertise matters, but so does creating space for honest dialogue about the human challenges we face in tech.
This experience taught me something crucial about leadership in tech: it’s not just about having the right answers or knowing the best practices. It’s about being willing to be vulnerable, to share both your successes and your struggles, and to help create spaces where others can do the same.
A New Chapter Begins
TechCon 2021 changed how I see myself in tech. Not because I mastered virtual presentations or conquered a fear of live demos (though I did both), but because I learned that our most powerful contributions often come from sharing our authentic experiences—technical glitches, personal struggles, and all.
The conference might have been virtual, but the impact was undeniably real. From the product owner who found her confidence with GitHub, to engineers who finally felt seen after my unconscious bias talk, to my own growth from audience member to presenter and planner—these connections and transformations transcended our computer screens.
Looking back at my scribbled preparations for both talks (yes, I still use paper notebooks in this digital age), I see my notes as reminders to stay authentic under pressure and for how we should approach leadership and community-building in tech.
Since then, I’ve kept asking myself: What other stories aren’t being told? What other voices aren’t being heard? How can we create more spaces for authentic connection in our increasingly digital world?
I’d love to hear about your journey. Have you realized you have something valuable to share with the tech community? What’s holding you back? Share your story in the comments—after all, every voice adds to our collective understanding of what it means to be in tech.