Keynote

Transcendence: The Power of Representation

Saturday, May 27

09:45 - 10:45
RoomsSpaghetti, Lasagna, Risotto
LanguageEnglish
Abstract

In this talk, I will be sharing about the power of representation and its ability to help us move beyond our present circumstances. When we see an athlete perform at the Olympic games, particularly if we can identify a part of ourselves in them, this experience is transcendent. We feel their pain when they lose, reflect their joy when they win, and in many ways, we imagine that we can do what they do!

This presentation will reflect on how we can utilize these shared experiences to understand the significance of representation, especially for marginalized communities, in the world of technology today. I will share my own experiences as a Zimbabwean woman working in tech and how representation, and in many cases the lack thereof, has affected me and others.

participant photo

Marlene Mhangami

Marlene is a Zimbabwean software engineer, explorer, and speaker based in the city of Harare. She is a previous director and vice-chair for the Python Software Foundation and is currently serving as the vice-chair of the Association for Computing Machinery practitioner board. In 2017, she co-founded ZimboPy, a non-profit organization that gives Zimbabwean young women access to resources in the field of technology. She is also the previous chair of PyCon Africa and is an advocate for women in tech on the continent. Professionally, Marlene is currently working as a Developer Advocate at Voltron Data.