Meet the Speakers: Episode 3
It’s our final round of speaker announcements! Get your ticket now - you don’t want to miss these fantastic presentations!
Ross Larson: “Impostor Syndrome and Advocacy”
Ross Larson is a human being, software developer at Paradigm, and parent.
His talk will be a reminder to us all that we are not alone, and that we can always be better advocate for the people around us. Ross’s session will explain impostor syndrome and explore the many ways that you can support your colleagues.
Morgan Andersen: “Just be a person – the importance of empathy in creating an inclusive team culture”
Morgan is the Associate Director of Financial Applications at UW-Madison. She has been working in “IT” for over 15 years and building teams for the past eight. She is passionate about getting people to work well together and bringing a diverse set of voices to the table to ensure that the applications they build and support are the best that they can be. She has lived in four states, three of the Nordic countries, and has worked in the private sector, state government and higher ed.
“Creating a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment in the workplace is not really that difficult, but it requires commitment and the willingness to really see and listen to your co-workers. This talk will emphasize the importance of empathy while also providing a few concrete steps that you can take to facilitate and foster an inclusive team culture.”
Amanda Thornton: “What’s Hockey Got to Do With It? Building Inclusive Teams On and Off the Ice”
Amanda Thornton (she/her) is a team lead and software developer supporting researchers and research administrators at the UW Madison Space Science and Engineering Center to expand the boundaries of human knowledge. She is a co-chair for both Leadership Improv and the IT Professionals Conference and organizes the Distributed Developers Community of Practice. She is committed to creating inclusive communities for everyone and received the 2020 UW Madison CIO Award for Community Engagement. Outside of work you’ll find Amanda at the rink teaching adults how to play ice hockey.
“Hockey is a fast-paced game and one where many folks have felt historically excluded. Growing the largest LBGTQ hockey league in the world requires careful consideration around inclusivity, bias-training, and team building to allow players to feel like they belong on the ice.”