Hello Ottawa! Community Conversation Recap

Our panelists and moderator in Ottawa introduce themselves and answer the crowd’s questions.

People are seen sitting at a table with food and paper and pens to jot down their ideas.

The crowd in Ottawa raises their pieces of paper with their ideas on them.

The ideas/words/images the audience had written or drawn on pieces of paper are seen hung on a line to showcase all of them.

Two women are standing in front of the audience, one has a mic and the other is holding a piece of paper that says “You Go Girl.”

By Raman Kang

John Reid, President and CEO of Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA) pointed into the crowd at Ottawa’s Community Conversation, held at sponsor PageCloud’s space. One by one, audience members stood to introduce themselves. It gave the crowd a laugh - there’s nothing like being put on the spot to break the ice! 

John got the conversation going with panelists Sandra Saric, Vice President, Talent Innovation Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC); Sherry Finley, Solutions Architect MD Financial Management ; Haidee Thanda, Founder and Lead at Hacking Health Ottawa. They explored what they’d advise their younger selves, pivotal moments in their careers, obstacles they faced and their next big thing. The questions weren’t just limited to the panel, but went out to the crowd too, for a true conversation full of gasps, laughs and good advice.

John shared a story about he and his 7-year-old granddaughter playing ball, John let her win the game, but she had a better idea. She didn’t want to stop playing until they tied. “Sometimes it’s not about the winning, but more about the collaboration,” John would tell his teen self. 

Sandra expressed how much her path changed from what she thought it would be at age 15. She’d tell that kid to, “Build your skills and take on everything. Don’t dismiss any disciplines, you never know where you’ll end up.” A boss once told her she wasn’t ready for a promotion because she had “too big of a heart.” Now, when she interviews potential employees, she looks for vulnerability, authenticity and heart. “Don’t let anyone question that part of you.”

Sherry advised to not worry about being criticized for being a girl. “You’re going to be successful, regardless,” she’d tell her teen self.  One of her biggest obstacles was not being taken seriously as a woman in tech. She has routinely been the only woman on a team. She  reminded all that being in a supportive environment and having thick skin are key.

Haidee urged the crowd to “Be bold, brazen and show up.” She advised to stop worrying what others think of us, “Just be you.” Most importantly, she said, “You just have to show up, show up even if no one looks like you, show up even if you’re one of three females. Just show up. “

Thanks to host, PageCloud, for providing the venue and food and to community sponsors: BLG - Driven by Women, Impact Hub Ottawa and CATA, thank you for your support in making this event happen.

Recommendations:

Sandra: Don’t let people question the part of you, that makes you, you. Having a big heart and being vulnerable is one of the qualities she admires. Also, assuming people don’t know how to do things can be dangerous, first find out what someone knows how to do and then go about explaining the process to them. Don’t talk down to people.

Sherry: If you get an opportunity, take it. When she was offered a managerial position, she wasn’t sure she wanted it because of the bad experiences she had with her own managers. She took the role and realized it made her a stronger person and learned how much she enjoyed being in a leadership role. Don’t miss out on a chance because of your self-doubt.

Haidee: Build a support team around you, you’re not the first person to be on your path, so make sure your team has diverse skills, prepare yourselves for situations, you don’t need to know everything but build a support team around you of people you can call to work together to figure out the answers. Don’t be afraid to keep learning. She did something she thought she would never do: go back to school. She realized she didn’t have the skills to solve a problem so she decided to go back and gain more skills in tech.  

John: It’s okay if you don’t know what your next big thing is but be flexible and learn as many skills as possible so when an opportunity comes along, you’re prepared for it. Also, the way you carry yourself matters. John was at a very large conference at 28-years-old, there he looked people in the eyes, spoke with passion, then a CEO called him the next day.