Finding your voice: Inside Credera’s Women in Tech conference

Vivian Le

Finding your voice: Inside Credera’s Women in Tech conference

At Credera, the Women in Tech community creates space for connection, empowerment, and growth. Those pillars came to life again at this year’s internal Women in Tech conference, where women from across regions, practices, and career levels gathered to learn, collaborate, and think intentionally about their futures in technology.

This year’s theme, “Finding Your Voice,” focused on helping attendees speak up, communicate their impact, advocate for themselves, and pursue career paths aligned with their strengths.

Saba Merchant, who organized the conference, said the theme grew from a simple realization: Women negotiate, advocate, and stand up for themselves every day, often without recognizing their own power. “We wanted a theme that would help attendees recognize that power and give them the confidence to step fully into it,” she said.

From opportunity to engagement

A two-day team challenge put that theme into practice by giving attendees firsthand experience with the business development process behind a consulting engagement.

Working in teams, attendees reviewed real requests for proposals (RFPs), identified the client’s core challenge, asked questions, and shaped a proposed solution. They then made their ideas tangible through a prototype, mock-up, workflow, or similar artifact.

For many participants, the exercise was a first look at the business development behind a consulting engagement. One attendee noted that RFPs are not something technology teams usually get to work on, while another said the project offered a chance to “flex other muscles” beyond technical delivery.

The compressed timeline also pushed teams to work through uncertainty together. One survey respondent described leaving with valuable experience in both RFPs and rapid prototyping, despite not knowing what RFP stood for before the conference.

At the end of the second day, teams presented their RFP responses and solutions to an audience of colleagues and leaders. The final presentations gave attendees an opportunity to explain their ideas, share their work, and find confidence in their expertise.

Advocating for your career

Career paths and negotiating your worth were also central to the conference agenda. Attendees explored potential career directions within their own practice while reflecting on the types of work that energize them and the contributions they want to make.

The sessions prompted participants to reflect on where they bring value and what they want next. One attendee said the career-path discussion left her feeling more confident about her future at Credera, while another described beginning “what I hope are some lasting relationships.”

Participants also discussed practical ways to advocate for themselves, including documenting accomplishments, communicating their impact, identifying sponsors, and asking for opportunities that align with their goals.

Saba’s advice to women navigating those conversations is direct: “It is entirely OK to have opinions and speak your mind. You didn’t end up in this room by accident; you earned every bit of your seat at the table.”

Connection beyond the sessions

Some of the most meaningful moments happened outside the formal agenda. During roundtables, meals, breaks, and informal conversations, attendees shared perspectives on leadership, career growth, mental health, technical work, and belonging.

Attendee reflections showed how meaningful those connections were. One participant wrote, “It reminded me that I am not alone, even though it sometimes feels like I am.” Another said the event offered new ideas for being more intentional about supporting women coming behind her.

The experience was also shaped by thoughtful details, including new Women in Tech swag, rubber duckies (for debugging, of course), a book exchange, shared meals, and a happy hour.

That sense of connection extended beyond the two-day event. Attendees described leaving with stronger networks, new people to turn to for advice, and a greater sense of belonging within the Women in Tech community.

As one attendee put it, the conference provided “inspiration and connections.” Another left feeling “seen and heard” and more aware of what she could accomplish with support from the women around her.

Shaping the future of technology

Finding your voice is not a single moment. It is a practice that grows as we name our contributions, ask for what we need, support one another, and make room for others to be heard.

This year’s Women in Tech conference gave attendees the space to practice that together. As the community continues to grow, so will the number of women finding their voices and using them to shape the future of technology at Credera.