A lighter moment as Tech workers at the SASE Pro Women in Tech Conference pose for a group photo. (Jessica Moy)

The first Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) Pro Women in Tech (AWiT) Conference was held on June 13, at the Cisco offices in San Jose, Calif.  It was the first conference where Asian American Women came together to share stories as model minority women in the tech industry. Jessica Moy reports on attendees’ outlook towards the inaugural AWiT conference.

The theme of this year’s AWiT was “Bloom with Brilliance” paired with the lotus symbol. This represents growth despite difficulties and blooming to one’s full potential.  The lotus is also used in the Women Leadership Conference (WLC) which SASE has been hosted virtually for the past 4 years.  

When women come together to share experiences in their professional and/or personal life, there are many similarities. The in-person conversation made the dialogue even more impactful. Talks on leadership, Asian women’s representation in tech companies, and living authentically were key focus areas of the AWiT Conference. Most speakers were Asian women stemming from the tech industry.

Although Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are a great place for Asians or women to share experiences, SASE provides a niche for both of those minorities creating a cross-company community for not only Asian women but also specifically those in tech.  The Cisco office in San Jose hosted this inaugural event with many speakers from the Asian Women Coaching Collective (AWCC).

Li-Ming Pu, an AWiT presenter and founding member of AWCC said, “I haven’t seen a conference like this, because the conference in itself is never focused on Asian Women and if it is, it is within just one corporate function, and here it is across tech companies and tech companies that are sometimes competitors, and it doesn’t feel like that here.”  

Mo Fong, Executive Director of STVP, shared that she first learned about SASE while at Google “At that time, [SASE] was much smaller, they didn’t have a Women in Tech conference, this is the inaugural year which is so exciting.  We knew that by partnering with SASE as an ERG for all Asian employees at the big tech company, that we would be able to talk about our culture and our heritage and how that may influence the way communicate and work.”

Attendees of the event also share their enthusiasm for the event. Lily Zhang from Cisco shares, “This event was life changing!  I have never been in a room full of Asian women like this and I feel extremely inspired and special that there are people who look like me and have struggles like me.” Darshana Tambe from ServiceNow, shares her AWiT conference experience. “I went into this event with an open mind, and I was amazed just how many practical tools and techniques I was able to take award from this event.” Denise Ang at Google had a similar outlook on the AWiT inaugural conference. “This event was uniquely tailored to the needs and challenges faced by Asian women.”

The SASE Director of Professional Programs, Paraag Maddiwar, explained that “SASE is a community of professionals and students who are committed to unlocking the leadership potential of Asians, of ourselves, of our community, to tackle the Asian leadership gap.”