It’s been a few weeks since we got back from the Grace Hopper Celebration in Houston, Texas — and what an experience it was!
Our vice president of community and culture, Rebekah Bastian, spoke on a panel with other women technologists from Pinterest, Nordstrom, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation about their unique career journeys. In place of swag, we donated money to two local homelessness organizations and one national STEM organization as part of The Home Project. We met with prospective employees. We connected and learned from others in the industry. And we left feeling energized, excited and eager to do our part to usher in the next generation of women in computing.
But don’t just take it from us — here’s what a few of our Zillow Group attendees had to say about their experience:
“I always thought Grace Hopper was some sort of touchy-feely conference where women just talked about the problems in tech, but I was so wrong! Grace Hopper is about celebrating how far we’ve come in tech and getting excited about our future in it. I left so many sessions with very specific steps on how to advance my career, how to get more out of a mentoring relationship, and how to be a better representative of inclusiveness. I feel really lucky to be at a place like Zillow Group that puts women in tech on their list of priorities!”
— Miriam C., Software Development Engineer, Seattle
“After listening to phenomenal talks by Padmasree Warrior, Jessica O. Matthews, Rebekah Bastian, Priscilla Chan and Anita Hill, I left the conference feeling hopeful and inspired that there are so many women technologists making an impact in the world.”
— Son Ca V., Product Manager, San Francisco
“I’ve been in the industry for a long time, so I’m a bit jaded, but walking into Toyota Center for the opening keynote — a room filled with 20,000 women who all love working in tech as much as I do — was a very powerful moment. The emotion I felt will help carry me through all the ups and downs of the year ahead.”
— Debbie D., Senior Development Manager, Director of Women in Tech Affinity Network, Seattle
“There were two quotes during the keynotes that resonated with me. The first was ‘We women have to create movement; we have to drive change that is lasting.’ And the second was ‘Individually we are powerful, but together, we are unstoppable.’ It was powerful to hear, because I realized that the Grace Hopper Celebration was the movement and the togetherness they kept talking about.”
— Aditi G., Software Engineer, San Francisco
We’re excited to see you all in Orlando for the 2019 Grace Hopper Celebration. Can’t wait until then to connect with us? Visit zillow.com/careers to learn more about current job openings. And follow @ZillowGroupLife to see what it’s like to work at Zillow Group!