5 Women Stars & 5 Topics for April Short Talks

A message from your leader & host, Pradeepa:
I am so excited to bring all women speakers for the April Short talks. We have 5 Amazing Stars from our local DFW community signed up to share their passion in variety of topics. Please come, cheer and show your support for these DFW Women in Agile and Technology!

Speakers & Topics in no particular order:
Title: The Law of Empowerment
Presented by Zeenat Fadwani

Abstract:
“Leading well is not about enriching yourself but it’s about empowering others. When a leader can’t or won’t empower others, he/she creates barriers within the organization that followers cannot overcome. If the barriers remain long enough, then the people give up and stop trying, or they go away to another organization where they can maximize their potential”. We will be discussing some of those barriers and explore various ways to overcome them and lead effectively.

Bio:
Zeenat has been affiliated with Information technology field for more than ten years. She is very passionate about sharing her experience and knowledge with community groups and university students.

Title: Getting Everyone on Board the Quality Train
Presented by Jasmin Smith

Abstract:
Most everyone has heard by now that "quality is a whole team responsibility." But how do you shift to an approach that builds quality into each step of the development process? We'll go over some ways each role can contribute to overall quality and the ways taking the extra effort can benefit everyone.

Bio:
Jasmin Smith has been working in software testing since 2008 and is with Cox Auto as a QA Lead in Dallas, TX. She has done volunteer work with organizations teaching women about tech and spends her free time reading books, cooking, and loving her cats.

Title: How do we shift from #fakespeed to #effectivespeed
Presented by Aruna Chandrasekharan

Abstract: How often do we feel compelled to keep working to keep busy? How often do we adjust Agile to accommodate dysfunctions in our eco-system? How often do we feel disempowered about the things that we don't have control over so we focus on outputs and not outcomes? I call this the #fakespeed syndrome. The eco-system around us is habituated to #fakespeed and as Agilists, it is our responsibility to nudge our respective organizations to #effectivespeed.
Learning Outcomes: Let's explore scenarios that trigger our inclination to want #fakespeed what would #effectivespeed look like in those scenarios.

Bio: Aruna Chandrasekharan is an Enterprise Change Agent@Cognizant Technology Solutions. She is particularly interested in a holistic approach to transformation across all levels and divisions of organizations with special emphasis on leadership since no transformation has truly sustained itself without the leaders "leading" the change

Title: Effective Dependency Management in a scaled Environment
Presented by Adeyinka Akeju

Abstract: In this talk, I will present an effective dependency management model that addresses how dependencies can be made visible and resolved with very little effort.

Bio: Adeyinka is an action oriented, hands on servant leader with over 10 years’ experience. She is passionate in helping individuals and teams become high performers who constantly deliver value.

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Title: The Strength of Our Strengths
Presented by Noreen Emanuel

Abstract: “Sometimes we’re tested. Not to show our weakness, but to discover our strengths.” So what does it mean to amplify our strengths rather than our weaknesses? Noreen will share stories of how she’s done this.
Bio: Noreen brings empathy to professional relationships and lights up a room with her positive energy. She has worked at American Airlines for 20 years and currently she is an agile coach within the Customer Technology organization. An avid learner, Noreen embraces new ideas and adapts to change; her servant leadership inspires those around her to do the same.