Wiggly Career Paths
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Diverse by Design: Career Paths That Power
We’re buzzing to announce that AWS Women in Cloud Manchester is back, and we are continuing our brand new 2026 events series in the best way we know how: with brilliant people, big conversations, and a whole lot of community spirit. We are pleased to announce this event is sponsored by Zuhlke.
We're opening up opportunities for members to join the organising team and to show just what's possible, this event will be hosted by Amy and Prerna.
What’s the evening all about?
Two talks exploring how non-linear careers create stronger professionals and how intentional design powers daily impact
A panel discussion: "No Two Paths Are the Same — And That's the Point" featuring women across technical, strategic, data, creative, and community roles. There's no single route into tech — and that's our greatest strength.
Speaker bios coming soon!!!
The Plan for the Evening
17:30 – 18:00 | Food, Drinks & Networking
18:00 – 18:10 | Welcome from AWS Cloud Women and Zulkhe
18:10 – 18:30 | Talk 1: "The Non-Linear Advantage"
Speaker – Surbhi Badhwar (Finance Industry) https://www.linkedin.com/in/surbhi-badhwar-84937713/
18:30 – 18:50 | Talk 2: “Defying Decision Paralysis”
Speaker - Ashwaq Salim https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashwaqsalim/
How I created a system to detect when users are overwhelmed and adapt the recommended options to reduce cognitive load.
18:50 – 19:10 | Break/Networking
19:10 – 19:45 | Panel ‘"No Two Paths Are the Same - And That's the Point"
Panel members:
Anna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-slastnikova-35a97910b/
Ahana: linkedin.com/in/ahana-d-94345494
Madhavi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madhavi-swamy/
Becci Burley Becci Burley | LinkedIn
19:45 – 20:30 | Community Co-Creation & Optional Networking
🍕Food & drinks are on us — just bring yourself and your curiosity!
Who’s this for?
Everyone! If you’re interested in cloud, AWS, AI, or tech in general, you belong here. Whether you’re a seasoned engineer or someone who just searched up “what is AWS” last week, pull up a chair.
Help us shape what comes next
One of the things we’re most excited about this year is building something that is community-led. We want to know what topics light you up, what challenges you’re facing, and what kinds of events would make you genuinely excited to show up. Come along, get involved, and help us co-create the rest of the series. This community is yours as much as it is ours.
It's going to be incredible to see as AWS Cloud Women moves into a new chapter of increased collaboration and diversity.