Women in Tech: Stop Hiding the Scars. Start Leading with Them.

Tech culture demands perfection. Zero bugs. Zero downtime. Optimized output. But you are not code. You are a leader.

I am Rachael Brown. I run a firm that handles high-stakes economic development and regulatory strategy. I know the pressure of the boardroom. I know the weight of the "We".

But today, I am speaking to the "I".

In this session, we are stripping away the "Technical Expert" armor. We are looking at the data points you usually delete: The failures. The pivots. The scars.

We will cover:

• The Pivot: Moving from "Imposter" to "Authentic Authority."
• The Data: Why vulnerability is a feature, not a bug.
• The Strategy: How to hold the room without hiding your history.

Strategy is nothing without the resilience to execute it. Come learn how to lead with your scars, not just your wounds.

Bio to be added.

We'll serve drinks and light snacks. Attendance is free but we request an RSVP so we have our numbers correct.

InnoGrove is sponsored by the City of Elk Grove
SMUD is a sponsor of InnoGrove's programs including the Women-in-Tech program.
Additional sponsorship is provided by IWG.

About Rachael:

Rachael Brown is a strategist, speaker, and the founder of EDGE. For
nearly 20 years, Rachael has been a force in commercial
development and economic strategy. As the Founder and CEO of
Rachael Brown Consulting, she advises leaders on navigating
complex regulatory environments and revitalizing business
communities.

Her background is built on high-stakes execution. From her tenure as
Executive Director of the Power Inn Alliance—where she integrated
emerging industries like cannabis into the district’s economic
fabric—to her work with the Elk Grove Economic Development
Department, Rachael knows exactly what it takes to build a plan
that works on paper. With a Master’s in Urban Land Development
and a seat on boards like Sacramento Steps Forward, she has
spent two decades solving problems that seem unsolvable.
But after years in boardrooms and city halls, Rachael noticed a
critical gap. Strategies weren't failing because the plans were wrong;
they were failing because the leaders were burning out. She realized
we spend 90% of our energy on "tactics" and almost zero on the
human resilience required to survive them.

In 2026, she launched EDGE to disrupt that narrative.
As a speaker, Rachael bridges the gap between Hard Strategy
(Business) and Human Truth (Growth). She draws on her experience
navigating public-private partnerships and community crises to
challenge audiences to lead with their "Scars, not just their Wounds."
Whether she is advising a municipal agency or delivering a keynote
on resilience, Rachael’s mission is the same: to help leaders do the
hard work without losing their humanity in the process.