Short Summary
Hello there, generous person! I was invited to speak at RubyConfUruguay with my talk, "It takes a village to make a programmer" which details the specific ways people helped me on my journey becoming a hirable web developer in just one year.
I went to school for teaching but realized a bit later that programming is a much better fit for me. Despite my completely new career path, the teacher in me lives on in the passion and drive I have to reach out to people in inspiring ways to positively impact the world.
Unfortunately timewise, the conference is coming up too fast. I just began my Junior Web Developer job in March 2013, less than two months ago. I've only had one paycheck in the last 8 months, and won't have time enough to save up to cover the cost of travel. This is where you come in.
What We Need & What You Get
I need to raise about 1,300 euros to cover the cost of flight and some travel expenses like food and possibly public transportation. I've looked up flights and they look to be in the range of 950-1,250 euros. A friend of mine has promised to hook me up with a couch :)
In return, you can get cool stuff! Post cards, full page letters, original hand drawn versions of the slides which I always do myself, or an inclusion in my talk. :) I will also mention all of you with a link in my blog post on my personal website (still being built).
This estimate includes a buffer for the small percentage that indiegogo will take out if I reach my goal. Furthermore, If I raise more than needed for this trip, I will put the extra funds towards OpenTechSchool Berlin-- a non-profit tech education initiative.
The Impact
I think that my talk will have a positive influence on everyone who sees it or reads the blog post I originally wrote it as. It is a call to action to help others, simply by using the knowledge and resources you probably already have. My target audience is not other people who want to change careers, but rather the people who are already settled in their roles and might be in positions of great power without even realizing it. By sharing how others helped me, I hope to inspire others to reach out and make a difference in their own networks and communities.
I think that the things we can accomplish with technology are incredible. The more talented people with great ideas that we can help bring into the field, the better it will become. We need more people, more diversity, more experience to be brought into tech and programming if we want to make the best things and the best world for them. My talk will encourage established programmers to be more open, more welcoming, and more inviting to potential newcomers. My talk offers a very wide scope of opportunities ranging from the smallest bit of effort to grander objectives for the ambitious generous souls.
Additionally, I see myself as a role model and potential influencer of perceptions of women in tech. We are notoriously underrepresented at conferences, and lose out on a lot of air time and publicity. We need to be more visible to each other and for the women who will come after us.
Finally, this opportunity is of course going to drastically impact me and my life. Even just applying and being invited to speak has altered my timeline. This would be my first time speaking to such a large audience (~300 people). I also know that this is only the beginning. I am going to continue to apply and to speak at events of all sizes. I am going to improve and make a name for myself as a speaker, as a community member, as a teammate, in everything I do. Someday I'll be invited to give a keynote address, or several. RubyConfUruguay is going to be the first of many, many conference appearances. I will continue to find ways to share my passions, tell my stories, and make a difference.
Other Ways You Can Help
Every little bit counts. It would also be great if you could share with people who might be interested in helping. THANK YOU! :D