Grace Hopper Celebration 2024
Hello, my name is Shaili and I am a 5th year double degree student at the University of Waterloo. Currently, I am an intern at the Ontario Institute of Cancer Research (OICR) under Genome Informatics. You can connect with me here if you’d like to connect or chat more! This past October, I attended the Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) in Philadelphia. My experience was filled with inspirational, innovative, and insightful conversations. The theme of this year’s conference, Me + We perfectly captured the essence of what I experienced throughout the event. I wanted to share some of the key moments that left a lasting impact on me.
One of the most inspirational sessions I attended was Building a New Digital Age for AI by Amanda Renteria, CEO of Code for America. Amanda spoke about the get CalFresh app, a project that transformed the food stamps application process in California, making it possible for people to apply in under ten minutes. Originally, this process required navigating a 52-page, desktop-only form that was inaccessible for many. Amanda’s focus on ensuring technology works for everyone, and her dedication to good policy paired with effective implementation, was incredibly motivating. As I intern at OICR, this kind of thoughtful, impactful work is something I hope to contribute.
I also attended the Citadel Boundless Event, featuring Judit Polgár, one of the greatest chess players of all time. Judit spoke about her upbringing and her parents’ decision to not let her compete in girls-only tournaments, instead encouraging her to compete in open, often male- dominated, events. Growing up alongside her sisters, who were also chess players, Judit’s story was about more than just chess—it was about breaking barriers and challenging societal norms. Her emphasis on the importance of a supportive environment resonated with me as a minority in technology, and it made me think about how we still have many gendered associations that should be challenged.
One workshop that stood out to me was Using ML To Predict a Baby’s Birth Weight by Anubha Bhargava. Anubha, a new mother herself, walked us through how she built a model to predict a baby’s birth weight based on various features. Surprisingly, the father’s education level was one of the factors included in the model. Her personal journey inspired her to use data science to improve healthcare outcomes, illustrating how our experiences can fuel creativity and lead to impactful solutions. This session made me realize that life experience adds depth to our problem-solving abilities, making our lived experiences invaluable assets in our work.
The workshop that made me laugh the most was I Ain’t Afraid of No Ghost Products by Haley Henderson and Malone Rachel Gregory. They presented the content with a fun Halloween theme, complete with ghosts and zombies, which made the message of ghost products really stick and kept the lessons both memorable and entertaining. One surprising statistic they shared was that 88% of people are less likely to return to a site after a bad experience—which really highlights how crucial it is to keep improving our products, no matter the challenges. They used hilarious examples, like the smart toaster—asking if it was really necessary—and the smart fridge, where they explored how it could be improved to better meet the needs of parents or single adults. For example, they suggested adding practical features like integrated calendars for parents or even games to keep kids entertained. This session really made me think about how vital it is to understand the problem fully before diving into solutions and reminded me of the diverse needs our users might have.
Overall, attending GHC this year was a journey that embodied grit, heart, and courage—not just in the stories that were shared, but in the way the community came together to inspire one another. The theme of Me + We was evident throughout: it reminded me that while individual grit and courage are essential, it is our collective heart and support for one another that truly drives meaningful change. I left GHC feeling empowered to not only grow myself but also to contribute to the growth of those around me.
