WE Local Raleigh is officially less than a month away and you better believe that all the proper seeds have been planted so that this conference will help you grow professionally. Known as the City of Oaks, you can expect to see plenty of oak trees lining the streets of Raleigh. In the fall, acorns are in vast supply everywhere in the area, and on New Years Eve a giant 1250-lb acorn sculpture is lowered at the Civic Centre to help ring in the new year.
With all of this in mind, the WE Local Host Committee, particularly Aishwarya and Ria (your Raleigh LHC Social Committee Liaisons), are proud to announce that the theme for the celebration night for WE Local Raleigh is “From Acorns to Oaks: Grow your Network with SWE.” This theme is perfect because it ties together those ever-present acorns and oak trees to the growth you will experience within your network by attending this SWE conference. AND all of this is located within the Research Triangle that boasts hundreds of tech and biotech companies along with 3 large research universities (Duke University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University).
Celebration night at WE Local Raleigh starts at 5:00 pm on Friday, February 21st. Be sure to mark that event in your WE Events App as you prepare for this conference. According to Aishwarya, you can expect a fun networking challenge that will encourage you and other attendees to branch out while enjoying a friendly game of bocce ball or crafting and stenciling leaves on cards. Celebration attendees can win lots of local, fun giveaways that will leave you feeling more connected to Raleigh and proud to be SWE!
WE Local Raleigh has three wonderfully dynamic keynote speakers that will be attending. Check out what keynote speakers are coming and what they’ll be talking about.
Wondering about what sessions you can expect to attend with your registration? Look at the agenda online or via the mobile app. You will find a few special events, some sessions on strategic leadership, a talk about innovation and disruption, a number of self-management and development talks, a session on inclusion and cultural awareness, a handful of career management sessions and the collegiate competition. They’re so many wonderful ways to put together your schedule for this conference and quite a few I’m particularly excited about.
First up, the ‘WE Local Networking Breakfast’ from 7:45-9:45 am on Saturday, February 22nd. This is an event you will want to attend because you simply can’t go wrong with great food, fantastic company, and fun conversations. This breakfast will get your network growing right at the start of your WE Local Raleigh experience.
The first time I read through session titles for this conference, I must say that the title “But That’s NOT What I Said: Lessons in Gendered Communication” jumped out at me. Not only was it a session I marked for interest because one of the Local Host Committee (LHC) members is giving the talk, but I can also remember saying that phrase in my personal and professional life even though I had never thought much of it. So, is it true that men and women think and understand differently? If so, how can we communicate more clearly? If these questions interest you as much as me, then you should consider attending this session at 2:15 pm on Saturday, February 22nd.
Other interesting sessions have titles such as “LEVEL UP: Equipping Yourself for Leadership”, “Organize Your Way to Your Dream Job”, “Raising Boys to Be Feminists”, “What is your superpower?”, “How to Navigate a Mentor-Mentee Relationship”, and “Crucial Conversations: When and How to Have Them”. Whether you are a collegiate or professional, in manufacturing or in research, a first-time attendee, or a SWE regular, this conference will leave you eager to better yourself and informed in such a way that you know the steps to do so. Don’t deny yourself this opportunity. Registration closes February 7th so you can’t procrastinate any longer!
Finally, click here to see what other wonderful things there are to do in Raleigh. We hope to see you there and are looking forward to a wonderful time and experience at WE Local Raleigh!
This article was written by Jessica Centers, WE Local Raleigh Host Committee, Marketing Liaison, Graduate Student at Duke University.
