Better Together Event Recap

By Reut Lazo & Jenny Kay Pollock We're both still feeling energized from the Microsoft Better Together event!

A huge thank you to Saritha Prasad Vrittamani and Rachna Visal for inviting WOMEN x AI (WxAI) to be part of such a magical evening. The WOMEN x AI team had an incredible time connecting with so many amazing women who believe in our mission. 💡💜

This year the focus was on Innovate, Inspire, and Impact. The audience was incited to shout out which one was their focus this year. In perfect unison Reut and Jenny shouted "IMPACT."

From powerful panels to thought-provoking talks, every session was packed with wisdom. We took so many notes that we had to share our key takeaways:

🚀 Katy Brown's Keynote on Leading Through Change

Better Together Keynote

1️⃣ Build your brand early—it's never too soon. Ask others how they perceive you.

2️⃣ Reframe challenges—learn and grow rather than "fake it till you make it." Katy shared, "Even now every single job I get I feel a little of that imposter syndrome. 'I don’t know if I can do this' becomes 'I think I can do this' which becomes 'I can do this.'"

3️⃣ Be patient—life isn't a race; focus on gaining the right skills.

4️⃣ Balance is possible—just not all at once.

5️⃣ Preparation is key—every meeting is a chance to move forward. Take a mindful moment to prepare for the next meeting. If you don’t prepare it’s a lost opportunity.

6️⃣ Prioritize yourself—your well-being matters. As women we so often prioritize others and it’s important you prioritize yourself.

7️⃣ Lead with empathy—it's a superpower. It can completely change the career trajectory of your team members.

8️⃣ Stay resilient—grit will take you far.  It is the number one trait I look for when I hire someone. Get gritty. Put one foot in front of the other.

9️⃣ Shift your mindset from Why me? to Why not me?

🔟 Enjoy the journey—things have a way of working out. Have fun! You spend 1/3 of your waking hours at work. Don’t take yourself too seriously and have fun along the way.

 Cheri Devlin did an amazing job moderating the panel! Some standout insights from the speakers:

💡 Paula Hansen: Prioritize self-care, be curious, and balance intuition with data in decision-making.

It’s much better to be interested than trying to be interesting. With every move up in career you should as 2x questions than you did on the last role.

💡 Shelagh Glaser: Schedule time with yourself, fire the negative voice in your head, and embrace imperfect balance.

Schedule a 1:1 with yourself reflect on your week and then set the stage for the next week.

You’re holding yourself to a standard that nobody else is living up to

💡 Priya Saiprasad: Mindfulness is key, and the biggest career risks often lead to the biggest rewards.

Mindfulness can be Pilates or matcha latte.

There’s not one leadership style to emulate. It’s about getting to know yourself and your strengths and using that to build your own unique leadership style.

💡 Katrina Wong: Always be learning, and use storytelling to challenge the status quo.

Discipline. Create good habits in your day and then it becomes easier. (Think atomic habits)

💡 Jenna Lange: With 90% of content soon to be AI-generated, authentic communication is more important than ever. There’s not one authentic you. As a leader you have to pick how much of your authentic self you want to bring.

We got to connect with WOMENxAI community members and meet new leaders in AI.

This event was a powerful reminder that we are truly better together. 💪🔥