Tech titans: Women at the forefront of the digital revolution

This was followed by Jana Marle Zizkova, co-founder of non-profit organization She Loves Data. Zizkova talked about the remarkable journey of women, from being invisible in the tech industry to becoming influential forces in the world of data and technology. She invited women to try these rapidly evolving industries; she wanted them to move, take up space, and believe in their potential.

Moderated by Danie Laurel, the first panel discussion of the day focused on how women are driving financial innovation through technology. The panel featured Ingrid Beroña, chief risk officer of GCash; Dr. Adrienne Heinrich, head of AI & Innovation at UnionBank and Aboitiz Data Innovation (ADI); and Mila Bedrenets, chief growth hacker at digital bank TONIK.

Another engaging segment of the conference was the fireside chat on e-commerce. At the chat, Michele “Mishie” Dela Cruz, head of Affiliates and Social Sellers at Lazada Philippines, focused on how women are reshaping the landscape of online retail. The segment also later featured Ambe Tierro, country managing director at Accenture PH. Tierro spoke about her journey climbing the tech industry.

The conference also explored the challenges and opportunities of connecting the Philippines through technology. This talk was led by panelists KD Dizon, head of Globe Business; Laurice P. Esteban-Tuason, SVP and corporate compliance and data protection officer at Converge; and Kat Luna-Abelarde, innovation lead at PLDT Group.

Day 1 also explored the crossover of social media and healthcare. Dr. Cialuj Teza Agbayani-Cruz, an obstetrician-gynecologist and reproductive medicine specialist from Bayer Philippines highlighted the significant contributions women have made in the areas of medicine and social media. She emphasized that women have inspired further innovation in these fields.

On the topics of stigma, empowerment, and hope in tech, three industry leaders further enlightened the audience. The panelists for that particular discussion were Pamela Lee, head of marketing at KonsultaMD; Dr. Vicky Belo, CEO and medical director of Belo Medical Group; and Dr. Beatrice J. Tiangco, oncologist and director of Augusto P. Sarmiento Cancer Institute at The Medical City.

Women have also made a name in advancing AI technology. Panelists and generative AI experts Bianca Cruz-Azurin, co-founder of 10XME Academy; Bonnie Factor, founder and CEO of Leading with Success; Imelda “Ida” Tiongson, Trustee Fintech Alliance, ICD Technology Governance board member of 3 PLCS; and Christine Llanto-Ravelo, commercial territory sales leader of IBM Philippines, shared their experiences and insights.

Day 2

She Slays Day 2 remained dedicated to all things tech. More esteemed women leaders within the sphere offered their insights and experiences.

Patricia Mulles, director and global Partnerships Head at She Loves Data, began the day with a speech on why women should persist and prevail in tech.

“Every woman who is a professional now is a woman in tech. Because of the fast change in the pace of technology, we need to prepare to learn more in tech, and we don’t necessarily need to learn how to code. We just need to learn the essentials, to learn enough to understand how technology works or make sense of data.”

Golda Roldan, CEO of VML Manila, and Kareena Maclang Quimson, head of corporate marketing at Samsung Electronics, shared their insights and experiences in leveraging technology to transform the consumer experience.

The gaming industry and Web3 technologies are shaping the world in more ways than one. This discussion was dominated by Ivy Gutierrez, chair of Lady Traders of Global Miranda Miner Group and assistant executive director at IMPACT; Raine Laluna, co-founder of Filipinas NFT, Web3 Cebu & WAV3; and Myrtle Anne Ramos, CEO of Block Tides.

Of course, the power of tech in changing the world was also a poignant subject. Katrina Rausa Chan, founding executive director of QBO and StartUp Pinay; Yani Hornilla-Donato, country head of Canva PH; Maria Rosario Ilao, CEO and co-founder of MobileOptima Inc.; and Mona Magno-Veluz, a content creator known as “Mighty Magulang,” talked about harnessing the power of tech to create meaningful impact in the world.

The empowering touch of technology

Design, marketing, e-commerce, education, finance, and healthcare all are pillars of society. But “tech,” both as a noun and as a concept, has become an honorary suffix.

In a panel discussion, women leaders Golda Roldan and Kareena Maclang Quimson zeroed in on innovation and inclusivity, stressing the importance of reach in making inclusive marketing campaigns. Connecting with an audience is important, they said. This entails research and, more importantly, empathy. As leaders, they stressed the importance of mentorship and the true meaning of leadership: constantly yearning for learning. That can come from anywhere—even for someone who is fresh out of school and inexperienced.

Tech has also become synonymous with education. Education happens within and outside the classroom. Focusing on this, the panelists invited everyone in the audience to begin learning by doing. It doesn’t need to be a major undertaking. In fact, Katrina Rausa Chan asked all the women in the audience to use the resources available to them to push for learning. She said anyone could be only one idea away from the next big thing.

For women considering a career in the tech start-up world, all the panelists had three pieces of advice: take risks, dream big, and use tech for good.

Mona Magno-Veluz shared: “Even if you’re not part of the brains that create tech, you are users of tech every day. Choose to use tech for good… Using your thumbs, using your keyboard is not enough. You actually have to do good outside [in] the real world, as well.”

The conversation then shifted to the relationship between tech and the healthcare and beauty industries. Tech, through social media, helps bridge the healthcare gap, according to Konsulta MD Head of Marketing Pamela Lee. To her, the combined efforts of partnerships and the power of social media attract more people, propelling healthcare to the forefront. Dr. Belo also touched on how beauty treatments are now connected to sex, empowering people to enjoy their daily lives and sexual lives even more.

“There are areas in medicine that are still mired in stigma, such as reproductive health concerns. It’s important for women to have the avenue to ask questions without being embarrassed. These technologies provide an avenue, a safe space, for them.”

Wading through uncharted tech waters

When asked about AI, the women leaders unanimously considered AI as something beneficial. As the boundaries between technology and humanity continue to blur, the success of AI is no longer measured solely by its computational capabilities but by its ability to imitate human-like qualities.

For Accenture’s Ambe Tierro, “In Accenture, we have experimented with AI since years before, to equalize and provide opportunities to people with disabilities. We have speech to text [programs], text to speech [programs], because we have employees who are deaf, and they cannot participate in team’s calls.”

But, too much of anything is never good, particularly in progress. AI should be used as an enhancement tool rather than a replacement for human input. It has its limitations, after all. Human creativity and ambition remain part of the best solutions in filling the gaps. These are beyond AI’s reach.

The message from all the panelists was clear: tech is not here to replace us but rather to move us forward.

A tech state of feminine mind

She Slays ended in a blaze of glory—a celebration of the future with SM Woman through a styling workshop. With textures and colors to play with, experts turned it into one bright afternoon of embracing femininity.

The day ended with a mini-concert, powered by riveting musical performances from KAIA, dia maté, and Demi Chelsy.

With tech powerhouses in the house, the two-day She Slays affair provided just a quick overview of the power of women. But it was enough to prove that the future of tech is in good hands. The women leaders who graced the event showed how they harness the winds on the starboard, setting sail off to uncharted waters to make a new map. In their journey, “X” marks the sweet spot between success, innovation, and, well, humanity.

At their core, women nurture life—and that’s a powerful narrative all of us have to own and propel into the future. Today, women also nurture tech, ushering it into a much warmer space: humanity.