Solo Talks: Voices of Innovation

Exploring the Balance between Culture and Digital Technology in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Communities

Exploring the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander cultures and the positive and negative impacts of digital tech in urban, regional and remote communities.
The opportunity is to find ways to shift Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities from being just consumers of technology and becoming influencers and creators of technology, but most importantly, in a culture first appropriate way.
At Indigitek and NGNY we’re exploring ways that can enable communities and individuals to participate in the tech space and to utilise digital tech in a way that balances culture and community productivity that supports sustainable outcomes.

LIAM RIDGEWAY – Cofounder at NGNY + Indigitek

Building an Accessible and Inclusive Tech Ecosystem for People with Disabilities

Want to be inclusive within your company? Gian Wild talks about how to make your organisation friendly to people with disabilities. Gian runs AccessibilityOz, where 60% of the staff have a disability.

GIAN WILD – CEO, Founder at AccessibilityOz

I’m Not The Founder You Were Expecting

How do you build a successful Ed Tech Start-up serving under-represented communities when you don’t fit the mold either investors or users had in mind? It’s been six years since launching our first, very buggy educational game. We’re now in two countries, in schools ranging from large urban districts to Native American reservations to one-room schoolhouses.

DR. ANNMARIA DEMARS – President at 7 Generation Games

Are We Being 1

Discussing a personal story of struggle after coming out as Transgender in the IT industry and success after personal and career reinvention. Recruiters in the IT industry and their feedback and my own persistence. Discussing being more inclusive as a society, when in professional spaces as women, men, lesbians, and gays, and when it comes to nonwhite and transgender employees. Using humour and stories from my children’s perspective, as well from them on train rides with me, stories in the toilets, them dressing up in drag, and at times on how society has treated their Dad. Sometimes we will laugh, sometimes we will cry, but in the end we will want to hug. This is a mix of workplace and storytelling.

MICHELLE SHEPPARD – Transgender Community Liaison Officer at Fitted For Work

Finding Our Way Together: Inclusive Teams Building Inclusive Products

Successfully designing inclusive products begins with the team that builds them. Using practical, real world examples, we will demonstrate how our team foregrounded inclusion & accessibility in product design to create user experiences that are equitable and empowering.

KATI ELIZABETH – Product Designer & Product Manager at Victoria University

KHUYEN PHUNG – User Interface Designer at Victoria University