It’s time to pop the confetti and crank up the excitement! We’ve been cooking up something fun to celebrate our upcoming 5^th anniversary, and we’re rolling out the red carpet for the inaugural Fe+male Tech Heroes Awards!

Fe+male Tech Heroes is an initiative powered by High Tech Campus Eindhoven. Our mission is to amplify the call for gender equality and diversity within the tech industry. By highlighting role models, orchestrating community-building events –  including conferences, mentoring sessions, workshops and dinners – and encouraging the advocacy for tech companies to embrace diversity, we pave the way for a more inclusive and promising future in the tech industry.

The Fe+male Tech Heroes Awards 

📅 Thursday, November 9
⏰ 19.00 - 22.00
📍 Conference Center High Tech Campus
💃 Dress code: Red Carpet Ready

We will celebrate the exceptional nominees and winners during the Fe+male Tech Heroes Award Show. Our spotlight will shine on four remarkable categories:

1. Fe+male Tech Hero of 2023
2. Hidden Gem Award
3. Male Ally Award
4. Corporate Inclusion Award

1. Fe+male Tech Hero of 2023

This award will go to a female tech powerhouse. Who comes to mind when you think of the following attributes?

1. Technical expertise and innovative achievements: This woman has street cred! She knows her (tech) stuff and has a long list of successful innovation projects to her name.
2. Leadership and impact: She leads the way for other women in tech organizations, making space – and opportunities – for more brilliant women to join. Impact is her middle name.
3. Advocacy and mentorship: She is happy to share her knowledge and inspires other women to make their dent in the tech world. She helps you open doors and reach new heights. She supports you on your journey and celebrates with you when you win.

2. Hidden Gem Award 

This award goes to the unsung tech heroes. Let’s shine the spotlight on her.

1. Sometimes overlooked talent who makes considerable contributions in her tech organization and deserves to be recognized: She’s always there, perhaps behind the scenes, but she makes her mark on successful projects. She’s everyone’s go-to gal.
2. Resilient and dedicated: She’s steady in her approach. She doesn’t take no for an answer but finds a path to success amid the chaos. She’s there until the project is finished.
3. Unique perspective or background: This is a whip-smart woman in the middle of innovation but on the edge of the spotlight. She deserves recognition for her contributions.

3. Male Ally Award

This guy gets it. He sees the DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) challenge for what it is and always supports gender and diversity efforts in his tech organization and beyond in the tech community. Who comes to mind when you consider these characteristics?

1. Advocacy and awareness inside and outside the organization: He’s not just a person who believes in inclusion but actually does something about it. He’s happy to share his own best practices with other male allies and, together, make a clear difference.
2. Collaboration and mentorship: This male ally collaborates with women and men in the organization and creates opportunities for upward mobility. He may be a mentor or a person in a leadership role … or he may sit and observe first from the sidelines. But he’s the first guy to jump in and offer brilliant ideas and ways to execute a strategy for positive change.
3. Impact: supported by data: He doesn’t just wax poetic. He does things. He knows truth lies in the data, and he has numbers to support his efforts.

4. Corporate Inclusion Award (company) 

We switch gears now to think not of an individual but of an organization that doesn’t just talk the talk. No “gender washing” here. This organization is forward-thinking, understands why companies must implement DEI initiatives and supports the employees who are making a difference to improve conditions and build opportunities for females in tech.

1. Creating a diverse and inclusive work environment: This tech company (large or small) has standards in place to assure females they are important to its success. The company gives women many opportunities to advance to leadership roles.
2. Polices, initiatives and leadership efforts: DEI policies and initiatives aren’t just words on paper. Employees on all levels are empowered to make decisions to improve diversity and inclusion.
3. External engagement: going outside the company with values and goals; working with partners: This company is revered for its policies and praised by its employees. The company is approached to share its best practices with others, often supporting events or conducting workshops. Female employees are ambassadors and recruit other women to join the company.

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How does it work? 

1. Nominate:
Feel free to nominate yourself or someone else for any or all of the awards. Nomination forms are HERE! Be sure to nominate your favorites before the 27th of September. There will be 10 finalists per category, and our rock star jury (to be announced soon) will select the winners based on the above criteria.

2. Secure your ticket for the Award Show

Tickets are €15, which you can buy HERE! Get ready for a spectacular show that goes beyond the nominees - it's a magical networking party that promises to be an unforgettable experience. And to top it off, Boom Chicago's talented hosts will lead us through an evening of non-stop fun!

Join us as we recognize and celebrate the incredible achievements of the tech heroes who are shaping the future!