What happened at Breaking Into Tech
On Thursday, June 21, sf.citi hosted Breaking Into Tech Speed Networking at the headquarters of sf.citi member company LinkedIn. The evening was part of the One City Forum’s quarterly event series, which brings together sf.citi members, nonprofit organizations, and community leaders to meet, connect, and learn.
Because we believe that San Franciscans are the future workforce for many sf.citi member companies, we want to ensure that we proactively support local talent growth to fulfill the many professional opportunities available here in the tech industry. Tonight, we have a cross-section of the biggest and most exciting tech companies in San Francisco here to mentor local job seekers. As with all sf.citi events and programs, Breaking Into Tech connects the industry we represent with our city and our community.
-Jennifer Stojkovic, Executive Director, sf.citi
A night of structured networking aimed at connecting employees from San Francisco’s tech companies with aspiring tech workers, Breaking Into Tech bucked the trend of past sf.citi events with its unique, interactive format. After a brief introduction by LinkedIn Director of Community Affairs Katie Ferrick and sf.citi Executive Director Jennifer Stojkovic, the speed networking began.
Some 50 advisors hailing from every rung of the corporate ladder, and from tech companies all over the city, stationed themselves at tables throughout the venue. Our 200+ attendees then divided into small groups around each of the advisors. Moving tables every ten minutes, they heard insider insight about working in tech from five different advisors over the course of an hour.
sf.citi secured advisors from many of our member companies, including AT&T, AdRoll, Facebook, Lyft, Okta, Postmates, and Salesforce.
As the buzz of the timer signaled the end of the last speed networking session, job seekers had the chance to mingle with other advisors, exchange contact information, and get their resumes reviewed by representatives from HireClub, a job career coaching platform.
Closing the event, Sherilyn Adams, Executive Director of Larkin Street Youth Services and One Forum City co-chair, described one of the most inspiring and quintessentially San Francisco elements of the evening: the coming together of tech and nonprofits; advisors and job seekers. She was not alone in this observation. Two of our attendees working in the non-profit sector—Sarah Herrera and Melinda Huot—said it was encouraging to meet so many tech workers committed to showing they care about the local community. Offering a succinct takeaway of the event, they said, “Leveraging technology for grassroots movements is so Bay Area.”
What motivated our advisors to participate in Breaking Into Tech?
We’re committed to contributing to the communities in which we live and work, and keeping that core value at the forefront as we continue to evolve as a company and team. San Francisco has been our headquarters since day one, and we’ve been fortunate to grow and thrive here over the past decade. Opportunities like this allow us to work together with community and business partners to find ways to continue to meaningfully and positively support the city that we call home – engaging the diverse workforce already here to share insights and find new paths to grow together.
-Erin Baudo Felter, Executive Director, Okta for Good
See more of the event’s photo highlights:
Photo Highlights – all photos courtesy of Tony Chung, LinkedIn Media Productions
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