Celebrating 1,000 Speakers
Back in 2013, Women Talk Design started as a blog. Christina Wodtke often found herself the only woman on stage and was tired of hearing excuses from organizers. So she decided to create a speaker directory, adding another woman every Friday.
A little over a decade later, we just celebrated our 1,000th speaker joining the Women Talk Design Speaker Directory. Our organization has grown from a simple blog to a resource and community that brings women and nonbinary speakers together to connect, learn, and grow.
1,000 speakers is huge. And we believe in celebrating our wins. What better way to honor how far we’ve come than to highlight some of the brilliant people that have joined us over the years?
We recently spoke to a handful of speakers on our directory and asked two questions:
- Why did you join the Women Talk Design Speaker Directory?
- What’s the talk you most enjoyed giving this year or a talk you’re excited to give in the future?
See what they had to share below…
Div Manickam is a mindful soul and a believer in simplicity. She enjoys sharing experiences on career growth, authentic leadership, mindfulness, mental wellbeing and product marketing. You can get to know Div through her substack nowhere: Explore with Div.
“Thank you for what you do [at Women Talk Design]. This is an exciting opportunity to be a part of a community that believes in you.”
“I enjoyed this design workshop, Focus on the i in Design, with ProApp sharing my learnings on design from a product marketing lens. Be a voice for the voiceless was my opportunity to understand a market within healthcare for people who lose their voice and are looking for creative ways to communicate.”
Rachel McConnell is an author, a design leader with a background in content design, and a founder of Tempo, a community for content design leaders.
“I joined the directory as I’ve been to so many conferences where the same speakers just show up again and again. We need a space like this to showcase those who have so much knowledge and talent that they’re willing to share with the world.”
“The talk I’d love to give in 2024 is about fostering high performing, collaborative teams. Too many people think that teamwork will take care of itself, and that just isn’t the case. The conditions have to be created in which a team can thrive.”
Tanya Bhandari is a communication designer from India with over a decade of experience working in the social impact space, specialising in design for health and economic inclusion for young people.
“I joined the WTD speaker directory as one of my goals for the past several years has been to move past my extreme stage fright and be able to talk about my work, as well as the work of the organisation I am at. I have received two separate invitations to speak since I joined the directory, and that has greatly helped in honing my public speaking skills.”
“Not exactly a talk, but I just wrapped up an episode of a podcast called Design Thinking Roundtable where I talk about my personal beliefs around design for social impact, and specific projects that I have worked on in the past.”
Kyle Soucy has been working as an independent UX Research Consultant for the last 19 years through her company Usable Interface, LLC.
“Like most of us, public speaking did not come naturally to me. It took a lot of work to become good at it and it feels amazing to be at a point where I actually enjoy speaking and helping others to become more comfortable with it as well. Joining WTD has been a great way to connect with a wonderful network of supportive women, showcase my talks, and learn about events to speak at and attend.”
“This year, I most enjoyed giving a full-day workshop on how to use projective techniques in UX Research.”
Stephanie Melodia is a Top 20 Female Founder and former CEO of award-winning marketing agency, Bloom. Stephanie’s fields of expertise are in branding, marketing, startups and entrepreneurship. A passionate advocate for gender equality, Stephanie also champions male allyship to help close the gender gap.
“I joined the Women Talk Design directory to increase my exposure and maximise speaker bookings.”
“[I enjoyed] hosting the stage at Web Summit, the world’s largest tech conf!”
Roberta Dombrowski is a Research Leader and Mindful Leadership Coach.
“I decided to join the directory because of the amazing community of women!”
“I partnered with Active Voice earlier this year to give a talk on why now is the time to consciously craft your career.”
Natalie Marie Dunbar, a.k.a. The Content Practice Architect, is an author, speaker, teacher, and principal content designer who is passionate about UX.
“I joined the WTD Speaker Directory as a way to boost my speaking experience while meeting like-minded folks who are also great storytellers.”
“So many of the talks I’ve given this year have been less about craft and more about self-care. All have had the notion of setting boundaries as a theme. I’m had the opportunity to join a panel of peers in December to continue that conversation as part of Active Voice’s Reclaim Your Power year-end retreat!”
Stacey Mendez is a product and experience designer, navigating the industry.
“I joined to get expert advice on how to present my thoughts and point of view. Also, to meet other women interested in speaking.”
“My most enjoyed talk this year was ‘Experience Design, beyond the screens’ for UX London. I would be super excited to do a talk at Leading London or the User Centered Design & AI summit in Thailand.”
Shailvi Wakhlu is an author, an international keynote speaker, and a technology leader.
“As a woman of color in a technology leadership role, I’ve often been the first or the only. A speaking community that supports diversity on stage–the forums where people share, learn, and feel–is incredibly valuable to me.”
“I’ve loved the response to my signature talk “Mastering Self-Advocacy: A Blueprint” from companies that hired me to speak to their Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).”
Régine Lambrecht has been teaching Digital Accessibility for over 15 years, both at University and in enterprises. Giving talks is another way she shares her passion for the subject and sparks awareness around that essential part of an inclusive society and workplace.
“Because women are still underrepresented as speakers in large conferences, especially if not part of the biggest companies. And the subject of digital accessibility is even more absent in conferences, even though it is mandatory by law for public institutions (and for the private sector already in some countries).”
“Definitely my talk about the digital accessibility empathy lab, because it is an undervalued tool who nevertheless approaches accessibility from a rare human angle.”
Lisa Maria Marquis is an information architect who loves untangling digital content problems, speaking on stage, leading workshops, and watching Star Trek.
“I saw [joining the Women Talk Design directory] as an opportunity to join a community, or maybe to help build a community. There’s power in numbers! The more of us who add our name to the effort—who say, yes, it’s important to identify this way, collectively—then the more we can be recognized, and the more we can advance together. It’s about critical mass and solidarity and extending more opportunities to more folks.”
“I gave two talks this year—actually, workshops. One was “Take Your Idea from Brain to Book” with Women Talk Design, and it was wonderful to work with folks in this community and hopefully jumpstart some exciting book-writing journeys! I also led a workshop at Confab (the content strategy conference), titled “Systems Thinking for Content Strategy,” which was about identifying systemic problems in content work, and seeking potential systemic solutions—and that was interesting because it required taking a step back from technical skills (which can be more comfortable) and thinking about how our work is impacted by systems we don’t control (which can be scary!). Two really different workshops, but both (I hope) encouraging and useful to participants!”
Stephanie Thoma helps women rise into leadership positions with greater confidence, visibility and ownership of their strengths.
“I joined the WTD directory because I love working and helping bright and creative women become more visible and celebrated.”
“I presented Becoming A Confident Introvert at the Women of Automotive Summit and am excited to share more personal development work in addition to my more business and career focused workshops.”
Kathi Kaiser co-founded Centralis in 2001, and has been working tirelessly to make things easier for users ever since.
“We’ve learned so much about how to make better products for people over the past 20 years, and I want to do my part to spread the word. Many people, especially women and non-binary professionals, are intimidated by public speaking. I personally enjoy it, and so I feel it’s my duty to be a role model to others – to encourage them to speak up and feel more comfortable making their voices heard.”
“My recent talk entitled, “The Report is Dead! Long Live the Report!” was a pleasure to research, design, and deliver at UXPA 2023. To prepare the talk, I had the opportunity to speak with a wide range of UX professionals about how they share their research findings, and I was grateful for all their insights.”
Danielle Hughes’s mission is to help everyone be more themselves in business.
“[I joined WTD] to be included in the same breath as all the other amazing speakers and show more women that they can start at any age.”
“I did a talk for Chief on Why You Need a Personality Brand, and it was so exciting to see all these C-Suite and Senior Women Leaders realize that they can and should be taking control of their story!”
Meena Kothandaraman is passionate about human-calibrated design, and how to position the human story among other factors to consider when inspiring how products and services are created for consumption.
“I love everything about what WTD is doing. As a WOC researcher for over 30+ years, lifting other women to believe they can contribute brilliantly is engrained in the way I work.”
“I’m truly excited to be keynoting a conference in APAC in 2024. And one of my fave talks was at User Research London where I closed out the conference with a call to action to all researchers that was recited as an oath (tons of fun!).”
Ana V Peralta is a Principal User Experience Designer, CSPO and Strategist based in Austin, Texas. Currently designing for FinTech.
“I joined the WTD Speaker Directory as a way to build my personal brand and put it out there–one that builds identity outside of my day job. I see it as a place to document my accomplishments. Also, the directory link serves as an added opportunity that I highlight in my resume to potential employers and connections that represents thought leadership, initiative and communication skills.”
“In 2021, I gave a talk on the methods in which one could lead and proctor a design kick off sprint virtually as a means to express my own career adjustments due to the pandemic in efforts to keep productivity and morale high and I realized it connected many designers to the same challenge of not wanting to lose the essence of a team and impact quality, output or outcome to their designs.”
Schessa Garbutt believes that design is a superpower–it can remind us of our ancestors’ values, and it can tell new stories about what the future will look like—one filled with justice, love, and collective care.
“I joined because I wish I had more diverse speakers in class and at work when I was coming up in Design. I hope to learn from and share my knowledge with this awesome community of women and gnc who are helping each other figure it out :)”
“I’m excited for the First Round 2024 conference in Los Angeles! I’ll be speaking on March 15 in DTLA. I hope the WTD community shows out, I’d love to meet you!”
Alison Place is a designer, educator and writer, and the author of the recently published book Feminist Designer: On the Personal and the Political in Design.
“I joined WTD years ago when I got my first tenure-track job and I started applying to and speaking at conferences. I have learned so much from the organization and the community that has empowered me as a public speaker, which also helped me find my voice to write my first book!”
“I’ve been on maternity leave this fall, but I’m excited to do some book promotion events in the spring. I’ll be speaking at DePaul University in Chicago in February with a panel of contributors from my book.”
Marli Mesibov is a content designer who is passionate about creating inclusive, personalized content to support people in their journeys to better health and wellness.
“[I joined] To connect with other speakers and learn about ongoing conferences.”
“Bias in Content Design: an exploration of what causes bias, and how we can decrease our own bias to create better experiences.”
Lade Tawak’s work revolves around helping teams better understand people and what they do so businesses can make better decisions to solve problems and design solutions that benefit both the customers and the organization. She combines this with writing, speaking, teaching, and coaching. You can learn more about Lade here.
“I’m heavily involved in community building activities, especially those focused on supporting women to get into tech and to advance their careers in whatever industry they are in. I am a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion.This and gaining visibility in my field as a speaker were my top reasons for joining the WTD Speaker Directory.”
“I’m most excited about the talk I gave at a Women In Product NL Meetup in November. It was my first in-person talk in a very long time and my first in-person talk to an audience in the Netherlands. I spoke about product UX collaboration.”
Irina Kozlovskaya is a leader committed to making the world a better place through design.
“I am an advocate for the critical role diversity plays in shaping good design. I value WTD’s commitment to amplifying the voices of women and gender non-binary individuals. It’s my hope that by adding my voice, I can not only provide a unique perspective on design but also help showcase the essential value diversity brings to our industry.”
“This year, I had a wonderful opportunity to speak about the transformative power of design narratives with the Advanced Design community. AD is a vibrant hub where designers come together to exchange ideas, learn, teach, and form meaningful connections. A former scholarship kid, I am passionate about making design education accessible to those who need it most. Through talks and workshops like these, I am able to give back to the community that has supported me in my professional journey.”
Lisa Dance is a UX Research Consultant who helps create or improve products, services, and technology by understanding what frustrates or potentially harms people.
“The WTD Speaker Directory offers an opportunity to raise my hand and say I’m available to share my unique perspective and backstory around user experience and customer experience.”
“I’m excited to talk about my new book Today is the Perfect Day to Improve Customer Experiences which shares visually compelling, true stories of customer experiences gone ridiculously wrong that serve as a wake-up call to organizations relying on ill-conceived and poorly executed technology.”
Micha Goebig is the founder & CEO of GO BIG Coaching & Communications. She’s committed to supporting female leaders in achieving their own career and personal goals in the tech and automotive industries while making a contribution to an inclusive workplace and society.
“I joined the WTD Speaker Directory because I’m on a similar mission as WTD – elevate women in male-dominated environments. I primarily work with women in tech and automotive, guiding my clients through the process of unlearning what holds them back and gaining the confidence they currently lack in their professional environment. Going forward, they will be able to rewrite the rules and change the world – one company, one community, one boardroom at a time.”
“My favorite talk this year has been “Ask for What You Want: Strategies for Self-Advocacy that Don’t Feel Icky”. I share tools and techniques to build resilient confidence, own your ambition, and communicate your needs effectively. Let’s get you what you want and deserve!”
Sharanya Ravichandran is a design leader, strategist, speaker and mentor passionate about improving the human experience through technology, and boasts a 12+ long career working in various industries including Finance, Advertising, Publishing and Entertainment.
“I joined WTD to share and exchange learnings and insights as a thought leader as I continue on my speaking journey.”
“The talk I enjoyed giving this year was one at Parsons School of Design on the importance of Design Ethics and the role they play in products and businesses.”
Brandie Janow is a visionary entrepreneur who founded Kingdom Creatives, with a commitment to design-led innovation, sustainable business practices and global mentorship, and currently serves as the Chair of index Saudi.
“I joined the Women in Design Speaker Directory because I wanted to meet other women in the industry and expand my network globally, making it easier for people to access my work and expertise.”
“As a speaker, my focus remains on two powerful topics: Design Diplomacy and the power of cross-industry collaborations, which I believe can revolutionize businesses and societies worldwide. By continuing to speak about these topics, I hope to inspire audiences and enable them to drive change through creative collaboration and innovative practices.”
Sheba Najmi is a Head of UX & Product Design, Founder of Tech for Change nonprofit (Code for Pakistan), Ex-LinkedIn & Yahoo!, and Stanford Alum.
“I was very excited to join this community because I’ve been a frequent international keynote speaker on topics such as design for social good, civic technology, UX, and social good — and I would love to reach and share the knowledge with more people.”
“This year, the most fun I had was doing an interview about my story with Tech Talks (run by college students). Overall, some of my favorite past talks have been about human-centered design in government services, including at San Diego Design Week, 021 Disrupt in Pakistan, and the Global Legislative Openness Conference at the Ukraine Parliament.”
We’re thankful for this community of brilliant speakers. If you want to get connected with event organizers interested in engaging women and nonbinary speakers, join our directory. Or, if you know a great speaker, nominate them so that we can get in touch and amplify their voice.
