Last month, LGBT Tech’s PATHS program hosted its third annual panel and networking event, "Coding Queer Community: Queer Stories, Queer Connection, Queer Joy in STEAM" event at Sony’s headquarters in New York City. The event brought together over 75 attendees from STEAM fields all across the greater NYC area to watch a panel discussion moderated by LGBT Tech’s Director of Programs, Kristen Kelley, and Program’s Coordinator, Samantha Sygier Cayax, followed by a rooftop networking happy hour—all focused on fostering community and sharing experiences among LGBTQ+ professionals.
The event began with a first viewing premiere of the Season 6 trailer of PATHS, which is now available on our YouTube. Attendees were treated to an exclusive preview of upcoming interviews, showcasing new and powerful stories of LGBTQ+ professionals in STEAM.
Following the trailer premier, the LGBTQ+ Voices in STEAM Panel featured four dynamic speakers, each sharing their unique journeys and insights into navigating their careers at the intersection of technology, art, and queer identity. Theodoor Grimes (they/he), a digital artist and illustrator emphasized the importance that online community and specifically online arts community played in their career and identity journey.
“A pivotal moment for me in my career is about five or six years ago when my career initially took off. I had been illustrating for a couple of years at that point, but I felt my artwork didn’t really have a direction that I wanted to follow and I joined the online arts community, on Instagram in particular, and I connected with so many incredible artists who were portraying People of Color and others were portraying Queer people, but I noticed that none of them were really showing people that looked like me and my Queer Black experience or the people that I grew up with - as you know New York City is very diverse - and I saw that gap and I decided that I wanted to fill that. And so I really came to terms with my identity through exploring my gender and my sexuality through my artwork. “
Jack Farzan (any pronouns), a Senior Site Reliability Engineer, talked about their role at Adobe, and about the importance of pushing allies to do more to reach out to and recruit STEAM employees from marginalized communities. B Kelley (they/them), an award-winning filmmaker, shared their experiences in filmmaking and how their work making films has impacted their identity.
Nicolas Scott (he/him), a product-focused engineer and founder of Faststack Labs, talked about his experience operating an AI consulting firm and selling the IP for his first startup. Nicolas also shared about the importance of visibility and meeting people where they are at to help eliminate barriers to entry for Trans people in STEAM careers. After the panel, attendees moved upstairs to the Sony Headquarters rooftop patio for a networking happy hour. With an absolutely unbeatable sunset view of all of New York City as the backdrop, the rooftop offered attendees the perfect setting for some relaxed conversations and community building.
Four local LGBTQ+ organizations including the Hudson Pride Center, Love Wins NYC, The Loft LGBTQ+ Community Center, and Colectivo Intercultural TRANSgrediendo also attend the rooftop event, providing resources and sharing information about the important work being done by these organizations to support Queer and Trans communities in New York. Attendees also had the opportunity to get free, professional headshots.
This year's "Coding Queer Community" event was about creating space for LGBTQ+ individuals in STEAM to connect, share, and support each other in a genuine way. PATHS remains committed to amplifying LGBTQ+ voices in STEAM and ensuring that Queer and Trans professionals have opportunities to thrive. We’re excited to build on this year’s success and continue creating opportunities for growth, connection, and collaboration. Don’t forget to check out Season 6 of PATHS, now streaming!
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