DockerCon 2021: Women in Tech Panel – Docker Blog

Go code, learn along the way and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. That was the inspirational message from an impressive all-women group of panelists at this year’s DockerCon Live 2021.

The advice — one of many gems shared in a Women in Tech live panel at the May 27 event — was aimed at girls and women who are thinking of becoming software developers but are hesitant. The panelists themselves were seasoned developers and Docker Captains hailing from different fields within the technology and developer industry. They included:

• Julie Lerman, Docker Captain and Software Coach
• Melissa McKay, Docker Captain and Developer Advocate, JFrog
• Jocelyn Matthews, Community Manager, Storj
• Dieu Cao, Product Manager, Docker
• Hema Ganapathy, Product Marketing, Docker

The panelists dove into the topic of Docker containers and how they make software development much more efficient, as well as use cases and applications for Docker containers. The women spoke of using SQLServer for LINUX in a container, using Docker Desktop for seeing clusters without having to use the CLI and using Docker for automated tests launched in a container.  

But it wasn’t all tech talk. The panelists also led a fascinating, interactive conversation on what it’s like to be a woman in a male-dominated industry and how those experiences shaped us during our careers. Each woman shared their passion for coding and how that influenced education and career choices. Some got hooked on coding after their first programming class, while others learned coding on their own at home. Whichever path they took, the women were united in their love of using Docker containers.

The panelists also explored what constitutes a positive developer experience. All agreed that a helpful, thriving community, like Docker’s development community, is a huge part of any developer’s success.

The panel was a reflection of Docker’s commitment to fully embracing diversity and supporting developers from all backgrounds. But don’t worry if you missed it. You can still watch it on demand for great insights about Women in Tech using Docker technology.