Is it time to leave the Tech industry? | Hybrid Gathering | Oakland, CA & Zoom
A gathering for marginalized folks contemplating alternate career paths
Tech culture is not always healthy or welcoming for those who are female, non-binary, Black, Brown, Asian, disabled, queer, trans, or part of another underrepresented group.
Whether you're burned out, tired of being mistreated, or just fed up with Tech, you may be wondering if it's time to go and where to go next. But leaving a stable Tech job often comes with much higher risks and costs for marginalized Tech workers.
If that sounds like you, join us in a small, hybrid community gathering at Oakstop in Oakland (3 min from the 19th St BART stop!) and streamed in real-time on Zoom. You'll hear stories from those who have left Tech and connect with others who contemplate leaving.
What we'll do
Our guest storytellers will talk to us about how they navigated the decision to leave, where they are now, and learnings from their journey.
They'll invite you to share your own stories, questions, and reflections, but there's no pressure to speak. You can just come, listen, and hold space with us.
About our guest storytellers
Sandra Camacho (she/her) is a straight cis neurodivergent (ish) Latina with long COVID. She's an ex-Googler (8 years) turned independent liberatory design educator, learning designer, and community-builder based in Paris, France. She's the founder of Leaving Tech, Design Changemakers, and the Inclusive Design Jam.
Kareem Elsayed (he/him) is an Ex-Googler (7 years) turned independent trauma-informed high performance coach based in the Bay Area. He pairs nervous system work with performance coaching to help leaders break patterns of burnout, procrastination, and perfectionism at the root, so they can reach their full potential.
Jaryn Miller (he/him) led design teams at startups like Headspace and Homeward Health and healthcare systems like the VA and Kaiser Permanente. He's now the founder of Reclaim Care, working to make healthcare better for everyone—and especially better for Black people.
Ticket pricing
Sliding scale pricing helps make this experience accessible to as many as possible (while helping us cover venue costs & labor for the event).
We offer two ticket types:
'Pay What You Can' Ticket: For those experiencing financial hardship, $0 minimum, $5 suggested
Solidarity Ticket: $12 – For those with disposable income
Online Seat Ticket: $2 - For those who wish to join online, symbolic price to hold your seat (only 5 available)
Confidentiality, access, & safety
Because of the vulnerable nature of the stories that are shared, we're putting strict boundaries in place to protect the group.
Complete privacy: Nobody will see your name on the attendee list. You don't have to state who you are, your title, or where you work. On Zoom, you can attend with a nickname and no camera or mic turned on.
Zero recordings: Nothing will be recorded and no photos will be taken without your explicit consent.
Registration verification: Real names are required when you register to verify who you are (and keep others safe). You're welcome to bring a guest, provided they are officially registered.
Inclusion, equity & safety: We'll honor inclusive language and give an equal opportunity for all to participate. For safety purposes, all attendees must abide by our community agreements. Anyone in violation of these will be removed from the gathering.
Accessibility: Our event space (Oakstop) is fully wheelchair accessible with elevator access. We'll offer closed captions and do our best to honor any other requests around access needs and accommodations.
About Leaving Tech
Leaving Tech is an anti-oppressive destination offering a podcast and events for marginalized folks seeking purpose and freedom beyond the Tech industry.
This event is part of the lead up to the Leaving Tech podcast, which centers the voices of marginalized folks who have left Tech and will launch later this year!