​AI-Powered Career Growth in Tech | Meetup at Tesco Technology

​No matter where you are in your tech career, this meetup is for you!

​Agenda

​16:30 Doors Open

​👩‍💻 17:00–18:30 Workshops: “Who Broke the Pipeline? – How AI Helps You Go From Mid* to Senior”

​🍕 18:30–19:00 Break & Networking. Snacks and drinks are on us!

​🎙️ 19:00–20:00 Discussion Panel

​20:00 End of the official programme – feel free to stick around for more chats and networking!

​​Workshops (17:00–18:30)

​“Who Broke the Pipeline? – How AI Helps You Go From Mid* to Senior”

​* All career levels welcome! We're using the mid-to-senior transition – one of tech's toughest career challenges – as our starting point for a broader conversation about growth.

​Most people in tech don’t get stuck because they lack skills. They get stuck because they’ve never seen what senior decision-making actually looks like from the inside. The uncertainty, the incomplete data, the pressure, and the moment you have to call it anyway. We know this from experience – and from a career path that had no business ending here.

​📌 This workshop is built around one uncomfortable truth: seniority isn’t only about knowing more. It’s about having a framework for not knowing. Through a live deployment scenario from a Tesco store – software we build entirely in-house, shipping to more than 40,000 retail devices across countries – you’ll face the same data ambiguity we face every day. A short decision window, incomplete signals, a real cost of getting it wrong. And AI not as an answer machine, but as the mentor that helps you ask better questions and find your voice before you walk into the room. You’ll leave with a workflow you can keep using. Not slides.

​​Discussion Panel (19:00–20:00)

​Careers rarely go exactly as planned. Sometimes, all it takes to change direction is an unexpected opportunity, an inspiring conversation, support from a mentor, or the courage to try something completely new.

​In this panel, Tesco Technology colleagues will share their career journeys – the turning points, decisions, challenges, and experiences that have shaped where they are today.

​📌 We'll also talk about what career development looks like in a world where AI is changing how we work, what skills we need, and how our teams collaborate.

​You'll hear real stories and practical insights from colleagues at different stages of their careers – from mentors to participants in development programmes. Together, we'll explore how we can take ownership of our development and prepare for what's next, as we navigate change at Tesco Technology.

​​Speakers 🤩

​🔹 Hanna Jarlaczyńska is an AI Engineer who loves turning ambitious ideas into working solutions. With client-facing experience, she bridges the gap between data science and real-world impact – from experimenting with graph neural networks at Intel to helping companies turn data into decisions, and now at Tesco Technology, where she focuses on finding the balance between AI hype and scalable products that truly make a difference.

​During her studies, Hanna was part of student research groups developing software for rockets that won international competitions and served on the board of a team dedicated to making AI learning fun and accessible for students. Her research on AI for carbon footprint estimation was presented at NeurIPS 2025 AI for Climate workshops.

​🔹 Dominika Wronka started with cosmetology. Then came the pandemic, boredom, and friends who pulled her into the world of IT – and she never left. Starting with SQL and Python, and landing in data engineering, finance, and retail tech. Self-taught, no computer science background, no roadmap.

​Today she built a platform that deploys cutting-edge software to more than 40,000 devices across countries – while the stores are closed and no one is watching. Retail is her place: technology that ultimately touches a real person at a real till.

​She’s been the only woman in the room more than once. She knows what it takes to prepare – mentally and professionally – to feel equal. Not better, not worse. Equal. AI didn’t give her knowledge; it gave her a voice.

​She believes a product manager is not a project manager with a Jira board – they’re someone who designs systems and treats a product like a craft. Her path was unconventional. And that’s exactly why she has something to say to every person who feels stuck – not from lack of competence, but lack of confidence.

​🔹 Rafał Stępień is a Software Development Manager in the Data Science Engineering Department at Tesco Technology, with 15 years of experience in IT and a passion for innovative solutions, high-quality code, and building effective development teams. He enjoys turning complex ideas into real-world solutions and inspiring others to do the same.

​An MBA graduate, dedicated mentor, and active member of Kraków's tech community, Rafał believes that sharing knowledge is one of the best ways to grow – both professionally and personally. You'll often find him organising meetups, speaking at tech events or exchanging ideas with fellow engineers and leaders.