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Connecting women in tech

Hosted in collaboration with the Tech Exploration Lab, “Women in Tech & Innovation Night” offered students an evening of learning and connection in Morgridge Hall.

Photos by Jacob Duran

A speaker stands at the front of a tiered lecture hall addressing a full audience of students seated at desks. Behind her, a wide projection screen reads “Women in Tech & Innovation Night: Lightning Talks, Mentoring & Connection,” Monday, Oct. 26, Morgridge Hall.

After the cancellation of this year’s Grace Hopper Celebration, “the world’s largest gathering of women and non-binary technologists,” the College of Computing & Artificial Intelligence and the Tech Exploration Lab brought together students and community partners during Women in Tech & Innovation Night on Monday, October 26. 

Instead of flying to Anaheim, CA, where the conference was originally scheduled to take place, groups across campus and beyond convened in Morgridge Hall’s first-floor atrium and Hello, World! Auditorium for lightning talks, networking, and more. Speakers shared honest stories about breaking in, the challenges they faced, and how they ultimately built careers in tech, while students had the chance to find connection and mentorship. 

Hosted by

The Tech Exploration Lab
UW–Madison’s College of Computing & Artificial Intelligence (CAI)
Wisconsin School of Business

Student orgs: Transcend UW, WACM, Women in Entrepreneurship, Women in Business Technology

Off-campus partners: Madison Women in Tech, Women in Technology Wisconsin

A speaker stands near a podium at the front of a lecture hall as two students watch from their seats in the foreground. A projected slide reads “Thank you to our partners” and lists UW–Madison College of Computing & Artificial Intelligence, Wisconsin School of Business, Madison Women in Tech, Women in Technology Wisconsin, Transcend UW, WACM, Women in Entrepreneurship, Women in Business Technology, and Tech Exploration Lab.
Sandra Bradley, executive director of the Tech Exploration Lab, delivers opening remarks during Women in Tech & Innovation Night on Monday, October 26, 2026.
A woman in black speaks into a handheld microphone at the front of a large wood-paneled lecture hall, addressing rows of attendees seated at low tables.
During lightning talks, Naveen VK, technical director for nvisia, speaks to the crowd of about 120 in Morgridge Hall’s Hello, World! Auditorium. 
Attendees seated at desks in Morgridge Hall's Hello, World! Auditorium applaud and smile as they look toward the front of the room.
For student attendees, the event was a chance to find connection and learn about career paths in tech and beyond. 
A woman gestures as she talks with a small group of students at a table in a bright atrium. Beside her, a tall banner reads “WIT: Women in Technology Wisconsin,” and in front are stacks of brochures and business cards.
Following the lightning talks, attendees networked with event partners like Jenny  Knuppel from Women in Technology Wisconsin, Inc.
Attendees mingle and talk at exhibitor tables in the atrium. A Technology Exploration Lab banner reading “Innovate. Experiment. Transform” stands at left, and a PlayStation-branded table is visible at right.
Arpita Petkhar, an MBA Leadership Fellow with the Tech Exploration Lab, talks to a student about campus programs next to a table hosted by a group from Playstation. 
A woman behind a table talks with a student across from her, while other attendees chat at nearby tables. Brochures, cards, and small giveaways are spread across the blue tablecloth.
Students had the opportunity to network with women in tech around Madison and find additional campus resources for building community and professional development. 

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