Become a Speaker
AnitaB.org’s Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) is the largest gathering of women and non-binary technologists in the world, where attendees learn, network, and celebrate their achievements. GHC 23 will take place in Orlando, Florida, and online from September 26-29. Submit a proposal to be one of the 300+ speakers of 200+ sessions. Contact communitycontent@anitab.org with questions.
The submission deadline was Wednesday, April 26, 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Learn more about the CFP Process
Timeline
- Thursday, February 23 – Call for Participation (CFP) Opens
- Tuesday, March 7 – Info session and Q&A (Watch the recording.)
- Wednesday, April 19, 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time – Info session and Q&A (Register Here!)
- Wednesday, April 26, 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time – CFP Closes
- June – Proposal Status Notifications sent
- July – Guides and Resources
- August – Orientation and Training
- September 26-29 – GHC 23!
Speakers
We aim to have GHC speakers that represent the talent and rich diversity of our community. We welcome speakers of all levels and backgrounds. Speakers may be students, interns, early-, mid-, or senior-career, or entrepreneurs/founders. Prior conference speaking experience is not required.
Speakers will receive support and training from AnitaB.org staff, the ability to network with and learn from a community of speakers from around the world, and complimentary GHC registration.
Tracks
- Artificial Intelligence
- Career
- Computer Systems
- Data Science
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
- Extended Reality (VR/AR/MR), Media, and Gaming
- Hardware
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Open Source
- Non-Traditional Tech/Emerging Tech
- Product Management
- Public Interest Tech
- Security/Privacy
- Software Engineering
Session Formats
GHC 23 will feature lightning talks, lectures and panels, skills-focused workshops, networking, open-source projects, and more. We are looking for technical, career, or community-focused content through the following session formats:
Career Conversations: Host a Career Conversation to help attendees better understand how you got your job, promotion, or grant. Career Conversations are 45-minute sessions with 10-15 minutes for setting up the topic and the rest for audience Q&A. These sessions may have 1-2 speakers and will be presented in person or virtually. All speakers of in-person sessions must be present on-site.
Lectures: Your typical conference presentation session with 1 or 2 speakers. GHC lectures are 45 minutes long with 30 minutes allotted for content and 15 minutes for audience Q&A. Lectures will take place in person—all speakers must be present on site. These sessions will be recorded for virtual attendees.
Level Up Labs: Workshops for learning new skills, co-creating resources, or solving problems. Attendees should expect hands-on activities. Labs are 60-minute, in-person sessions with 2-4 speakers. All speakers must be present on site. (Labs may add additional mentors to support attendees on site.)
Lightning Talks: 30-minute technical sessions with 15 minutes dedicated to presenting the topic and the rest for audience Q&A. Lightning talks will be presented virtually. These sessions may have only 1 speaker.
Networking Sessions: Mix and mingle with fellow technologists who share an identity or affinity at a GHC-facilitated networking session. Facilitators (aka “speakers”) will lead activities to help attendees meet and make valuable connections. These 60- to 90-minute sessions may have 2-4 facilitators and will be offered both in-person and virtually. All speakers of in-person sessions must be present on-site.
Panels: Topical discussions between a group of experts with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. GHC 23 panels are in-person, 45-minute sessions with 3-4 speakers and 1 moderator. Panels are not series of presentations or one-on-one panelist interviews—a moderator will guide the discussion and prompt audience questions. No slides are used. Panels will be recorded for virtual attendees.
Open Source Day Projects & Workshops: GHC’s annual Open Source Day (OSD) is a day of coding and learning about all things Open Source. GHC 23’s OSD will take place virtually, during the conference. We seek proposals for workshops and projects that offer attendees the chance to gain knowledge and make real software contributions.
- OSD projects must have at least one woman or non-binary core maintainer and provide mentors and triaged, technical-focused, good first issues for the event. Maintainer/mentor teams will introduce the project, answer questions, and support attendees in making contributions. OSD projects will gain visibility and same-day contributions, as well as help grow the pool of future contributors.
- OSD’s hands-on workshops are for learning new skills, co-creating resources, or solving problems. These are 60-minute, virtual sessions with up to 4 speakers. We are seeking workshop proposals for all skill levels and backgrounds about technologies, projects, processes, community, and more to help attendees level up their Open Source contribution skills.
Evaluation Process
The GHC call for participation (CFP) is competitive. We typically receive thousands of submissions for only a few hundred session slots. Do not let this discourage you from submitting. Responding to a call for participation is good practice. Review the tips included on this page and ask for guidance when you need it.
Proposals will be evaluated by our diverse team of volunteer reviewers, co-chairs, and AnitaB.org staff and scored using several criteria including:
- Diversity of the speaking team, if applicable
- Inclusivity of the content
- Coherence and clarity
- Timeliness of content and potential interest and value to attendees
- The extent to which the session offers clear inspiration, lessons, tools, and/or innovative ideas
- Feasibility of proposed activities
- Balance of organizational representation
Those who submit proposals for a panel or lecture may opt-in to be considered for a feature session. These elevated sessions are focused on the highest-quality content in specialized areas of expertise and will take place on our featured stage. We will reach out if your session is a good fit for our featured programming.
Proposals that are incomplete, not relevant to AnitaB.org programming, or are focused on selling products or services will be automatically rejected.
Fine Print
- Sessions will be presented in-person and online September 27-29 between 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
- Speakers must be at least 18 years old by September 26, 2023.
- Speakers may speak in a maximum of 2 sessions.
- All speakers of in-person sessions must be present on-site.
- GHC participants must review and abide by the GHC code of conduct.
Learn more about the CFP Process