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COMPES PDC 2023 Schedule

7:45 AM - 8:30 AM

Pre-Conference Yoga with Detroit Yoga Lab (grab a coffee!)

9:00 AM - 9:30 AM

Opening Remarks (SWE, NSBE, SHPE Detroit)

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Morning Keynote Speaker: Micaela Eller, Operations Engineer & Director of InnerSource at IBM (Main Hall)

10:30 AM - 11:15 AM

Breakout Session 1 

  • Neurodivergent Engineers: Stop Hiding! (Professional)

  • Demystifying ChatGPT (Tech & Design)

  • Cultivate Lasting Business Relationships (Community)

  • Mindfulness@Toyota: Tools for Regulating Stress & Building Resilience (w Partner)

  • Resume Review & Mock Interviews (w Partners)

11:20 AM - 12:05 PM

Breakout Session 2 

  • Thriving in a Remote Environment (Professional)

  • AI as an Extension of Homo Sapiens (Tech & Design)

  • Our Emotional System: Are You in the Driver's Seat or Along for the Ride? (Community)

  • Resume Review & Mock Interviews (w Partners)

12:05 PM - 1:00 PM

Lunch Break (provided by Frita Batidos)

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Afternoon Keynote Speakers: Toyota Panel Discussion w Toyota R&D Executive Leadership;

Kristen Tabar, Group Vice President, Advanced Mobility Research & Development

Earnee Gilling, Senior Executive Engineer - Electronic Systems, Vehicle Development & Engineering

Christine Garramone, General Manager - Powertrain, Purchasing Supplier Development

Carla Neff, General Manager - Supplier Relations, Purchasing Supplier Development

2:00 PM - 2:45 PM

Breakout Session 3

  • Profitable Economics of Tech Diversity (Professional)

  • Engineers with Foreign Language Skills are an Untapped Resource (Tech & Design)

  • The Power of the Introvert: Utilizing Your Talents and Team (Community)

  • Resume Review & Mock Interviews (w Partners)

2:50 PM - 3:35 PM

Breakout Session 4

  • The Art of Receiving Feedback (Professional)

  • AI-Powered Design: Unleashing Productivity in the Creative Process (Tech & Design)

  • Partners Not Opponents: Turning Communication into Connection (Community)

  • Resume Review & Mock Interviews (w Partners)

3:40 PM - 4:00 PM

LinkedIn Networking Happy Hour (Main Foyer)

6:00 PM

Conference Ends

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Check-In & Breakfast (provided by Panera Bread)

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Conference After Party, Closing Remarks & Prizes! (Main Hall)

Stationary photo

Session Descriptions

Breakout Session 1

(Professional) Neurodivergent Engineers: Stop Hiding!

Speaker: Aurelia Gooden, Stellantis Production Way Specialist @ Stellantis

​

This section addresses the bias that neurodivergent engineers face in the workplace as they are often encouraged to remain behind the computer - out of sight and out of mind. Neurodivergent engineers will be encouraged to seek management positions whenever there is an opportunity to do so.

(Tech & Design) Demystifying ChatGPT

Speaker: Supriya Bachal, Senior Data Scientist @ Ryder Systems Inc.

​

This session will demystify what ChatGPT is (generative Network), ChatGPT as an ML model, explore its use cases in Data Science and leveraging plugins, demonstrate how to leverage it as a tool, and explore how the plugins work.

(Community) Cultivate Lasting Business Relationships

Speaker: Robin Kinnie, President @ Audio Engineers of Detroit

​

Relationships are important to grow awareness and professional background. Learn how to use specific and strategic tools to build beneficial business relationships. You will learn from a serial entrepreneur's tried and true strategies that led to two successful companies. Beyond personal development tools, attendees will hear examples on how to utilize basic concepts to get in the right rooms and in front of the right people.

Mindfulness@Toyota: Tools for Regulating Stress & Building Resilience

Speaker: Debby Byrne, Executive Program Manager @ Toyota Motor North America, R&D

​

Join us for an interactive session to build skills for resilience and regulating stress. We have all experienced significant change in our lives professionally and personally, and the pace of change seems to be continuously accelerating. With mindfulness as a foundation, you'll discover how the brain and body respond to stress and strategies to manage the stress response on both individual and collective levels. In addition to personal strategies for resilience, you will also learn how to foster resilience within team environments, cultivating a culture that promotes support, collaboration, and growth.

Resume Review & Mock Interviews

w Partners

Breakout Session 2

(Professional) Thriving in a Remote Environment

Speaker: Ashwini Balasubramanian, GM Advanced Engineering @ Harley Davidson Motor Company

​

As GM of Harley Davidson, I manage a large team that is mixed (in-person, hybrid, remote) while I work mostly remotely. I have had to learn many new relationship-building strategies, managing direct reports and a large team virtually and can share those learnings.

(Tech & Design) AI as an Extension of Homo Sapiens

Speaker: Chunxiao Lu, Senior Experience Designer @ Ford

​

Bring your deck! I'll share tips on upgrading your design and we'll fix it up together.

(Community) Our Emotional System: Are You in the Driver's Seat or Along for the Ride?

Speaker: Angela Morrill, President @ Angela Morrill Leadership & Life Coaching

​

If our behavior was a car, most of us would have to admit that there are times when we regret the direction we took and may have caused some damage along the way. In that case, it is quite possible your emotional system took control. Let's improve the safety of our roads by better understanding the levers on the control panel.

· Learn about what Core Energy is and the impact it has on us
· Hear about the 7 levels of leadership and which ones are typically experienced under stress versus under normal conditions
· Gain insights that may serve you in becoming the best version of yourself

Resume & Portfolio Review

w Partners

Mock Interviews

w Partners

Breakout Session 3

(Professional) Profitable Economics of Tech Diversity

Speaker: Ida Byrd-Hill, CEO @ Automation Workz

 

Americans are not fully invested in the econcept of electric vehicles. Many automakers have not created programs, designs and advertising to cater to diverse populations and they should. Diversity is a $9 trillion dollar economic imperative, not a social justice issue. This session discusses how automakers should use diversity to sell the concept of electric vehicles and how individuals should investigate a tech career in electric vehicles.

(Tech & Design) Engineers with Foreign Language Skills are an Untapped Resource

Speaker: Kasia Lynch, Founder @ Ikigai Connections

​

Engineers with foreign language skills do not realize how important their skills are to globally-minded companies in the US and abroad. Unfortunately, companies seeking bilingual talent don't always know where to look. This presentation will empower engineers with foreign language and cultural skills how to search and apply for jobs that may not be advertised correctly, and why this is important in our global economy.

(Community) The Power of the Introvert: Utilizing Your Talents and Team

Speaker: Lauren Long, Project Manager and Mechanical Engineer @ Treetown Tech LLC

​

Do you identify as an introvert or have one working on your team? Introverts are usually pegged as quiet, reserved and introspective but are much more. In this talk we will cover the power of the introvert and how to utilize those skills in your career or on your team. We will talk about introvert leaders, using your natural talents for business and how leaders on your team can make space for the introvert.

Resume & Portfolio Review

w Partners

Mock Interviews

w Partners

Breakout Session 4

(Professional) The Art of Receiving Feedback

Speaker: Priti Shah, Advanced Vehicle Systems Engineer and Strategic Lead @ General Motors

​

How often have you had to give or receive feedback at school, workplace or other environments? What if you feel the feedback provided lacks credibility, has faulty information, or their advice will do you more harm than good? Feedback may not always be tactful or constructive, however with the appropriate tools, we can empower ourselves to receive information and expand on our ability to be inclusive of others' perceptions of ourselves.

 

Please join Priti for an interactive, engaging workshop that will ignite the conversation of how we can use these principles in handling feedback. Priti Shah, a senior engineer, has been working at General Motors for over 11 years. She has successfully created and delivered this seminar throughout the company and at various forums benefitting a variety of audiences.

(Tech & Design) AI-Powered Design: Unleashing Productivity in the Creative Process

Speaker: Roland Frohman III, Interaction Designer and Design Lead, IoT and Connect App @ Bissell Homecare Inc.

​​

​In this presentation, we will explore how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be leveraged as a design tool to enhance productivity and foster innovation. By augmenting the creative process with AI, designers can automate repetitive tasks, generate new ideas and solutions, and improve the overall quality of their work.

(Community) Partners Not Opponents: Turning Communication into Connection

Speaker: Kris Liebau, Owner and Coach @ Action and Ease Coaching

​

Frustrated that your message isn’t getting through to your team or leadership? Exhausted trying to engage and motivate people within the organization? Communication is a two-way street and being a good communicator requires establishing connection with curiosity to drive results and enhance understanding.

 

This session will give you the space to reflect on your current communication strategies and feedback systems as well as providing tactical tools for empowering teams, mitigating conflict, building trust, and getting results. Let’s address the underlying issues of connection and communication to keep your team moving forward and thriving through even the most difficult conversations.

Resume & Portfolio Review

w Partners

Mock Interviews

w Partners

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