EmpowerHER Tech: How Allies Drive Real Change
Proposed session for SQLBits 2026TL; DR
This session explores how meaningful allyship can create a more inclusive and equitable tech environment. Attendees will learn practical strategies to recognize challenges faced by women in technology, address unconscious bias, and actively support a more diverse and empowered workforce. Perfect for anyone committed to building a healthier, more collaborative tech culture.
Session Details
Innovation thrives when diverse voices are heard, yet many individuals in technology still face barriers that limit their opportunities and sense of belonging. Creating an inclusive environment is no longer optional, it is essential for building stronger teams and a healthier tech culture.
This session invites everyone to explore how we can collectively foster a more supportive and equitable industry. We will examine what meaningful allyship looks like, the challenges women continue to experience in tech, and the practical steps individuals can take to drive positive change.
Through engaging discussions, real examples, and interactive activities, participants will:
1. Understand the impact and responsibility of allyship
2. Recognize the everyday and systemic challenges women encounter in the tech world
3. Identify and address unconscious biases
4. Learn strategies to promote diversity and inclusion within their teams
5. Discover ways to actively support and elevate women in technology
This session is more than a conversation. It’s an invitation to take action and contribute to a more inclusive, collaborative, and forward-looking tech community.
This session invites everyone to explore how we can collectively foster a more supportive and equitable industry. We will examine what meaningful allyship looks like, the challenges women continue to experience in tech, and the practical steps individuals can take to drive positive change.
Through engaging discussions, real examples, and interactive activities, participants will:
1. Understand the impact and responsibility of allyship
2. Recognize the everyday and systemic challenges women encounter in the tech world
3. Identify and address unconscious biases
4. Learn strategies to promote diversity and inclusion within their teams
5. Discover ways to actively support and elevate women in technology
This session is more than a conversation. It’s an invitation to take action and contribute to a more inclusive, collaborative, and forward-looking tech community.
3 things you'll get out of this session
1. Understand the role and impact of allyship in creating an inclusive tech culture.
2. Recognize the challenges women face in technology and how to address them.
3. Learn actionable strategies to reduce bias and support diversity within teams.
Speakers
Deepthi Goguri's other proposed sessions for 2026
From Confusion to Clarity: Understanding Fabric Capacity Like a Pro - 2026
From Risk to Resilience: Building a Secure Azure SQL Environment - 2026
Performance Tuning: How Query Store Saves Your Server (and Your Sleep) - 2026
The First Step: Empowering New Tech Speakers - 2026
When Good Queries Go Bad: Fixing Performance with Query Store - 2026
Deepthi Goguri's previous sessions
A to Z Azure SQL Security Concepts
Planning to move your databases to the cloud but seriously doubt if your data is 100% secure? No matter if you are on-prem or in the cloud, making sure your data is protected in every angle possible is the most crucial and important step in building a secure data tier of an application. Let's dedicate this session to knowing the different multi-layer defense-in-depth security techniques and strategies available to armor your Azure SQL database. let's dive deep into each of these layers starting with the network security, Azure role-based access control (RBAC), data security at the row level, auditing, advanced threat protection, different layers of encryption, monitoring, and more. By the end of this session, you will have the knowledge to make the right security decisions for your environments and implement these techniques in securing your data.
Can an Introvert become an International Speaker? If so, How?
Are you a data professional and would like to share your learnings with others but are scared to speak in public? Are you an Introvert and are comfortable in your own space but also wanted to make an impact in this world? Is something inside you pulling you back from taking the action on your dream?
Meet the two data platform speakers who started their speaking journey from the same exact situation but now sharing their learnings across the world helping other data professionals in their journey.
How did they actually begin, what challenges did they go through and who helped them along the way?
As they speak about their incredible journey, they will share some key details in becoming a speaker, the advantages, steps to improve data skills and develop careers along the way so the audience can carry the knowledge as they take their first steps in becoming one.
Different dimensions of monitoring and tuning performance for Azure SQL
Azure SQL performance capabilities, how to configure and maintain your Azure SQL for higher performance. We will explore various monitoring tools and pick few scenarios for deeper troubleshooting. In this demo centric session, we will tune our database and find an optimal ground to manage cost. We will generate Power BI powered database score card for trend analysis.
Troubleshoot and Triage Like a Pro
Let us walk you through our steps to triage and troubleshoot issues as they come in to make sure things get fixed in the right order at the right time and we all stay sane.