Two days. 20+ sessions. More than 50 speakers. Over 600 attendees. This year’s Long-Term Relationships (LTR) conference, held October 29-30, 2019 in New York City, was one for the books. Those in attendance explored the intersection of machine learning with human empathy, creativity, and intelligence when it comes to customer engagement. To kick off this year’s event, Braze welcomed our keynote speaker, the award-winning entrepreneur, engineer, and tech evangelist Megan Smith.

This session will cover:

• What inclusive technology looks like
• How everyone from coal miners to people in prison to children in the foster care system can benefit from broadening tech solutions
• The importance of closing gender disparities and what #hackthepaygap means

Smith served as the third-ever chief technology officer (CTO) of the United States from September 2014 to January 2017, helping the President harness the power of technology, data, and innovation to advance the future of our nation and the world. As CEO of shift7, she continues to pioneer methods for communities and organizations alike to to leverage technology for impact and economic inclusion. Previously, she served as VP of Google’s Google[x] advanced products team, CEO of LGBT media brand PlanetOut, and as an early employee at pioneering technology firm General Magic.

Smith’s expansive keynote is informed by a history where, all too often, the voices of key contributors have been written out due to bias. Exploring her vision for a more inclusive technology community is nothing short of inspiring. At a time when many of us are reminded what divides us In her own words: “The more we include people in our teams, the broader our solutions are going to be.”

To learn more about the future of technology and customer engagement, visit the LTR content roundup.