Ahead of GHC 25, I had the opportunity to speak with Brenda Darden Wilkerson, our President & CEO, about what’s top of mind this year. Here’s what she shared:
1. What does it mean to you to host GHC in Chicago, a city so near to your heart?
In college it became home, and I really began to put my heart into Chicago. This is a place where I have made a difference, and so to have GHC here, which for the last 7 and a half years has been the thing that I put my back into, to put those 2 things together, a city that I care about, city that I love, and then have everybody come here? I mean, there really aren’t words to describe how wonderful it is for me. I want people to enjoy Chicago; I want people to know about Chicago. There’s so much innovation that’s happened here in Chicago that people don’t know because we don’t talk about it. We’re learning how to tell our story. And it is definitely a tech center. I believe it is a great place, especially for women, to apply their trade, either working in tech or starting as an entrepreneur. So, it’s all-around fabulous, and I’m geeked.
2. Can you tell us a bit about Chicago being a tech hub? How do you think its spirit will be reflected at this year’s Celebration?
We have a great history! We’ve got great universities where a lot of amazing research has been done historically. We are like the place for quantum, you know. We’re out in front on a lot of things that we don’t talk a lot about, but that are going to be massively useful to the rest of the world. Some of the original boot camps started here in Chicago, we have a large amount of tech incubators, I think even Grubhub was started here. We were central to the Civil rights movement. We’ve been central to a lot of the movements happening. We have a progressive community that’s rich; I think we’re more like a stew pot than a melting pot. With stew, each thing gives flavor to the pop. It maintains this history that goes into making us a place where everybody can be. I think that’s going to be reflected in our Celebration—everybody can represent their community, whether it’s by state or by country, or by heritage of some other type. It’s a rich, truly international city.
3. What are your hopes for those who attend?
My hope for them coming to GHC in Chicago is that they learn they potentially have another home, another place that they could be. I love our city! You know they care about people; they care about education. Whether you’re a student all the way up to the C-suite, you can find something here as an option. The definition of freedom to me is options. What we always want to offer people when they come to a location is: this could be an option for me. Whether I move here, whether I have found a colleague here, or a company here that I can work with. I’m hoping that they get the warmth and love of the community. What I always hope for our attendees is that they know we love them, and that they have found a place that is theirs. There’s somebody that you’ve connected with that is going to make your life different, better. And that you’re hungry to learn. I just want as many wonderful human to human connections that people can take with them when they leave.
4. Can you share about how people come up to you saying they’ve attended GHC in the past – what that meant to them, and what these interactions mean to you?
My parents were teachers. I could hardly get down the street with them, because there was always somebody going, “Miss Darden! You were my best teacher!” My mother started teaching when she was 20; she graduated college early. When she was 80 years old, this student tracked her down to my house to say to her what a difference that class—her 1st class—made in his life! I grew up with that but never thought I would experience it myself because I told my mom I wasn’t teaching nobody nothing. I lied. So, when people walk up, I get to be with my mom again.
At Tech Chicago I was doing a panel. We were finding where we were supposed to be, and this woman ran up to me and she said, “Oh, my God! You know I got to go to the conference, and I wouldn’t have been able to go except you guys had daycare. And I got my first job.” I think the lesson for us at AnitaB.org is to understand that no matter what you do for AnitaB.org, you are changing people’s lives and lives that you don’t even expect.
5. GHC has always been more than a tech conference; it’s a gathering, a Celebration. How do you see that movement evolving in 2025 and beyond?
We have to have courage over comfort every single day. I feel like it’s an opportunity for us to get more grounded in all the things that we have in common. I can see this year, people being more open to thinking as a collective, because we won’t win unless we do so. As long standing as we’ve been, people just assume we’d always be around. I think people will be more aware that they actually have a hand in taking care of this thing that they say they care about, because there are so many things that aren’t given anymore. I think people will focus more on the human element for that reason, and the fact that they don’t get together. We don’t get to see each other as much—this is what we can do to make sure we all exist and keep coming together.
Stay tuned for Part Two of our interview with Brenda Darden Wilkerson.
Support the Future of Tech with AnitaB.org
AnitaB.org is a nonprofit on a mission to shape a tech industry where everyone can thrive. We rely on donations from people like you—those who believe in dynamic innovation and want to see meaningful progress.
Your support fuels programs like our Membership community, the AnitaB.org Apprenticeship Pathway Program (APP), and impactful events like Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC)—happening this November in Chicago. (P.S. Registration is now open!) And don’t forget to follow Brenda Darden Wilkerson on LinkedIn to see who she’s impacting.
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