Austin Women in Technology gathered for our annual Galentine’s celebration at The Cathedral Art Gallery and the room was buzzing with connections, knowledge-sharing, love letters and good music. The highlight of the event was an inspiring panel on the power of community before closing the night with a DJ and plenty of time for meaningful networking and new friendships.
Real talk on the Importance of Community
Our Galentine's panel featured some incredible female leaders from our Austin community to share their advice and own experiences around building community. Panel speakers included:
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Heather Trumpfheller, ATX Community Ambassador of What She Said
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Carlisha Robinson, CEO of CBR Ventures
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Cherie Werner, Founder of F.I.E.S.T.A.
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with Emily Gupton, AWT President and CTO of SKG Texas, Inc.
Tip #1 Network early and often
Heather challenged the common habit of networking only when we need something. Instead, she encouraged consistency and intentionality. Show up, set a simple goal like meeting three new people and then follow up afterward.
Conversation starters can be as easy as “what do you do?” or “how are you?.” However, Carlisha advised on asking questions that you also want to answer like “What have you been creating lately?” or “What’s a goal you’re working toward?”
If networking or joining a new community feels intimidating, our panelists discussed how volunteering can act as a low-pressure on-ramp to building community. Volunteering gives you a role, a reason to talk to people, and repeated exposure that makes networking feel more natural.
Tip #2 Pivots Happen
Career pivots came up again and again. Pivots aren’t always chosen; sometimes they’re triggered by layoffs, shifting priorities, or life circumstances. What matters is how intentionally we respond.
Carlisha offered advice on focusing on what you can control. We can’t control everything about a transition, but we can control our actions and how we show up, how we communicate, who we ask for support, and what we do next. “When you focus on the 10%…the things that are in your control,” you stop burning energy on the other 90%.
This idea tied directly into community-building. Your network isn’t just “contacts,” it’s momentum. It’s sponsors, mentors, former teammates, and the people who will still pick up the phone when your LinkedIn headline changes.
Tip #3 Come with an Ask
While the first step to building community is showing up, the next step is having an ask. Having an ask, like an introduction or a coffee chat, makes it easy for someone to help you.
Cherie shared a story about someone she met at FoundHERs who was looking for advice on a pitch deck. That conversation ultimately helped the founder secure significant funding. The takeaway was, “If you don’t ask, nobody is going to be able to help.”
The panel also offered practical “how-to” guidance that made asking feel less daunting. Practice until it’s normal, keep the request succinct, and build follow-up into your routine. Emily shared how she sets aside time to follow-up weekly.
Until next time…
A heartfelt thank you to our event sponsor, What She Said, for helping make this Galentine’s celebration possible! We hope you left with new names in your phone and confidence in your next steps. If you missed Galentines, we hope to see you at some of our upcoming AWT events:
