#DisruptorsInTech | Impossible doesn't exist

What if I tell you that impossible doesn't exist? There are only 3 conditions that have to be met. 

• First, you need to believe in it yourself
• Second, you need to work really hard 
• Third, you need to surround yourself with people who believe in you and your ideas.

3 July 2019 marked exactly 2 years & 9 months when I arrived in Australia (from Poland) on a student visa. I was one of 500 000 international students in 2016. I didn’t know anyone, but I'm a strong believer that life is about looking for opportunities and catching them, and I got the chance of an internship in Strut Digital, a boutique technology company that specialised in DevOps. Quite quickly they offered me a part time job being responsible for marketing and events. 

One of my main goals was to develop a #DisruptorsInTech meetup group to support their talent acquisition efforts. Let me say it again: I didn’t know anyone in Sydney, I didn’t have any knowledge about technology and my English was, let’s say - not perfect, but point number 1 was completed. I really believed that I could do it.

Also, I was lucky enough to meet Zack Levy, CEO of Strut Digital and later, after Strut team joined Deloitte, Partner in Could team. Let me tell you honestly, all of this was possible because Zack strongly believed that Disruptors In tech community is really valuable and also he took a risk and had faith that I’m the person who can make it work.

So what is #DisruptorsInTech?

This is a series of events and a community of technology enthusiasts who meet every month in Sydney and Melbourne (soon in Brisbane) to hear about AI, ML, VR, AR, Big Data, Blockchain, Cyber Security and so on, and learn from subject matter experts and guests from the community. Every month 120-180 people gather at each location to learn about the latest technology developments.

Usually there are 2 x 30 min presentations around one bigger topic or panel discussion with invited guests. Usually there is one internal, Deloitte speaker and one external speaker. We host them in Deloitte offices and catering is provided by external sponsors. 

The audience is pretty wide and depends on the topic. You can meet students, developers, consultants and tech managers mingling with CTOs and CEOs.

Why are we running them?

Not everyone in the technology space is aware that Deloitte is not a traditional consulting or accounting firm. That we focus on everything from cyber security and virtual reality to AI and tech integration. During meetups we show thought leadership and feature fantastic people and their inspiring work.

What is the secret of #DisruptorsInTech?

The approach. We don’t sell Deloitte’s offering through sales pitches during events. We present our amazing work and allow other companies to do the same. We build a community of people, giving them a chance to learn about technology and be inspired. We engage with the tech community and we are part of it. We give the community a chance to get to know Deloitte better. We make an impact that matters.

What is in it for you?

• Come and learn about the latest technology developments
• Become a speaker and inspire others with your outstanding work
• Refer an incredible speaker
• Invite your friends or clients to join us on the night 
• Or maybe you have another idea on how to make Disruptors In Tech events even better? Reach out to me. I'm always open for discussion.

If anyone told me 3 years ago that Disruptors In Tech would grow to current size and be recognised as one of the largest technology meetups I would not have believed it, but in the last 3 years, I completed point number 1 - I strongly believed that I could make it happen. I completed point number 2 - I worked really hard for it. And point number 3 - I had huge support from Zack and on the way, some other people who recognised how valuable are Disruptors in tech events and were keen to support. 

This is a reason why I'm telling you that impossible doesn't exist. It only depends on us.

I'm always on the hunt for fantastic speakers, interestic topics and sponsors to make Disruptors in Tech events even better to serve tech community even better. If you feel a call to be the part of it, reach out to me.

And come to say Hi, when you see me. I love hearing from you!

Paulina Kabaczuk /kaˈba.t͡ʂuk/