Wannabe Speaker Program

Il mio percorso è iniziato con un innocente Whatsapp da parte di un mio ex collega, con il quale avevo condiviso qualche piccola talk. “Che ne dici di aderire al programma di Wannabe Speaker a Codemotion?”. Senza pensarci troppo, un po’ come Neo con la pillola rossa, ho detto sì. Oddio, si trattava di un grande evento e sarei stata sul palco da sola ma, in fondo, quanto poteva essere diverso? “My sweet summer child”, direbbero a Westeros. Con quel sì, ho conosciuto Emanuele Bartolesi, mio mentor designato e “angelo custode” nei due mesi successivi. 

Tra call di Zoom, gruppi Telegram e 1:1 al limite della psicoterapia, ho fatto incetta di Tips & Tricks sul public speaking. “Ma davvero non vuoi che ti racconto cosa voglio mettere nelle slide?” Solo dopo ho capito che Emanuele puntava a farmi parlare di qualsiasi cosa, ma bene. Avrei potuto parlare della migrazione delle lucciole o delle tecniche di origami (beh, forse non a Codemotion), l’importante era farlo bene. 

Il giorno dell’evento pensavo di essere pronta. Poi, quando sono entrata al Superstudio di via Tortona, ho capito che non era così. Sono arrivata presto, per prendere il badge, e ancora la folla non era arrivata. Sarà stata la grandezza degli spazi, le luci stroboscopiche, le migliaia di cuffie fantascientifiche su ogni sedia, insomma mi sono accorta che era un evento di altissimo livello. E ne sarei stata all’altezza?

Probabilmente no, se non fosse stato per il Wannabe speaker program. È un po’ come buttarsi, superare i propri limiti, ma con una rete di salvataggio. E quella rete sono le facce amiche del tuo mentor e di chi ha condiviso quel percorso con te. Sapere che, anche se ti molla il Wi-fi, anche se l’app delle domande va in crash mentre te le stanno facendo, anche se il laser che ti sei portata non funziona sullo schermo troppo luminoso, amen. Puoi farcela lo stesso.

Certo, ci sono altre strade: ci si può improvvisare speaker, ma bisogna essere pronti a imparare a tentoni – e, a volte, anche a ricevere schiaffi – sessione dopo sessione. Ma credetemi, se vi scrivono su whatsapp chiedendovi se volete partecipare al Wannabe speaker, non pensateci troppo: pillola rossa e via. 

Mentor: Emanuele Bartolesi - Codemotion Ambassador

Mentee:  Laura Villa

Chi sei e di cosa ti occupi?

Sono Marta e faccio di mestiere l’analista funzionale, ma nel mio tempo libero sviluppo un poco ancora.

Come hai conosciuto la tua mentor e cosa hai fatto durante la mentorship?

La mia mentor, Serena, fa tantissime cose, tra le quali anche parte della community di SheTech, ci siamo conosciute grazie a questo. Dopo esserci conosciute in video mi ha ascoltata, accompagnata, incentivata nella coltivazione di un’idea e preparazione di un breve racconto che potesse esprimerla.

Quali erano le tue aspettative?

Mi aspettavo di fare un salto nel buio perché parlare ad un grande meeting di stampo prettamente tecnico mi intimoriva. Invece il programma di mentorship mi ha fatto sentire sempre al sicuro e ho potuto esprimermi apprezzando ancor di più il contesto.

Di che argomento hai parlato durante il tuo talk?

Durante il talk ho parlato di codice gentile, cioè il modo di fare coding e in generale produrre deliverable tecnici che rispetta se stessi e gli altri: non solo leggibilità, ma anche cura, ironia, bellezza nel proprio prodotto.

Come ti sei sentita quando sei salita sul palco?

Appena salita sul palco ero un po’ preoccupata, ma poi ho chiamato alla memoria le parole di Serena: vai e spacca! Divertiti! E devo dire che mi sono proprio divertita.

Che impatto ha avuto questa iniziativa sulla tua crescita? è un'esperienza che consiglieresti? se si perchè?

Partecipare a Codemotion con un ruolo attivo ha avuto un impatto positivo sulla mia crescita personale perché mi ha permesso di fare un passo in più in direzione della self confidence. Consiglio a chiunque di provare a presentare uno speech, ma soprattutto lo consiglio a tutte: nel mondo tech c’è bisogno di noi, spazio anche per noi e dobbiamo essere le prime a crederci.

Che cosa consiglieresti per vivere almeglio e trarre il masimo per questa esperienza?

Per vivere al meglio questa esperienza consiglio di utilizzare tutto ciò che la convention e la sua splendida organizzazione mettono a disposizione; facilities come la sala per gli speaker, le cuffie per sentire meglio la propria voce durante il discorso e i gadget che stimolano il senso di appartenenza danno un vero boost alla voglia di far bene e fanno sentire il contesto un ambiente protetto e domestico, the place where you wannabe speak.

Mentor: Serena Sensini - Codemotion Ambassador

Mentee:  Marta Scandellari

Hey folks! 👋🏼 Welcome to all tech and software development enthusiasts!

I'm Davide, Software Engineer @ Klarna, and I'm one of the 120 speakers who had the opportunity to step on stage to share their experience at Codemotion Milan 2023.
If you don't know what Codemotion is (that's a shame, you should!), it's the biggest tech conference in Italy 🇮🇹🤌🏼 and one of the biggest tech conferences in Europe. They organize a lot of events and webinars about a lot of topics: accessibility, AI, programming languages and much more.

My journey began when I received a message from my dear friend Emanuele on Telegram asking if I'd like to join Codemotion's WannaBe Speaker program and deliver a public session for the very first time in my life. Just to add a bit of context, Emanuele is a Codemotion ambassador, Microsoft MVP, GitHub Star and lastly GitHub Star of the Year (2023). He's always been my inspiration since day 0 when I started working in the IT world (I met him as a colleague in my first job experience) and he has always encouraged and motivated me to do my best to shine.

The mentorship with Emanuele was an intense and educational journey. He did something around 120 sessions in public and many more online, so I was sure that thanks to his incredible experience he would have advised me in the best way possible.
For these and many other reasons, his proposal to guide and mentor me through the world of public speaking was the spark that immediately ignited my determination and convinced me that I would make it, so I accepted!

Through Meet calls, Telegram groups, and individual sessions, Emanuele shared many essential but extremely helpful tips and strategies to face the stage with confidence.
He didn't just prepare me for the event; he aimed to bring out a unique communication style, valid for this session and for any other session I will do in the future.

Initially, I had many expectations and fears. It was my very first time at an event of this entity and at the same time, I had never spoken on a stage before so I was completely unaware of what I was going towards: it was a leap of faith. About 2400 people were attending the event, so I knew that I would have had to be well prepared on my topic and that my public speaking skills would have been put to a real test.
However, Codemotion's WannaBe Speaker program exceeded all my predictions: the event wasn't just a place to talk about technology and meet new cool people; it was a unique opportunity to grow as an individual.
Reality surpassed expectations, transforming the event into a springboard for my personal and professional growth.

The content of my session was about the View Transitions API, a new browser API still partially in beta and available just for Chromium browsers (as of today 😃).
I tried to convey my passion and knowledge on the subject, engaging the audience in a meaningful conversation. The preparation with Emanuele made this moment even more rewarding.

On the day of the talk, I was a bit nervous and excited at the same time: as soon as I reached the venue, I immediately realized how big it was and how many people there would have been: I was shocked! 🤯
I had the opportunity to meet new fantastic people, see familiar faces, and engage in insightful conversations that enriched both my professional network and personal experiences.

I also got the chance to stay in the "speaker room", where I took the opportunity to review my slides and check if everything was ready for the session that was planned for the afternoon.

The moment I stepped onto the stage was a mix of emotions: adrenaline, enthusiasm, and a slight tension blended as the audience awaited my words. Thanks to both Emanuele and the support of the program, I faced the stage with confidence, aware that I was up there for a reason and not because I was a random lucky person.

The session went pretty well: maybe I just started too quickly for fear of missing something during the speech 😅 As soon as I stepped off the stage, some people came to provide feedback and ask questions: that moment was probably my favorite because is the most "rewarding" - knowing that the audience was engaged and eager to discuss the topic made the entire experience truly fulfilling.

I highly recommend this experience for anyone aspiring to improve their speaking skills: it encourages personal and professional growth. Mentors like Emanuele create a stage for you to shine. Taking the red pill and joining this experience is a step toward inevitable growth and unlocking your potential. It's definitely worth it!

This initiative had a profound impact on my personal and professional growth. I learned to overcome the challenges of public speaking and gained confidence in my abilities. The network of connections and the experience with the WannaBe Speaker Program became invaluable resources for my future path.

In conclusion, Codemotion Milan 2023 was an absolutely unforgettable chapter in my career.
Thanks to the WannaBe Speaker Program, I overcame my fears and embraced the stage with confidence. -If you receive an invitation to participate, don't hesitate to take this unique opportunity!

Thanks to everyone who made this extraordinary journey possible!

See you at next year's Codemotion! 😉

Mentor: Emanuele Bartolesi - Codemotion Ambassador

Mentee:  Davide Mandelli

I had the incredible opportunity to attend and present at Codemotion in Milan, and let me tell you, it was an experience like no other! As a new tech enthusiast, being surrounded by like-minded individuals and industry experts was nothing short of exhilarating.

My presentation delved into the captivating realm of a transhumanist future, a topic that has been gaining popularity recently. The process of researching and learning about our ever-evolving human evolution was not only enlightening but also fueled my passion for the tech world.

However, I must admit – I didn't think stage fright was real until it happened! Stepping onto the stage for the second time was a daunting yet incredibly rewarding experience, especially considering it was my first conference. The nerves were real, but so was the sense of accomplishment that followed.

As the saying goes, "If at first, you don't succeed, try, try again." This phrase couldn't have rung truer for me during those moments on the stage. Overcoming the initial hesitation and embracing the challenge head-on reinforced the belief that the most certain way to succeed is always to try again.

Codemotion not only provided a platform for sharing insights into the tech world but also served as a personal growth journey. The supportive environment, coupled with the shared passion for technology, made the experience unforgettable. 

Here's to embracing the tech wave and looking forward to more opportunities for growth and learning in the dynamic world of technology. 👩🏽‍💻 🙌🏽 

A special thank you goes out to my incredible mentor Michela Bertaina 🚀 

Mentor: Michela Bertaina - Codemotion Community Program Manager

Mentee:  Yuvica Naidoo