We can’t believe it’s already been a month since World Summit 2024! We did our best to share everything on social media as it happened, but we want to recap the whole week in one place. We talk about World Summit A LOT at the end of each season, but don’t share much detail about what it’s really like or what actually happens each day. Let’s fix that! (P.S.— Check out a full gallery of photos at the bottom of this post!)
World Summit 2024 Recap
Day One: Arrivals and Greetings
Between Monday October 14 and Tuesday October 15, teams arrived in California from all over the world. Starting very early on Tuesday, our Technovation Staff headed to the airport to make sure teams knew where to go once they made it through customs. (An extra big thank you to our Director of Volunteer Engagement, Bryant, who woke up at 3am to be able to greet our earliest arrivals at 6am!)
Teams continued to arrive throughout the day—different Technovation staff members greeted each team with a sign, flag from their country, and big smiles. Teams were shuttled a short way to our hotel, so they could sit down and rest a bit (Some of our teams met each other for the first time face-to-face, and others had been traveling for more than 24 hours!)
In the evening, everyone gathered for dinner and introductions and we shared a little bit about our event app that allowed us to stay connected and safe throughout the week. We got to know each other a little bit better over food and friendship bracelets and played Jenga in the cozy pillow fort corner. And then it was time for our travel-weary teams to head to bed for some much needed rest.
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Photo descriptions: The coziest corner of the hotel; making friendship bracelets; Bryant picking up the final team from the airport!
Day Two: Pitch Practice and Field Trips!
For our second day, we split into groups and each division was welcomed by one of our incredible partners to practice their pitches. Our Beginner Division headed to ServiceNow, while our Juniors journeyed to EA Sports and the Seniors were hosted by Softbank. Employee volunteers watched and cheered each team on, offering constructive feedback and encouragement after each pitch. Our partners spoiled our groups with lunch, games, and even some swag! After pitch practices wrapped, the Beginner and Senior Divisions joined the Juniors at EA Sports for some time in the sunshine and a field trip to the Sims floor where there were plenty of crazy photo opportunities!
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Day Three: Field Trips and Pitch Night!
Day four…the BIG EVENT. Before we headed to NVIDIA for our final pitch event, teams split into groups and got to explore area tech companies like Blue River Technology and Netflix. We made sure to leave plenty of time for regrouping before we all loaded onto buses armed with country flags and more than a few nerves. NVIDIA provided lunch to fortify participants for the task at hand, and then before we knew it it was Technical Demo time! Each team had ten minutes with their Division Judges to explain the details of their work and answer any questions from the panel.
Soon, Bay area tech professionals, Technovation champions, and even a busload of excited local middle schoolers took their seats, anxiously awaiting the main event. For the first time ever, our entire event was hosted by our very own Technovation Alumnae. Our brilliant Keynote Speaker Emma Yang and our charismatic Emcee Archika Dogra inspired the audience and managed the evening like true professionals.
A heartfelt thank you to our former Board Chair, Ann Gaudard Weeby, for skillfully moderating this inspiring conversation with alumnae Anshita Saini, Ritika Shrivastava, and Nataliia Kulieshova—all of whom began their tech leadership journeys with Technovation!
Watching each of the teams present for the very last time was emotional for mentors and audience members alike. We’re willing to admit that there wasn’t a dry eye among the Technovation staff as we watched the girls we had gotten to know over this last season wow the crowd. While we are fiercely proud of our winning teams, we know that each and every one of the Technovation Girls on the World Summit stage is destined for greatness.
And what would a big event be without an after party? We returned to the hotel together for a dessert bar and dance party. The photo booth was a big hit, as were the wacky party favors and a wall where teams could leave messages of congratulations for each other. We went to bed tired but with full hearts.
Day Four: SF TOUR
After a restorative night’s sleep, it was time for one of our favorite parts—onward to San Francisco! Before heading to Fisherman’s Wharf, we stopped by Salesforce and Unity for incredible panels led by women in tech. At Salesforce we skyrocketed to the 61st floor and enjoyed a 360 degree view of the city while getting to network with inspiring women. At Unity we were welcomed into their incredibly cool space and we were treated to another inspirational panel of encouraging experts.
Finally with gift cards in hand for lunch, our teams got to have the full tourist experience on one of the most beautiful days of the year. We ate too much Ghirardelli chocolate, played spot the Waymo, saw seals on the wharf, and returned home with plenty of souvenirs and memories.
Day Five: Farewell
After an intense week of travel, bonding, and the shared thrill of achievement, it was hard to say goodbye to each other on Saturday morning. Technovation staff cleaned up and returned lost items from the week, while teams shared gifts with each other they brought from their own countries. As each group departed amidst hugs and promises to keep in touch, it felt more like an extended family than an international group of former strangers. The indelible mark World Summit left on these 49 girls from around the world cannot be overstated, and it changed the adults in attendance too. As mentors, parents, and Technovation staff we are part of the network that will continue to support our new class of Alumnae no matter where their journey takes them. Until next year, teams—fingers crossed we see some of you right back here in 2025.
With utmost care and admiration,
Your Technovation team