Inside GHC’25: Lessons, Inspiration, and Takeaways

Earlier this year, I was nominated by my department to attend the Grace Hopper Celebration — and I couldn’t have been more excited! I knew it was a major conference for women in tech, but being there in person made it feel even bigger than I had imagined.

This year’s theme was “Unbound.” I don’t think I fully understood the meaning of that word until I arrived. Everywhere I went, I met people who were motivated, ambitious, and determined to make an impact through their work. Many of them had faced challenges of their own, yet they still showed up with so much passion. That kind of energy is something I truly admire, and it stayed with me throughout the event.

There is a lot I want to share from my experience, and I will do my best to capture the parts that stood out the most. I’ll start by explaining what the Grace Hopper Celebration is all about. Then I’ll walk through some of my favorite keynote moments from this year’s conference. And finally, I’ll end with a few takeaways for students, attendees, and employers who might be thinking about going in the future.

What is Grace Hopper Celebration?

Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) is the world’s largest conference, which brings thousands of women and non-binary technologists together from across the globe to learn, network, and celebrate their accomplishments. It’s a conference that provides professional and personal growth opportunities through keynote speeches on a wide range of subjects, technical workshops, and networking events. The goal is to connect, inspire, and advance women in the tech industry by showcasing career opportunities and promoting leadership and innovation.

Who was Grace Hopper?

The conference is named after American computer scientist Grace Hopper. She was one of the first women to receive a doctorate in mathematics. She also helped create the first compiler for computer languages and was the first female recipient of the National Medal of Technology in 1991. In 2016, she was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her many contributions to the field of computing.

My favourite moments from Grace Hopper Celebration 2025

Apart from the sessions and workshops, one thing I genuinely loved at GHC was the mainstage keynotes. One of my favorite moments was listening to Adam Cheyer, the co-founder of Siri Inc. (yes, the Siri on every iPhone). He shared the story of how Apple reached out to him about bringing Siri onto their devices, and hearing it straight from him felt unreal. He also highlighted what is missing in today’s AI developments — the right UX, the architecture for knowing and doing, and the “App Store” for the ecosystem.

Another highlight was a keynote by Vivian Tu, the Founder and CEO of Your Rich BFF. Her focus was on the importance of financial empowerment for women. She introduced a financial framework she calls S.T.R.I.I.P — Savings, Total Debt, Retirement, Investing, Income, and Plan, and shared practical tips to build healthy financial habits.

For example, under the Savings pillar, she talked about keeping money in a high-yield savings account and making sure you “pay yourself first.” She also mentioned choosing credit cards that offer good rewards, and following the 7-day rule for things you want to buy: wait seven days, and if you still want it after that, then go ahead and get it. Honestly, I loved that rule.

She also talked about the Ikigai method, which is all about finding your purpose by connecting what you love, what the world needs, and what you can get paid for.

Lastly, Kellie Gerardi’s speech was something to have as a guidebook. She is a research astronaut, payload specialist, author of children’s books, and so much more. Right after completing her first mission as a payload specialist, she was given another mission to lead, and this time, her entire team comprised of women. One of them will even become the first woman astronaut from Ireland.

Her speech was full of moments that really stuck with me. A few lines that felt like mic-drop moments:

1. “If I work hard enough for long enough, then why not me?” — We often underestimate the small steps we take, thinking they don’t matter. But those steps add up, and over time, they can lead to something much bigger. Keep at it, and the opportunity will be yours.
2. “If you have big dreams, then you can’t live by other people’s limitations or boundaries.” — Just because something didn’t work out for someone else doesn’t mean it has to be a roadblock for you.
3. “In life, you are always juggling things. You should think of those things as balls made of glass and plastic. You can’t let the glass balls fall, but you can let the plastic ones fall. You just need to know which ones are glass and which ones are plastic.” — A beautiful way to think about prioritizing what really matters.
4. “What do you do when someone tells you you can’t do something? You do it twice and you take pictures!” — I can’t get over how bold and fun this line is.
5. “Be willing to fail more times than others are willing to try.” — Don’t give up too soon. Keep going, even when it’s hard.

Her talk was inspiring, practical, and full of advice that feels real — the kind you want to carry with you long after the speech ends.

Get Navya Arora’s stories in your inbox

Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.

Remember me for faster sign in

For those who are interested, here’s a little video I took during her speech —

Takeaways for Students, Attendees, and Employers.

Students

I am a recent graduate from the University of Waterloo, so I know what it feels like to be in your shoes, whether it’s about making connections in the industry, finding a next co-op/internship, or finding a full-time job. It can be overwhelming. Years of hard work can feel like they come down to just 60 minutes in an interview.

If you took the initiative to attend a valuable networking event like GHC, you’ve already made a smart move. My advice for you would be:

1. Network actively, but genuinely — Don’t just hand out resumes. Instead, have real conversations, ask questions, and learn from the people around you.
2. Take every learning opportunity — Attend sessions, workshops, and panels, even if they feel outside your comfort zone. You’ll walk away with insights that can help both your career and personal growth.
3. Schedule and Attend Braindates — This is your space to connect with people through 1:1 or small-group conversations on topics that matter to you. You’ll meet other students looking for resume feedback, interview tips, networking advice, and everything in between. Some sessions are even hosted by sponsors, which means you may have the opportunity to chat directly with a recruiter/employer and engage in a more personal and meaningful conversation.
4. Reflect and act — After every event or conversation, think about what you learned and how you can apply it. Make notes of what you learned. This is the key step.

Learn and be curious!

Attendees

Speaking from my experience, going to GHC as an attendee was amazing. I didn’t have to speak, recruit, or hunt for a job. I could focus entirely on learning. In those 3–4 days, I learned more about AI agent workflows, networking strategies, the latest tech, and financial empowerment than I ever could from YouTube videos.

If you’re attending, planning your days is very important. The venue is huge, and it’s easy to miss sessions if you don’t have a plan. Here’s what worked for me:

1. Start early — I woke up about two hours before my first session. It gave me enough time to get ready and have breakfast, which is important because once sessions start, they’re back-to-back. Most days, I even skipped lunch because the schedule was so packed.
2. Daily schedule — I attended sessions from 9 AM to 5 PM, then spent a couple of hours exploring the city and grabbing dinner. Back at the hotel, I made notes on what I learned and sent LinkedIn messages to the people I connected with. The message can be as simple as “Hey! It was nice meeting you today at GHC. Stay in touch!”.
3. Schedule and Attend Braindates — As I mentioned earlier, Braindates are a chance to join 1:1 or small-group conversations on topics that matter to you. When you sign up for it, you’re connected with people who are thinking about the same things, which helps you build a small, like-minded community in the middle of a conference with over 9,000 attendees.
4. Plan sessions in advance — Go through the list of sessions for the next day and bookmark all the ones you’re interested in, even if they overlap. Some sessions fill up quickly, so having backups ensures you don’t miss out.
5. Pack snacks — The days are long, and if you’re like me and want to attend everything, bring protein bars or small snacks to keep your energy up.

My attendee badge also limited my access to the Talent Expo to certain time slots. Surprisingly, this helped me plan better. I spent some time at the Amazon booth helping hand out swag, and used the rest of the time to collect swag for myself 👀

Employers/Recruiters

While I have never worked as a recruiter, I do have some thoughts that could be useful to employers and recruiters. As an attendee, I noticed the following:

GHC gives you access to some truly amazing talent. The students and young professionals I spoke with were motivated, ambitious, and eager to make an impact. I truly believe that anyone who brings that drive to your team would be a huge asset. Since I work at AWS, some students shared their resumes with me or asked for guidance on how to navigate opportunities at Amazon. Even from a quick glance, I could see the talent and potential they would bring to any workplace. If you have the chance, encourage them. Help them believe that they can land their next internship or full-time role. Many students are worried about landing jobs in today’s market, and a little guidance or motivation can make a huge difference.

My experience at GHC left me inspired, energized, and excited to keep learning and growing. I hope this article gives you a glimpse of what it was like and helps if you’re planning to attend in the future!

If you have made it till the end of this blog, then I have something for you. I made a LinkedIn group: Women in Tech — Ontario. Feel free to join and stay connected with the community!