The Rising 2020, by Analytics India Magazine, is just a month to go. The conference will see more than 250 women data scientists and AI leaders discuss challenges and opportunities around women participation in this buzzing field.

In its second, Rising is scheduled in Hotel Radisson Blu, Bangalore on 20th March. It offers a platform to connect with leading organizations and explore opportunities in data science space for women professionals.

Here we bring the experiences of attendees from last year’s conference, the first edition of Rising. This is what they had to say:

The rising has been a fabulous conference. The level of engagement and the quality of discussions was very high. A lot of friends that I know are already here and its great to interact with them and a lot of the young women professionals. It’s been a great experience and I am looking forward to next year.

Anshu Sharma
Managing Director, Global Head – Retail Banking Technology at Standard Chartered Bank

I think it’s an excellent idea to have this conference because data science is the area where we need more women. Data science is the upcoming field right and the future is all going to be about this. It’s very good to have this initiative and there are so many women already who are successful in the other sites and I hope we can have more women. So, we really need the women to also embrace this new technology.

Vikram Vij
Sr. Vice President atSamsung R&D Institute

I think it’s amazing it’s great to see so many women leaders coming especially in analytics area. When we go to other conferences where it is for both men and women the percentage of women is not that much and we don’t see so many women leaders attending these conferences. So, I think Rising has provided a very good platform for women to come and develop the network of women analytics leaders. So, kudos to the  team of Rising for building this platform and I’m sure that there is a long way to go.

Shivani R Gupta
Head, Data Science and AI, Financial Services at Capgemini

I have never had been to the occasion like this and on women’s day especially. I actually avoid going to an event because its is very stereotyped and I really hate people wishing happy women’s day as if we are an endangered species or something, so I really dont like it, but this is a different gathering. I think people working in this industry coming will give a lot of new perspectives. I think it’s a great event

Sohini Mehta
Head – Global Delivery and Competency development for Data, Analytics and AI at Wipro Ltd.

I really wanted to come to rising because of Analytics India Magazine. You featured us not because we were women but based on our product and that’s what we’ve always Bank towards. I do think you should have many more of these conference on very specialized topics. I did see a lot of very ambitious young women in the audience so yes definitely.

Aruna Schwarz
CEO at Stelae Technologies

I love the experience today. In fact, I am meeting many of the leaders out here and looking at the enthusiasm, which I think was really good. Also, it’s a learning experience just listening to the speakers out here.

Sahana Shetty
HR Leader – Technology at ANZ

I loved it. It was wonderful to be here. The talks were great. I met few very interesting women.

Damini Gupta
AVP – AI & Fintech at Mphasis NextLabs

First of all, I congratulate the organizing committee of Rising 2019 to having conceptualized this idea of getting all women leaders working in AI into one room right. It was really amazing to see those wonderful women. All of them are so keen about AI. There were wonderful  questions, so much of interaction on the stage and off stage. It’s a wonderful forum where women can come together.

Geetha Manjunath
Founder, CEO at NIRAMAI

It was a great experience. I was really encouraged to see the energy around the room and a lot of young women came and spoke to me one-on-one. I can see the confidence, aspirations and ambitions they have, that was very encouraging. I had a great experience.

Aparajita Karimpana
Senior Director Analytics at Envestnet Yodlee

It is such an great initiative, congratulation to all of you to do something like this because this is what inspires the next set of people to come into the field and explore this field. Given the diversity of this field is so bad, conferences like this are so motivating for people who are thinking of making a career in this industry.

Mathangi Sri
Head of Data – GoFood at Gojek

It was wonderful to see a roomful of 200 women, passionately asking a lot of  questions. All I can say is the future looks right and the future is female.

Vaishali Kasture
India head of ISV Business Segment at AWS