Advanced Career, Leadership & Money Talks Path
Your complete guide to what comes next at Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit 2026
You have already entered tech. Now the real question begins: what kind of power, independence, leadership and impact do you want to build next?
Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit 2026 gives middle-career and senior women in STEM, tech and IT a powerful map of what comes next. This is not a path for people who are only asking how to get started. It is for women who already have experience, skills, ambition and responsibility — and now want to make sharper career decisions, lead through uncertainty, understand AI-driven change, build financial independence, expand their influence and step into rooms where strategic decisions are made.
Across Main Stage, Tech Stages, Career Stage, Sci/Eng Stage, workshops, special zones and invitation-only formats, the Summit creates a strong Advanced Career & Leadership Path. It connects mentoring, mid-career networking, Money Talks, AI leadership sessions, boardroom conversations, big science networking and the European Summit of Women Leaders in Science and Technology into one coherent route for women ready for their next level.
This guide is for women asking questions such as:
Where do I go after several years in tech?
Should I stay in my current company or move?
Should I become a manager, a principal expert, a founder, an executive or a board member?
How do I lead in the age of AI without burning myself or my team out?
How do I build visibility, influence and financial independence?
How do I move from career growth to real strategic power?
At the Summit, the answer is not one session. It is a full path.
Why this path matters
The strongest message of the Advanced Career, Leadership & Money Talks Path is simple: career advancement is no longer just about skills.
For middle and senior women in tech, the next stage requires a wider set of strategic competencies: decision-making under pressure, visibility, financial literacy, negotiation, resilience, people leadership, AI fluency, governance awareness, networking and the ability to operate in complex systems.
That is why this path combines five major dimensions:
Leadership — how to lead people, systems and organizations in uncertain, AI-driven environments.
Mid-career strategy — how to make serious decisions about staying, moving, changing direction, growing into management or redefining success.
Money and independence — how to treat salary, investing, wealth-building, safety and long-term planning as essential career skills.
Executive influence — how to move toward boardrooms, governance, strategy and decision-making power.
Strategic networking — how to use mentoring, peer communities, CERN connections and women leaders’ forums to expand your horizon and find your next move.
1. Start with leadership under pressure
The Leadership Paradox: Hidden Costs and Sustainable Impact
10 June, 09:00–09:40
Main Stage
Format: Discussion Panel
This is the perfect opening session for the whole path. The panel explores the real test of leadership: sustaining performance under pressure without burning people or systems out. It looks at resilience not as a motivational slogan, but as a strategic leadership capability in technology-driven environments.
For middle-career and senior professionals, this is one of the most important conversations of the Summit. It addresses the hidden costs of leading in uncertainty: making decisions with incomplete data, prioritising under constraints, maintaining team energy through constant change and staying accountable when outcomes are complex and shared.
Speakers include Dorota Żurkowska, Nataliya Siromakha, Małgorzata Mroczkowska-Horne, Agnieszka Jankowska, Anna Urbańska and moderator Katarzyna Gaweł.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/the-leadership-paradox-hidden-costs-and-sustainable-impact
Breaking the Myth of the Perfect Expert. What Happens When We Stop Pretending?
10 June, 09:50–10:05
Main Stage
Format: Keynote
A very relevant session for women who have built their careers on expertise, responsibility and high standards — and now need to move beyond perfectionism. For many mid-career women, the biggest blocker is no longer lack of competence, but the pressure to appear flawless before taking the next step.
This keynote belongs in the advanced career path because it touches one of the most common leadership transitions: moving from “I must know everything” to “I can lead even when I work with complexity, uncertainty and incomplete information.”
2. Use Money Talks as your financial independence track
Money Talks is one of the strongest parts of the advanced career path. It reframes money as a career competence. For women in tech, understanding technology is no longer enough without understanding salary, negotiation, investing, financial security, digital safety, long-term planning and wealth-building.
Money Talks is curated by Madina Turava and Maria Ożóg, founders of Finansowe Latte and the International Women’s Finance & Education Foundation.
Main Money Talks Day 1 link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/womens-money-talks
Main Money Talks Day 2 link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/womens-money-talks-1
Money Talks — Day 1
Women, Money & Real Independence
10 June, 10:00–16:00
Women’s Money Talks Zone
Opening Session: VOICE & MONEY: Why Women must talk about money
10 June, 10:00–10:15
Women’s Money Talks
Speakers: Maria Ożóg, Madina Turava
This opening session sets the tone for the entire zone: women must talk about money because money is part of agency, safety, independence and influence.
Alternative agenda link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/voice-money-opening-session
Your salary is not your full potential: How women in tech increase income, visibility and career opportunities
10 June, 10:15–10:45
Women’s Money Talks
Speaker: Barbara Mierzwińska
A crucial session for women who want to stop treating salary as the only measure of professional value. It connects income with visibility, opportunity, positioning and career leverage.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/womens-money-talks
Who’s Really Making Your Investment Decisions? How Investing Apps Shape the Way Women Invest
10 June, 10:45–11:15
Women’s Money Talks
Speaker: Klaudia Sibielak, Finax
A practical session on how fintech tools, investing apps, interfaces and defaults influence financial decisions. Especially useful for women who want to understand not only investing, but also the technology shaping investment behaviour.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/womens-money-talks
The 63% Question: What Venture Capital misses when women don’t decide
10 June, 11:15–11:45
Women’s Money Talks
Speaker: Karolina Wilk-Tryjanowska
This is one of the most strategic sessions in the Money Talks programme. It looks at capital allocation, venture capital and the consequences of women being absent from investment decision-making.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/womens-money-talks
The Financial Freedom Myth: What Really Builds Wealth — and What Doesn’t
10 June, 11:45–12:20
Women’s Money Talks
Speaker: Dorota Sierakowska
A session that separates real wealth-building from the marketing myth of “financial freedom.” Important for women who want clear, realistic thinking about financial growth.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/womens-money-talks
Networking in Money Talks Zone and interviews with experts in Money Talks media corner
10 June, 12:20–13:00
Women’s Money Talks
A valuable networking break inside the Money Talks space — not just a pause, but a chance to speak with experts and connect around financial independence.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/womens-money-talks
Investing for your children
10 June, 13:00–13:35
Women’s Money Talks
Format: Panel
Moderator: Elżbieta Karpińska
Speakers: Iza Kozakiewicz, Sylwia Markowska, Paulina Muskała-Ruszczyk, CFA
A long-term wealth and family security session about how women build financial stability, safety and future-oriented investment habits.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/womens-money-talks
MORTGAGE WITHOUT STRESS: What nobody tells women before buying an apartment or taking a mortgage
10 June, 13:35–14:00
Women’s Money Talks
Speaker: Jagoda Perec
A practical session about property decisions, mortgages and the things women should know before taking major financial commitments.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/womens-money-talks
Age of AI, Real Women Build Real Influence
10 June, 14:00–14:30
Women’s Money Talks
Speaker: Kasia Zasiadły
This session connects AI, influence and visibility. It is especially relevant for women who want to build not only competence, but also authority and recognisable professional presence.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/womens-money-talks
The Salary Trap: Why Earning More Won’t Make You Rich
10 June, 14:30–14:50
Women’s Money Talks
Speaker: Katarzyna Mikoszewska
A sharp and necessary topic for women in well-paid tech roles. A higher salary does not automatically create wealth, security or independence. This session helps shift the conversation from earning to building.
The art of independence. Investing in art as a tool of financial agency
10 June, 14:50–15:10
Women’s Money Talks
Speaker: Zuzanna Kamykowska
A more niche but interesting session on alternative assets and financial agency.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/womens-money-talks
Why smart women still struggle with financial decisions: Fear, emotions, pressure and the psychology behind financial habits
10 June, 15:15–16:00
Women’s Money Talks
Format: Panel
Speakers: Magdalena Pydych, Aga Kozak, Dominika Pikul
A very important closing session for Day 1. It addresses the psychological side of money: fear, emotions, pressure and decision patterns. It is especially relevant for women who are competent professionally, but still feel blocked or overwhelmed in financial decision-making.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/womens-money-talks
Money Talks — Day 2
Financial security, digital safety and long-term planning
11 June, 09:00–15:00
Women’s Money Talks Zone
Opening session: What Women in Tech Wish They Knew Earlier
11 June, 10:30–10:45
Women’s Money Talks
Speakers: Maria Ożóg, Madina Turava
A strong opening for Day 2, focused on lessons women in tech wish someone had explained earlier — the perfect frame for financial awareness and long-term planning.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/opening-session-what-women-in-tech-wish-they-knew-earlier
CYBER & CASH SHIELD: Digital Financial Safety — don’t get hacked. Don’t get manipulated
11 June, 10:45–11:30
Women’s Money Talks
Moderator: Milena Rygiel Soćko, Women Go Cyber
Speakers include: Ewa Piłat, Robert Pająk
A practical session on protecting money, identity and data online. For women in tech, this is not only a personal finance issue, but also part of digital responsibility and cyber awareness.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/womens-money-talks-1
Love, Divorce & Financial Independence
11 June, 11:30–12:00
Women’s Money Talks
Speakers: Barbara Witecka, Marta Sochacka
A practical session on what women should know to protect themselves legally and financially in relationships, marriage and divorce.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/womens-money-talks-1
BLOCKCHAIN & DIGITAL ASSETS: Demystified for Women
11 June, 12:00–12:45
Women’s Money Talks
Speakers: Paulina Paprzycka, Małgorzata Woźniak
A session about understanding blockchain and digital assets without hype or fear. Useful for women who want to understand the future of money without being manipulated by trends.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/blockchain-digital-assets-demystified-for-women
How to Build an Investment Portfolio Like a Professional
11 June, 12:45–13:30
Women’s Money Talks
Speaker: Samer Masri, Head of PKO BP Securities, investment advisor, PhD in Economics
One of the most concrete financial sessions of the path. It is for women who want to move from saving or occasional investing to a more structured portfolio strategy.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/womens-money-talks-1
Household Budgeting
11 June, 13:30–14:15
Women’s Money Talks
Speaker: Beata Ciechan
Language: Polish
A practical session on everyday money management and budgeting.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/womens-money-talks-1
Your future needs a plan: How women in tech build long-term stability and independence
11 June, 14:15–15:00
Women’s Money Talks
Speaker: Klaudia Sibielak, Finax
A strong closing session for the Money Talks path. It brings the focus back to long-term stability, planning and financial independence.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/womens-money-talks-1
3. Navigate the mid-career turning point
Mid Career Networking Forum
10 June, 12:00–13:45
Special Event / Networking Forum
This forum is dedicated to women who are no longer asking only how to enter tech, but how to shape the next stage of their career. It is designed around new energy: fresh perspectives, bold voices and meaningful connections that help women navigate and influence the changing tech landscape.
It is a space to recharge, exchange ideas and meet others who are building with ambition and purpose. For women with several years of experience, this can be one of the most useful formats of the Summit because it creates peer-level conversation, not just passive listening.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda
Registration / event information may also appear in the Summit app or special events registration flow.
Failing right: The mistakes that actually move your career forward
10 June, 11:10–12:20
Room C4
Format: Workshop
Speaker: Maria Bohdan, Technical Product Team Leader, Playtika
This interactive workshop is built around a provocative idea: maybe the things you are doing “right” are slowing your career down. It explores good habits that can block growth and questionable habits that may actually help people move faster.
For mid-career women, this is a very useful session because growth often stops not because of lack of competence, but because of over-control, excessive caution or attachment to safe patterns.
Should I stay or should I go? 10 years in one place vs. 10 years everywhere
10 June, 14:30–14:55
Tech Stage 1
Format: Tech Talk
Speakers: Cezary Kuik, Magdalena Wirtek, T-Mobile
A perfect mid-career session. It compares two very different career paths: growing for a decade inside one organization versus building a broad toolkit across startups and multiple companies.
The key question is brutally practical: is your current path actually getting you where you want to be?
Overlooked Friends and Foes: Neurodivergent Traits in Women Leadership
10 June, 14:30–15:40
Workshop
Speakers: Agnieszka Boulcott, Beata Klimczyk, ING Hubs Poland
This workshop is important for women who do not fit the traditional corporate model of leadership. It challenges leadership norms built around neurotypical expectations: constant availability, sensory tolerance, rapid decision-making, public confidence and linear career growth.
The session helps participants recognise their own leadership strengths and build models of leadership that do not require pretending to be someone else.
4. Lead in the age of AI
From Managing People to Designing Systems: How AI Redefines Leadership in Software
10 June, 13:25–13:40
Main Stage
Format: Keynote
Speaker: Alexandra Charikova, Head of AI Business Development & Partnerships, JetBrains
A key leadership session for software and tech leaders. It shows how AI is shifting leadership from managing individual people and tasks toward designing systems: workflows, collaboration models, decision structures and environments where people and AI tools work together.
Leading in the Age of AI: Why the Future of Technology Is a Leadership Decision
10 June, 13:45–14:00
Main Stage
Format: Keynote
Speaker: Yuliia Shtukaturova, Group Vice President & Head of EMEA, GlobalLogic
This keynote places AI transformation where it belongs: in the hands of leaders. It is not only a technical challenge. It is a question of strategy, responsibility, culture, prioritisation and decision-making.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda
Designing AI-Powered Workflows — Hands-On Workshop
10 June, 14:30–15:40
Room D
Format: Workshop
This workshop is for people who want to understand AI not as hype, but as a practical way to redesign work. Participants explore AI-powered workflows, orchestration of tools and agents, and the decomposition of complex problems into actionable tasks.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/designing-aipowered-workflows-hands-on-workshop
Leading Through Change: How AI Shaped My Product and People Strategy
10 June, 14:55–15:20
Tech Stage 2
Format: Tech Talk
Speaker: Kristina Allgurén, Ericsson
A relevant session for product leaders, engineering managers, R&D leaders and anyone responsible for transformation. It connects AI with product strategy, people strategy, upskilling, developer environments, experimentation, data quality and critical thinking.
Leading in the Age of AI: Why Culture is Your Strongest Technology
10 June, 15:00–15:15
Main Stage
Format: Keynote
Speaker: Nina Schmarander, SVP Group Leadership & Executive Management, T-Mobile
A major leadership session for women managing teams, transformation and organizational change. The core message is that in the age of AI, culture becomes one of the strongest technologies an organization has.
The Broken Promise of the Tech Labour Market and what now?
10 June, 15:55–16:35
Main Stage
Format: Discussion Panel
A crucial session for everyone making strategic career decisions. The tech labour market is no longer a simple promise of endless growth and easy opportunity. This discussion is especially relevant for women who want to understand where the market is going, what is changing and how to protect their relevance.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda
The Trap of Management Tricks and Why Gender Matters
10 June, 16:45–17:00
Main Stage
Format: Keynote
Speaker: Monika Chajdacka, Senior HR Business Partner, Capgemini
A session for women who are already managing or preparing to manage. It looks at leadership beyond simple management tricks and asks why gender still matters in how leadership advice is received, applied and judged.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda
Special Guest — Siri Chilazi: AI Isn’t Changing Everything: What Actually Drives Performance in the Workplace of the Future
10 June, 17:25–17:40
Main Stage
Format: Keynote
Speaker: Siri Chilazi, Senior Researcher, Women and Public Policy Program, Harvard Kennedy School
One of the strongest workplace leadership sessions of the Summit. The message is clear: AI is transforming work, but not always in the way leaders assume. In high-pressure environments, bad management practices become even more costly. Fairness, diverse perspectives and high-quality decision-making become essential to performance.
Breaking the Blueprint: How AI is Changing the Tech Landscape
10 June, 17:45–18:00
Main Stage
Format: Keynote
Speaker: Melissa Morganstein, Vice President, People Operations, Google
A strong closing keynote for Day 1 of the leadership path. It gives a Google perspective on how AI is changing the tech landscape, work and organizational roles.
Leading Beyond Technology: Human Transformation in the Age of Agents
11 June, 09:50–10:05
Main Stage
Format: Keynote
Speaker: Adela Caushi, Chief Information Officer, Orange
This keynote is essential for women leading change. In the age of AI agents, the biggest challenge is not only technological adoption, but human transformation: how people, organizations, teams and processes adapt.
From the Upside Down to Your Screens: Meet the Netflix Engineering Team
11 June, 10:00–10:25
Tech Stage 1
Format: Tech Talk
Speakers: Gabriela Guedes, Gabriela Libudzka, Prajakta Shitole, Ruchi Singhi, Eva Tse, Netflix
A valuable session for women interested in engineering leadership, platform work, reliability, infrastructure, product engineering and global-scale technology. The Netflix team includes software engineering, site reliability, engineering management, senior engineering and data platform leadership perspectives.
5. Move toward boardroom and executive influence
Women Go Boards
10 June, 14:30–17:00
Special Event
Access: Apply / invitation-based
Women Go Boards is one of the most advanced elements of the Summit’s leadership path. It is designed for senior professionals and leaders who want to explore executive decision-making, boardroom readiness, governance, AI and the future of strategic leadership.
This is the point where career development becomes institutional influence. It is not only about becoming a better manager. It is about entering the rooms where technology, business and governance decisions are made.
Recommended for: senior managers, executives, founders, investors, board candidates, advisory board members and women preparing for strategic roles.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda
6. Connect with big science and global institutions
Special Guest — Enrica Porcari: Curiosity — The Force that Moves Humanity Forward
10 June, 13:05–13:20
Main Stage
Format: Keynote
Speaker: Enrica Porcari, Chief Information Officer, CERN
A major leadership moment in the Summit programme. Enrica Porcari represents a model of leadership built at the intersection of technology, global science, innovation, knowledge systems and complex international organizations.
Her career shows that technology leadership is not limited to corporate product teams. It can also mean leading infrastructure, information systems, partnerships and strategic alignment inside one of the world’s most important scientific institutions.
You Don’t Have to Be a Physicist to Shape the Future of Science
10 June, 15:40–15:55
Sci/Eng Stage
Speaker: Maria Alandes Pradillo, Computer Engineer, CERN
A strong session for women considering careers in big science, research infrastructure, data, computing, engineering or IT. The message is powerful: frontier science is not built by physicists alone. It needs software engineers, infrastructure specialists, data experts and IT professionals.
Meet Us: CERN
11 June
Career / networking format
A useful opportunity to meet CERN representatives and learn more about career paths connected with big science, engineering, IT, research infrastructure and global scientific collaboration.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/meet-us-cern
CERN Networking Meeting
Special Event
The CERN Networking Meeting connects Summit participants directly with CERN scientists, engineers, IT experts, executives and D&I leaders. It is designed around speed meetings, mentoring and thematic conversations on careers, research, innovation and the future of big science.
For mid-career and senior women, this is not just a networking opportunity. It is a chance to understand how technical careers develop inside global research institutions and how expertise in IT, data, software, infrastructure or engineering can contribute to world-class science.
Main CERN / Summit context link:
https://diversity-and-inclusion.web.cern.ch/news/perspektywy-women-tech
Agenda link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda
7. Enter the highest-level women leaders’ conversation
The European Summit of Women Leaders in Science and Technology
11 June
High-level forum
Access: Exclusive / high-level format
The European Summit of Women Leaders in Science and Technology returns for its second edition on 11 June 2026 in Warsaw. It brings together 150 outstanding women leaders from science, technology, business, academia and government, including CEOs, university rectors, research directors and ministers.
This is the highest-level part of the leadership path. It moves beyond individual career development into institutional change, cross-sector collaboration and the future agenda for women in science and technology.
Summary of the European Summit of Women Leaders in Science and Technology
11 June, 16:35–16:50
Main Stage
Speaker: Bianka Siwińska, President, Perspektywy Education Foundation
This Main Stage summary brings the European Summit of Women Leaders back into the wider Summit programme. It presents the forum’s conclusions and connects them with the broader community gathered at Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit.
8. Use mentoring as your personal strategy lab
Mentoring Zone
10–11 June
Format: Individual mentoring sessions
The Mentoring Zone is one of the most practical tools for middle-career and senior women at the Summit. Keynotes can inspire, but mentoring can help you make a decision.
This is the place to ask direct questions about promotion, salary, leadership, changing roles, switching companies, becoming a manager, staying technical, building visibility, handling conflict, recovering from burnout or planning a strategic move.
For an advanced career participant, the best use of the Mentoring Zone is to come with one real question, not a general request for inspiration.
Useful questions to bring:
Should I stay in my current role or move?
Am I ready for management?
How do I negotiate my next step?
How do I build visibility without becoming performative?
How do I move from senior expert to strategic leader?
How do I prepare for board-level or executive roles?
How do I rebuild energy after years of pressure?
Mentoring Zone / Summit agenda:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda
Related Summit mentoring article:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/blog/one-conversation-can-change-the-way-you-see-your-future
9. Additional sessions worth adding to the Advanced Career Path
Fireside Chat with Magdalena Markowska
10 June, 09:30–09:55
Tech Stage 1
Format: Fireside Chat
Speaker: Magdalena Markowska, Regional Director CEE & Head of Fintech Europe, JetBrains
A useful session for women interested in fintech, regional leadership, business growth and the human side of senior careers.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/fireside-chat-with-magdalena-markowska
Inclusion at Work — From Values to Best Practice
10 June, 13:25–14:00
Career Stage
Format: Discussion Panel
This panel explores what real inclusion looks like in practice and why it matters not only for employees, but also for business. It is relevant for leaders responsible for culture, hiring, retention and team performance.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/inclusion-at-work-from-values-to-best-practice
Women Leading Nuclear
10 June, 13:15–13:50
Women in Nuclear Zone
Format: Discussion Panel
Speakers: Aiman Khan, Iga Pocztarek-Tofil, Eleonora Skrzypek
Moderator: Emilia Janisz
A strong leadership session from the nuclear sector. It brings together women working across engineering services, policy, international cooperation, nuclear safety and European nuclear policy.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/women-leading-nuclear
She Builds — Entrepreneurship and the Startup Journey
10 June, 16:20–16:50
Career Stage
Format: Discussion Panel
A session for women thinking about entrepreneurship, startup-building, founder paths, resilience and business ownership. It is especially relevant for those considering a move from corporate roles into building something of their own.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/she-builds-entrepreneurship-and-the-startup-journey
Less Feed, More Life: The Case for Digital Minimalism
10 June, 16:50–17:30
Tech Stage 1
Format: Discussion Panel
A valuable session for senior professionals who operate in always-on environments. It addresses screen fatigue, boundaries, focus and the need to protect mental capacity in technology-heavy careers.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda/event/less-feed-more-life-the-case-for-digital-minimalism
Psychological Safety Under Pressure: Beyond the Buzzword
11 June, 14:10–14:50
Main Stage
Format: Discussion Panel
A highly relevant session for leaders and managers. Psychological safety is often treated as a soft slogan, but under pressure it becomes a performance condition. This session belongs in the advanced leadership path because women leaders need to know how to build teams that can speak, challenge, learn and deliver under stress.
Link:
https://womenintechsummit.pl/agenda
The Summit’s message is clear: your next step is not only about promotion. It is about power, clarity, independence, influence and the courage to design the next version of your professional life.
