In order to become what you desire, you must surround yourself with those people you look up to, but you have to be yourself in order to (1) be comfortable with your own existence and (2) stand out as a genuine human being with character. In better words... Do as the Romans do, but with glitter. Don't be afraid to be yourself and definitely don't be concerned about judgement.
Networking is about learning what you can, sharing what you know and working on a common goal.
Since Beau Exchange is based in NYC we have access to many other start ups and not so start up anymore companies like HUGE, Gilt Groupe and Etsy. Lucky for us we are also in the middle of the fashion industry, so we could embrace and mingle with the Mark Zuckerbergs of the world, just in Tom Ford suits.
Here is a like of conferences to consider in NYC.
We also took it upon ourselves to have a meetup group of like minded women of color in the tech industry so we could embrace the different experiences, stories and ideas.
We organize Black Female Tech Startup Entrepreneurs in NYC (I know long, but it is as clear as day). We have over thirty member and growing strong. This is a great way for networking, sharing skills and building friendships in the industry. If you can't find them, let them find you.
