Getting Into Tech Is One Thing. Staying Is Another.
On what happens after the career change, when the hard part turns out to be the staying.
Honest conversations for women in tech and beyond
Scroll
You belong in this room.
Shift & Connect brings women together for honest conversations about careers, growth, change and the experiences that shape us. We meet in London, four times a year, and the conversation carries on in between.
Wherever you are in your career, and whatever your route here looked like, there is a seat for you.
Next: Thursday 12 November 2026, 6pm to 8pm, Adobe London. Reserve your seat.
Next gathering
What the evening is about
Seats are limited and registration is confirmed by the host.
We usually introduce ourselves by what we do. But behind the job titles we are all navigating ambition, change, responsibilities and the quiet pressure to keep growing.
So what happens when your priorities shift, or your career stops looking like the plan? That is what we are talking about in November, and you are welcome wherever you are in yours.
No panels. No PowerPoints. No performance. Just real conversations, shared experiences and meaningful connections.
What we will talk about
01
Career growth and reinvention
How do we navigate changing ambitions, career transitions, feeling stuck or redefining what success looks like?
02
The pressure to keep up
How do we balance professional expectations, continuous development, personal responsibilities and our own wellbeing?
03
Building connections that matter
How do we move beyond traditional networking to build genuine relationships that encourage, support and inspire us?
What you can expect to take away
- Fresh perspectives on your career journey and your own growth
- Meaningful connections with women at different stages of their careers
- Space to reflect, share experiences and learn from others
- Encouragement, and a community that carries on after the evening ends
Registration is through Luma. You will get the full address and joining details once your place is confirmed.
Good to know
Who can attend?
Women at any stage of their career, from any background. Our focus is women navigating the world of technology, and that includes everyone around it: compliance, product, design, data, operations, consulting, and the people considering a move into tech for the first time.
Can I come on my own?
Yes. The evening is built around conversation at tables, so whether you arrive with someone or on your own, you will be talking with others within minutes. You do not need to know anyone beforehand to feel at home here.
Do I need to work in cybersecurity?
Not at all. You will meet women from security and compliance, but the room is far wider than one field and the conversations are about careers and growth rather than any single specialism.
What should I expect from the evening?
A small, warm room, light refreshments, and a guided conversation across three themes. You will sit with a handful of women, talk honestly, and we close together as a group. No presentations, and nothing you have to prepare.
This is our end of year gathering. The next one lands in early spring 2027.
Inside the room · 2 July 2026
Our first gathering, and what it felt like.
On Thursday 2 July 2026, women filled a room at Adobe London for an evening built around one question: how do we grow, adapt and stay true to ourselves in a world that keeps shifting?
One conversation moved through four honest topics, table by table. People arrived not knowing anyone and left having talked about the things they usually keep to themselves. We closed in a circle, which said more than any panel could have.
Becoming takes confidence. Confidence takes presence. And presence takes intentionality.
The one man in the room, an ally, put it simply: he is who he is because of the women in his life, and this space affirmed what he already believed.
November picks up where that evening left off, with a room that is already growing.
From the room, 2 July 2026
The Vision
Why Shift & Connect exists.
I have seen firsthand what community does for a woman who almost did not walk through the door. That is why this exists.
Shift & Connect is for women who are growing, shifting and showing up anyway, including the ones who do not always like going out. It is not networking in the traditional sense. It is warmer, more intentional and a good deal more real than that.
We gather four times a year in London: early spring, summer, early autumn, and a final evening to close out the year.
01
Honest, not polished
No panels. No PowerPoints. No performance. Just the real version of the conversation, the one we usually save for afterwards.
02
Consistent, not one off
A recurring space you can count on. Somewhere to return to as you grow, season after season, with the same people in your corner.
03
Open to everyone
Early career, mid career, pivoting or senior. Whatever your route here looked like, you will find people who recognise it.
Meet your host
Hi, I'm Funke.
I came into this industry the long way round, and I know what it feels like to walk into rooms that were not built with you in mind. What carried me through was not a perfect plan. It was community, and the people who showed up for me along the way.
I built Shift & Connect because I have seen what happens when women find their people. Something shifts. Confidence grows, doors open, and the journey stops feeling so lonely. This is the room I wish I had walked into earlier, so I am building it for the woman who almost did not come.
By day I lead security and compliance work across Europe, the Middle East and Africa for a global technology company. Alongside that I mentor women moving into cybersecurity and GRC, I help run communities for women in the field, and I was named among the Most Inspiring Women in Cyber in 2026.
Whatever stage you are at, you are welcome here. I cannot wait to meet you.
Beyond the gatherings
The Shift Journal
Stories, reflections and perspectives on careers, personal growth, change and the experiences shaping women in technology and beyond.
Coming soon
When Your Career No Longer Looks Like the Plan
Reworking your idea of success when the path you mapped stops matching the life you have.
You Can Be Ambitious and Still Need Rest
Why wanting more and needing a break have never actually been in conflict.
More pieces are on the way, including one on the people who keep you going and one on how work is changing around us.
Coming soon
The Long Way Round
A Shift & Connect podcast
Because not every career follows a straight line.
Behind every job title is a story. The unexpected opportunities, difficult decisions, career changes, lessons learned and people who helped along the way.
The Long Way Round brings you honest conversations with women navigating careers, ambition, change and everything in between. From women breaking into technology to those leading teams, building businesses or redefining success, we explore the journeys that brought them here.
No perfect career stories required. Just real experiences, honest reflections and lessons worth sharing.
EpisodesComing soon
The first one will be announced here and to the mailing list.
FormatOne guest, one story
Thoughtful, unscripted conversations.
WhereWherever you listen
We will share the links once the first episode is live.
Took the long way round yourself? I am looking for the first guests. You do not need a title, a platform or a tidy story. If your route here was a winding one and you are willing to talk about it honestly, I would love to hear from you.
Stay connected
Cannot make this one? Stay in the room anyway.
Be the first to know when seats open, plus stories and takeaways from the women in between. No noise, just the things worth knowing.
Four gatherings a year: early spring, summer, early autumn, and an evening to close out the year.