Ever wanted to speak at a meetup but didn’t feel comfortable putting yourself forward?

This is your sign from the universe. It’s time to strap in and start the launch sequence for your first technical talk.

Many people struggle with speaking in public for all sorts of reasons. If that’s you, you are definitely not alone! Speaker Launchpad is here to support you to access this great way of giving back to the engineering community and building your network and career in tech.

No matter your technical level or specialism, the Speaker Launchpad programme can help prepare and give a talk at an upcoming meetup event. You will choose your own topic and format - it could be anything from a five-minute lightning showcase to a full 25-minute technical talk.

Participants in Speaker Launchpad will receive individual mentorship tailored to their specific needs over a period of about three months.

This can include help with:

• 🔎 Finding talk ideas
• ⛺️ Pitching and working with tech-event organisers
• 👷 Structuring and developing your talk
• 📣 Practicing your talk and receiving feedback
• 📢 Public-speaking style and confidence, including navigating videoconferencing if relevant
• 👑 Support at your talk, including introducing you if desired
• 🙋🏾‍♀️ Answering questions (or deciding not to take them)
• 🌍 Post-talk networking

We welcome all adults based in Scotland who want to give a technical talk and feel they’d benefit from the scheme. (It doesn’t have to be your first ever talk. If you’d benefit from the scheme, we want you to take part!)

Want to find out more?

Got questions or just curious to learn more? You can catch us at these events:

• GlasgowJS on September 16 (James)
• EdinburghJS on September 23 (Fanny)

Who are Speaker Launchpad?

The core team are:

Fanny Demey

I’m a freelance mobile developer and an accessibility expert. I care about people and the planet and decided 4 years ago to work exclusively on projects with a positive impact. I’ve been involved in the French tech community since 2015, when I created a conference called Dev’Lille, which grew each year to reach 1,600 attendees. Through that experience, I learned a lot of things in many technical fields thanks to the community’s expertise. Later, I decided to give back by sharing my own knowledge. Over the past few years, I’ve given several talks, written articles and even a book. In 2023, I became a mentor to support underrepresented people in the industry to give their first talk.

James T. Harding (he/him)

I got a lot out of participating in technical events when I was career changing into tech, so I’m passionate about helping others to benefit in the same way. Before I became a full-stack web developer, I ran a publishing company and worked particularly with queer and Scots-language writers. I am a trained public speaker and play a lot of table-top roleplaying games.

Louise Shambrook

I’m a software engineer working in the machine learning and data space. I switched careers in 2021 and moved into tech after completing a course at CodeClan. Having switched careers myself, I’m keen to support those entering the field, particularly from underrepresented backgrounds. I’m passionate about diversity and inclusion and I work to raise awareness of and address the challenges women in tech face.

Jamie McHale

I am the organiser of the Glasgow and Edinburgh JavaScript meetups, and write the weekly Scottish Technology Club bulletin. I have been a freelance developer and consultant for over fifteen years. I’m keen to build a supportive and engaging community of people so we can work on interesting projects and attract more and better opportunities to Scotland.