September WIT Forum | Wednesday, September 16, 2026 | 7:30–9:00 AM ET | Maggiano’s Buckhead
Some people stay in a technology career because the conditions are right. Others leave, quietly, for the same reason. On September 16, we’re bringing both sides of that story into the same room, and we can’t wait.
The retention conversation in tech usually gets told from one angle: individuals need to be more resilient, more strategic, more patient. But ask anyone who’s actually stayed, or left, or come back, and the story is rarely that simple. It’s a two-sided equation. What people choose to own about their own career trajectory, and what organizations choose to build around them. Neither side gets it right by accident, and that’s exactly what makes this conversation worth having.
This WIT Forum brings senior technology and HR leaders together to talk about what retention actually requires, not just what most organizations assume it requires.
What This WIT Forum Is About
Through candid panel discussion and interactive table conversation, you’ll hear from technology and people-strategy executives who’ve sat on both sides of the stay-or-go decision. Some have had to advocate for what kept them in the field. Others have had to build the kind of environment that keeps people around.
The conversation moves through what individuals can evaluate and act on right now, where well-intentioned organizations invest in retention and still lose great people, and what it really takes, structurally and culturally, to close that gap. This isn’t a session about perseverance. It’s a warm, honest look at what’s working, what isn’t, and what’s in each person’s power to change.
Who Should Attend
This WIT Forum is for women in technology careers at every level, along with the leaders and allies who shape the environments around them.
Whether you’ve been navigating the stay-or-go question for years, stepped away and found your way back, or are just beginning to ask it, there’s a place for you in this conversation. And if you’re the one building the culture others are deciding whether to stay in, this one’s for you too.
What You Will Walk Away With
Attendees can expect to leave with:
A clearer read on your own career trajectory. You’ll hear what separates the people who build lasting technology careers from those who stall out or leave, and what that means for the decisions in front of you right now.
A model for what organizational commitment actually looks like. Candid insight from leaders on what retention requires structurally and culturally, beyond the programs that look good on paper.
Specific, personal next steps. Table conversations and a take-home reflection guide will help you name one action for your own career sustainability and one action to make your workplace a place people choose to stay.
As one WIT community member put it, “You get confidence from being around people who want to see you win and thrive.” That’s the kind of room we’re building on September 16.
Join Us on September 16
This WIT Forum is in person and open to women in technology at every career stage, along with the leaders and allies who champion them.
One hour and thirty minutes together. A conversation that treats retention as a shared responsibility, not a personal failing. The kind of insight you’ll actually carry with you.
Meet the Panelists
Michael Park, Chief Information Officer at Infor, joins the panel to speak to what organizational commitment to retention looks like from the inside, and what leaders can take back to their own teams.
Sallie Graves, Chief Operating Officer at MagMutual, brings a senior operating leader’s view of what it takes to build a culture people choose to stay in.
Oneka Cornelius, Senior Director of Human Resources for Digital Technology & Data and Atlanta Hub HR Lead at Cargill, speaks to the structural and cultural levers that actually move the needle on retention.
Thank You to Our Partners
This WIT Forum is made possible by the generous support of our partners.
A special thank you to our Presenting Partner, Tier4 Group, for their commitment to advancing women in technology and making conversations like this one possible.
We also extend our gratitude to our WIT Forum Partners:
Women in Technology (WIT) creates possibilities for more women to explore, pursue, persist, and lead in technology. Learn more at mywit.org.