At the tail end of the pandemic, Khristine Carino decided it was time to step down as president of the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology.

She was inspired to start a non-profit — Tech2Step Network Canada — to offer a different route to bringing together women in STEM: connecting through walks along Vancouver’s seawall. 

Two years later, Tech2Step has grown to become a community for all genders in tech with over 350 members. The organization now offers mentorship, job support, leadership development, and other opportunities for members to connect and learn from each other. It has chapters in Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Surrey, and Toronto, with plans to expand to Calgary and Edmonton in the coming year. 

People come to Tech2Step’s events for all kinds of reasons. Some are new to Canada; others are making their first moves or advancing their careers in tech. But what brings them together, Carino suggests, is the sense of acceptance and belonging that Tech2Step fosters.

“I saw the need for a safe space for women in STEM — especially women of color — where we would not be judged as people who needed saving or people who were lacking,” Carino tells the Vancouver Tech Journal. “That we were enough ourselves as we came into Canada.”

The community leader added, “[Some] immigrants are treated as a blank slate. People don't consider their previous work and education. I’m talking about those who don't come from [certain] countries. There's a distrust of their qualifications, or [there is] even some sort of infantilizing. [...] We wanted to create a space where immigrants, newcomers to Canada, or even Canadians can come as they are.”

These experiences were something Carino understood well. She left a successful career abroad for a postdoctoral fellowship at UBC nearly 20 years ago. Before taking on that role, she had worked as a dentist in her own clinic while teaching in the University of Baguio’s faculty of dentistry in the Philippines. She also earned a PhD in dental sciences from the Tokyo Medical and Dental University, and her research was recognized with awards by the International Association for Dental Research.

Carino found community in her Tech2Step co-founders — Monisha Mothilal, Shreeya Shakya, Elena Grebenyuk, and Maria Cristina Donato. They were newcomers to Canada and had management experience in their home countries. The five immediately connected over their shared journeys of building a career in Vancouver after meeting through local tech events.

Tech2Step's expansion to include all genders in tech was a natural shift, Carino says. Men began attending the events after their partners encouraged them to join, while others heard about the initiative through collaborating organizations — like Palette Skills, ISSofBC, and Google Developer Group, to name a few — and wanted to show up in solidarity with its mission. For the founders, championing this change was critical.

“We've undergone so many discussions about who we are,” shares Carino. “It always goes back to the fact that we are a ‘for women plus’ organization — meaning inclusive of other genders. We realized that in our quest for gender parity, not only in tech but in society, we need allies [...] We cannot move forward with making change unless we have the support of all kinds of people.”

Another significant way that Tech2Step has evolved is by curating career advancement programming. So far, it has hosted panel discussions, connected mentors with mentees, and even offered one-on-one guidance for job applications and interview preparation. The non-profit will also organize presentations on a range of topics — like AI, machine learning, and marketing — which will be taught by its own members to help “raise their visibility, increase their confidence, and showcase their expertise.” The reason, Carino says, is that members were improving in these areas after joining Tech2Step and wanted more opportunities.

Michael Vincent Enriquez is among them. After moving to Vancouver from Singapore so his partner could further her education, the senior Java software developer found himself not only needing to navigate a new country but also searching for a new job — at a time when tech layoffs were on the rise both in B.C. and beyond. There was a lot of learning to do, but Tech2Step made the process easier, he says. Now, Enriquez is starting a full-time position with a major local organization.

“I was able to expand my knowledge about Canada's culture and my network,” he says. “After that first walk, every time they hosted an event, I would join. I never missed an event until this last one, where there were very many mentors and mentees who gathered around and talked about their experiences and gave some advice.”

As Tech2Step continues to grow, the walks will continue between March and October on Friday evenings. Participants shared that it provides an opportunity to get outside, unwind for the weekend, and explore the city. It also helps that Carino and her co-founders make it easy to connect; the team arranges and switches pairs at certain stops and pays close attention to those who might need a bit of support in getting conversations started. Another purpose for keeping the organization’s signature offering is that it creates an opportunity for longtime members to contribute.

“One thing I've also noticed is that this feeling of acceptance and belonging is stronger than in other groups,” highlights Carino. “I think it's because people are keen on building community, and those who’ve previously attended the walk know how it feels to be new. There's a sense of wanting to give back by being welcoming to newcomers.”

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