October kicked off in a very different, very energizing way. At Howdy, we believe representation matters, and that real change happens when we create genuine spaces to connect, inspire, and learn.
So, together with our partner Earnest, we organized SHEntax, an event designed to advance female talent in tech and open new opportunities for women in the industry.
The first edition took place in Guadalajara, marking the start of something much bigger. Where will the next one be?
A partnership built for real impact
The collaboration between Howdy and Earnest grew from a shared desire to do more than just connect talent with companies. Both organizations share a vision: supporting the professional development of women and promoting diverse, inclusive work environments.
Among the featured speakers were Leanne Loveday-Smith (Chief People Officer) and Farzona Pulatova (VP of Engineering) from Earnest, who shared the company's inclusive vision and inspired the audience to keep pushing for female representation.
From Howdy, Gabriela Barbeito (Director of Operations) and Pamela Ibarguren (Director of Engineering) shared their experiences leading teams and showed how technology can be a powerful tool for breaking down barriers and building community. Both spoke from their professional and personal journeys, motivating the audience to keep growing and get ready to take the main stage.
More than an event, a community
The energy at SHEntax was undeniable. Even though the women-in-STEM community in Guadalajara is still small, the turnout was remarkable: an open, genuine dialogue emerged, with questions, experiences, and lessons shared among peers.
The real highlight was the depth of the conversations and the collective inspiration to keep building communities where women are seen and recognized.
Guadalajara already has active women-in-tech communities like Latinas in Tech, Women in Tech, Technolatinas, and Laboratoria, among others, and SHEntax came to add strength, connect networks, and create new opportunities.
The vision behind SHEntax
The name SHEntax combines SHE and Syntax, a key programming term that refers to the structure and rules that allow code to work correctly. By bringing the two words together, we wanted to reflect a clear idea: when women become part of the code (part of the system), everything can work better. SHEntax stands for exactly that: the importance of women's presence in building a more inclusive, more diverse tech future.
As our Founder & CEO, Jacqueline Samira, explained, Howdy is more than a talent marketplace. We are a community across much of LATAM, capable of creating experiences that go beyond the virtual.
Guadalajara was the perfect setting to make it happen: a city with a growing tech community and a Howdy talent base that is also growing fast.
The result was clear: SHEntax not only connected women with job opportunities, it also positioned Earnest as a company of choice for developers who want environments where they are genuinely valued.
One more step toward equity
SHEntax Guadalajara showed that when purpose, commitment, and local action come together, the impact is real. Creating spaces where women can see themselves reflected, share their stories, and connect with industry leaders is essential for building a more equitable industry.
At Howdy, 61% of our internal staff are women, and we keep working so that more tech professionals find opportunities that push them to grow, learn, and lead.
Because when they move forward, the industry does too.
