Unicorns in Tech Summit 2025

The Unicorns in Tech Summit has welcomed around 500 tech professionals in it’s last editions, celebrating technology, diversity, and the LGBTIQ+ community in the workplace.

For the fifth consecutive year, the Summit created a unique space where leading companies and top queer talent connect, collaborate and shape the future of technology together.

These were our Talks, Panels & Networking at UITS25

11:30am – 12pm

How AI Pushed Me Forward
(and Not Away)

Diletta Calussi (she/her) | Data Engineer

12:00pm – 12:30pm

Identifying & Challenging Microaggressions in the workplace

Cécile Deprez (they/them) | Scientific Researcher at German Aerospace Center (DLR)

12:30pm – 1pm

Why good engineers (often) make bad leaders.

Sabrina Kynast (she/her) | Team Lead Core & Senior Software Engineer at QPLIX GmbH

1pm – 2pm

Community Session
In This Together: Community Support for LGBTQ+ Job Seekers

2pm – 2:30pm

How to Work with Tech Bros without Losing Your Mind

Kristina Mayman (they/them) | UX Researcher

2:30pm – 3:30pm

Networking Session
42 Mixer: Peer-to-Peer Networking for Growth in Tech

Josef Sühr (he/him) |

Head of Partnerships at 42 Wolfsburg & 42 Berlin

3:30pm – 4pm

How my ADHD made me a better engineering manager

Chris Ward (he/him) | Head of Mobile Development Empowerment at 1&1 Mail and Media Applications

4pm – 4:30pm

Zwischen Tools, Trends und Transparenz – ein Blick hinter die Kulissen moderner Recruiting-Realität

Fabian Schlüsener (he/him) | Talent Acquisition at DKB Code Factory

4:30pm – 5pm

Ask me anything – Alles was du schon immer einen Hiring Manager fragen wolltest

Dr. Sasha Göbbels (she/her) | Senior Engineering Manager at Overleaf / Digital Science

5pm – 5:30pm

Why Junior Tech Roles are Disappearing (and What to Do About it)

Mary Newshauser (she/her) | Machine Learning Engineer

... and Our Workshops

12pm – 1:30pm

Who develops AI? Who benefits from AI?

Liel Glaser (they/them) | Machine Learning Scientist

1:30pm – 3pm

From Automation to Intelligence: Adding a Brain to Your Automated Workflow

Alexis Ducerf (he/they) | Head of Technology at WBS CODING SCHOOL

3pm – 4:30pm

CV optimization for tech talent: From application to invitation

Sabrina Kynast (she/her) | Team Lead Core & Senior Software Engineer at QPLIX GmbH

4:30pm – 6pm

Why is self-care so hard?

Tobias Wieschnowsky (he/him) | Coach at WY Coaching

Meet this year's exhibitors

Discover queer-friendly employers who are here to meet you, share their latest job openings and showcase how they live diversity, equity and inclusion in their workplaces.

Simply click on a logo to find out more about each employer.

Our Community Area

Our Community Area brings together initiatives and associations dedicated to supporting the LGBTIQ+ community. Discover their impactful work, connect with passionate changemakers, and explore how you can get involved. Together we shape a more colorful and inclusive world.

Accessibility & Awareness

Accessibility

Everyone should feel welcome and comfortable at the Unicorns in Tech Summit. Our venue, the SchwuZ, has been given the ‘Accessibility Verified’ certificate and is barrier-free in many areas.

Awareness

The Summit is committed to being a mindful, safe(r) space for everyone. Our Awareness Team is here to support you — let's respect boundaries and care for each other.

Meet us at SchwuZ

The largest queer club in Berlin.

In both 2024 and 2025, visitors experienced a day of meaningful connection at SchwuZ: Berlin’s largest queer club and a cornerstone of activism and LGBTIQ+ life in the city.

As a historic venue in vibrant Neukölln, SchwuZ offers more than just a location. In an industry and world where diversity is increasingly under scrutiny, creating safe spaces has never been more crucial.

Each year, we bring together a unique crowd, sparking new ideas, forging lasting friendships and opening doors to some of the most exciting opportunities on the market.

That was Unicorns in Tech Summit 2025

Europe's Largest LGBTIQ+ TechConference and Career Fair

11.10.2025 – SchwuZ, Berlin

These were our Talks, Panels & Networking at UITS25

How AI Pushed Me Forward (and Not Away)

Identifying & Challenging Microaggressions in the workplace

Why good engineers (often) make bad leaders.

Community SessionIn This Together: Community Support for LGBTQ+ Job Seekers

How to Work with Tech Bros without Losing Your Mind

Networking Session42 Mixer: Peer-to-Peer Networking for Growth in Tech

How my ADHD made me a better engineering manager

Zwischen Tools, Trends und Transparenz – ein Blick hinter die Kulissen moderner Recruiting-Realität

Ask me anything – Alles was du schon immer einen Hiring Manager fragen wolltest

Why Junior Tech Roles are Disappearing (and What to Do About it)

... and Our Workshops

Who develops AI? Who benefits from AI?

From Automation to Intelligence: Adding a Brain to Your Automated Workflow

CV optimization for tech talent: From application to invitation

Why is self-care so hard?

Meet this year's exhibitors

Our Community Area

Accessibility & Awareness

Accessibility

Awareness

Meet us at SchwuZ

Impressions UITS24

How AI Pushed Me Forward (and Not Away)

Berlin-based Data Engineer with roots in linguistics & computer science. Passionate about (Gen)AI, NLP, data, and inclusive workplaces. Also active as an independent publisher.

Identifying & Challenging Microaggressions in the workplace

Scientific researcher on satellite positioning by day, decolonial queer activist by night, Cécile merges both roles to foster inclusivity & belonging in the workplace.

Identify the different forms of microaggressions in the workplace, with a specific focus on problematic terminology commonly used in the tech world, which perpetuates discrimination.

Why good engineers (often) make bad leaders.

After studying software engineering at the TUM and LMU, I joined Munich-based Fintech secaleup QPLIX and currently work as a team lead and senior software engineer.

In This Together: Community Support for LGBTQ+ Job Seekers

Lea Afua is a seasoned professional with experiences in psychology, analytics and research. She is dedicated to fostering meaningful community connections and growth.

Erica Wolf has been working in tech since 1987. She started to transition in 2021, was laid off in 2023. Moved to Berlin in 2024.

Mark Ivan is an employee experience and branding strategist, making workplaces attractive through inclusion and equity principles.

The discussion invites you to ask questions, contribute your own thoughts, and go home feeling lighter. Questions can be submitted in advance via social media or the newsletter.

How to Work with Tech Bros without Losing Your Mind

I have spent over seven years working in the cryptocurrency industry, six of them as a User Experience Researcher. I am also an event host, workshop facilitator and drag performer.

42 Mixer: Peer-to-Peer Networking for Growth in Tech

How my ADHD made me a better engineering manager

How on earth can you manage the lives of other people if you struggle managing your own? With this logic I convinced myself for so much of my career that management wasn’t for me. Here’s why I was wrong, and why tech needs more neurodivergent people leading teams.

Zwischen Tools, Trends und Transparenz - ein Blick hinter die Kulissen moderner Recruiting-Realität

Born in west Germany, I went to the Netherlands for my studies (work & org. psy), now based in Berlin working at DKB CoFa, driving talent growth & fostering inclusivity.

Ask me anything - Alles was du schon immer einen Hiring Manager fragen wolltest

Why Junior Tech Roles are Disappearing (and What to Do About it)

Mary is a freelance MLE with over 8 years of experience working with language models. She's currently learning about distributed training and doing freelance technical writing.

Who develops AI? Who benefits from AI?

Liel left the world of mathematical physics to machine learning. They like to think about the ethics of AI.

AI is one of the hottest topics in technology right now. But who are the people that are developing it? And how do their experiences and choices influence outcomes of this technology.

From Automation to Intelligence: Adding a Brain to Your Automated Workflow

Head of Technology at WBS CODING SCHOOL. Passionate about building scalable systems with automation and AI to make tech education more accessible for everyone.

CV optimization for tech talent: From application to invitation

After studying software engineering at the TUM and LMU, I joined Munich-based Fintech secaleup QPLIX and currently work as a team lead and senior software engineer.

Why is self-care so hard?

Hi, I'm Tobias, a former software engineer and engineering leader who, after a long and much-needed career break, is now venturing out on his own as a coach (leadership, personal & professional growth, neurodiversity).

Self-care is hard for many of us and our industry doesn't exactly help. Let's talk about what problems, mindsets or emotions can keep us from taking care of ourselves and how we can be kinder to ourselves.

Europe's Largest LGBTIQ+ Tech
Conference and Career Fair

How AI Pushed Me Forward
(and Not Away)

Community Session
In This Together: Community Support for LGBTQ+ Job Seekers

Networking Session
42 Mixer: Peer-to-Peer Networking for Growth in Tech