Built Here: Celebrating the Projects That Power Seattle at Our Annual Learning Conference 

Every year, Seattle IT sets aside a day to step back from programming deployments, and deadlines to learn from one another. This year’s Learning Conference delivered on that promise and then some. Under the theme Built Here: Projects that Power Seattle, we celebrated the work our teams do every day to keep City services secure, reliable, and ready for the residents who depend on them. 

The day brought together colleagues from across our department and partners from other City departments. It reminded us that the technology behind Seattle is built by people, and those people are right here. 

A Keynote That Asked Us to Look Differently 

We were honored to welcome Dr. Hala Annabi from the University of Washington as this year’s keynote speaker. Dr. Annabi challenged us to view the future of work through a different lens, one that connects three forces shaping our profession: 

Artificial intelligence and how it is reshaping the tasks, roles, and skills our teams need. 

The changing nature of work, including how we collaborate, design jobs, and measure success. 

Neuroinclusion, the practice of building workplaces where people whose brains work differently can contribute fully and thrive. 

Her message landed with clarity. As AI changes how work gets done, we have a real opportunity to rethink who gets to do that work and how. Neurodivergent professionals often bring strengths in pattern recognition, problem solving, and attention to detail, all of which matter deeply in technology. Too often, traditional hiring practices and workplace norms leave that talent on the table. 

For a department responsible for critical systems and cybersecurity, this is more than a values conversation. It is a practical one. Diverse ways of thinking lead to stronger solutions, sharper risk detection, and services that work better for everyone. Dr. Annabi’s keynote also connected directly to the City’s broader commitment to equity and inclusion, and it gave us concrete ideas to carry back to our teams. 

Rapid Fire Project Spotlight: The Movers and Shakers 

One of the day’s highlights was the rapid-fire project spotlight, a fast-paced showcase featuring the movers and shakers of Seattle IT. Presenters had just a few minutes each to share what they built, why it matters, and what they learned along the way. 

The format worked beautifully. In a short span of time, we saw the full breadth of our department’s work, from infrastructure and security efforts to applications and service improvements that City employees and residents use every day. Each presentation made one thing clear: behind every successful rollout, reduced outage, and improved response time is a team that cared enough to get it right. 

For many of us, the spotlight also sparked new questions and new connections. Hearing how another team solved a challenge often reveals a solution to your own. 

Learning Beyond Our Own Walls 

The conference also opened the door to projects from other City departments. Seattle IT supports work across the entire City, and seeing those projects firsthand helps us understand the people and outcomes our technology serves. 

These sessions reinforced how closely connected our work is to public service. When a department improves how it engages the community, responds to emergencies, or tracks progress on its goals, technology is often part of the story. Learning directly from our partners helps us build systems that truly fit their needs, and it strengthens the trust that makes successful collaboration possible. 

Connection Is Part of the Infrastructure 

Beyond the presentations, the conference gave us something just as valuable: time together. In a hybrid work environment, opportunities to connect in person are worth protecting. Conversations over coffee, introductions between teams, and shared reactions to a great presentation all build the relationships that help us work better when the next big project or urgent incident arrives. 

We left the day with new contacts, fresh ideas, and a renewed sense of pride in what we accomplish together. Growth happens in training rooms, and it also happens in the hallway between sessions. 

We are already looking forward to next year’s Learning Conference and to the projects, ideas, and people we will celebrate next.  

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