Thank you, #digitalhealth (a.k.a. Bring your Daughter to Hackathon Day)

A very quick thank you to the Digital Health community. Recently, at the Prebacked MedHack Hackathon event, I served as a mentor. At the time, there was a lot of discussion on the internet about women at tech events, specifically surrounding the PyCon "Dongle-Gate." As someone with a daughter,  I wanted to do something very small, but meaningful and personal, to try to reverse this trend. So, that day, I brought Mackenzie, 7, to join me to see what I do at these crazy events I'm always going to. And she had a blast.

She made her own business cards and handed them out. She set up a play-date with one of the an eight year old son of one of the founders. She didn't just plan it, she scheduled a meeting and put it in her calendar on her iCal.

She beta-tested peoples products. Really. Here she is testing out a healthy-eating app for kids (while wearing a jawbone up).

It goes without saying that I was unbelievably proud of my daughter that day, but I was also proud of our community. Not only did people embrace her, but they were respectful, funny, kind, and made her feel welcome.

In return, my daughter doesn't look as technology or healthcare as the land of men, but a place she can make a difference, contribute, and engage (and eat a little too much pizza. Damn hackathons) as a smart, engaged person.

Best. Hackathon. Ever.

Thank you, #digitalhealth