Autodesk Life
TechX is Autodesk’s largest internal, employee-driven conference, where Autodeskers can invest in themselves by learning from experts and thought leaders across the company. Started as a small grassroots initiative in 2010, TechX has become a space for engaged conversations on platform and product vision, technology trends, experience design, software architecture, research, and more.
Over the years, TechX has matured into one of the premier events for employees at Autodesk. The theme for this year’s event was “Go Beyond,” and had in-person attendees as well as participants who tuned in from around the globe.
As an internal-only event, participants can share ideas and experiences around Autodesk’s platform journey, hear from senior leadership about our strategic priorities, discuss industry trends and best practices, and make valuable connections. Most importantly, TechX is a learning opportunity for everyone to align on our efforts to create the leading platform for Design and Make.
Daniel Wallace, Senior Principal Software Engineer, attended TechX in person and says it was great to see people he hadn’t seen in over three years and meet new people as well. “I was unprepared for the number of talks there were at TechX – it was great to have such variety,” Daniel says. “I was able to find something relevant to me in every time slot during the week.”
Tanvi Dharmarha, Senior Manager, Software Development, attended TechX for the first time this year as both a presenter and a volunteer. “Validation was one big takeaway for me,” Tanvi says. “By presenting and sharing vision, attending sessions, and interacting with peers, I was able to gauge the relevance and impact of our own projects or research within the larger Autodesk context. It helped me gain feedback and understand where we stand and what we need to improve to make our project — and, in turn, Autodesk — successful.”
More than 1,200 Autodeskers submitted presentation proposals for this year’s event. By presenting at TechX, employees can show thought leadership, raise awareness about their projects, find teams to partner with, and encourage other teams to adopt their solutions. They can also help define new standards and best practices, seek feedback from other teams, make meaningful connections, and much more.
Ron Locklin, Global Lead, Sustainability Platform, managed his team’s participation at TechX this year. The full team attended in person, with four presentations and a two-day booth all focused on the theme of sustainability. “The interest in sustainability was high,” Ron says. “For any role like ours where the technical connection is critical, TechX is so valuable. If you want to hear the unfiltered direction and thoughts of the Autodesk dev community, this is the place.”
The week concluded with the TechX Awards, where individuals and teams were celebrated for their exceptional contributions in the categories of elevating industry reputation, customer support, innovation, testing excellence, and cross-functional collaboration. These awards honor the talent and dedication driving our company’s technological advancements throughout the year.
In addition to providing opportunities for Autodeskers to learn from each other, TechX also invests in the external community. This year, a fundraiser was held for Dallas Hope Charities to support their work in safeguarding the well-being of LGBTQ+ youth at risk. There was also an opportunity for TechX attendees to mentor with LatinaGeeks, a non-profit that empowers Latinas with technical knowledge, business skills, and entrepreneurship resources. Autodeskers worked virtually with nearly 30 mentees, focusing on the questions, challenges, and ideas mentees wanted to discuss.
“I volunteered to be a mentor for LatinaGeeks in the hope of empowering an individual with the knowledge and guidance I wish I had when I was looking for my first job,” says Aishwarya Khaire, a Senior Software Engineer based in Boston. “I was able to assist my mentee with tips on how to prepare for tech interviews, and in the process, I also learned about the unique challenges faced by youth in today’s job market. At the end of the day, both my mentee and I learned something new that will help in our professional journeys.”
Watch: TechX 2023 Recap Video
Want to work at a company where you’re encouraged to learn and grow? Join us at Autodesk!