DEV Community: Joanne de Guzman

You Can Build While You're Still Becoming!

Joanne de Guzman — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 11:41:22 +0000

I didn't feel ready when I said yes to speaking at EmpowHER! — Sketching Visions, Building Futures.

Honestly? I'm not sure I ever feel ready. And I'm starting to think that's the whole point.

There's this quiet lie we tell ourselves — that we need to arrive somewhere first before we're allowed to start. That we need a title, a credential, a moment where everything finally clicks into place and someone hands us a permission slip to take up space. I spent a long time waiting for that moment. I'm done waiting.

The rooms that asked me to earn my voice twice.

I've been in rooms where my ideas needed a louder voice behind them before they were taken seriously. Rooms where I was the youngest person, the only woman, the one who "didn't look like" what leadership was supposed to look like. And for a while, I internalized that. I worked harder, spoke less, and convinced myself that visibility was something I had to earn rather than something I was already worthy of.

But here's what I know now:

that feeling — imposter syndrome, self-editing, shrinking — it doesn't disappear after graduation. It doesn't vanish when you get the job, the role, or the stage. It just changes shape.

The difference isn't that I stopped feeling it. The difference is that I stopped letting it make decisions for me.

I built communities not because I had it figured out, but because I cared enough to start.

When I got involved with AWS User Group BuildHers+, I wasn't an expert. I was someone who kept noticing the same gap — women and LGBTQIA+ folks in tech who were brilliant, capable, and quietly underestimated. I didn't have all the answers. I just had enough conviction to show up and try.

And that's how most meaningful things begin, I think. Not with certainty. With care.

The sessions I've helped organize, the mentors I've watched show up for students they'd never met, the women who come up after talks and say I thought I was the only one who felt that way — none of that happened because I waited until I was fully formed. It happened because I started anyway.

What "becoming" actually looks like.

Becoming isn't linear. It's not a ladder you climb rung by rung until you reach some final, polished version of yourself. It's messier and more interesting than that.

It looks like delivering a talk on imposter syndrome while quietly battling your own. It looks like building a mentorship program when you still have your own mentors you lean on. It looks like writing a caption, drafting remarks, crafting a space — and wondering the whole time if it's good enough — and then showing up anyway.

You are not a before. You're not waiting in a lobby until you become someone worth listening to. You are already in motion. Already building. Already becoming.

The table doesn't have to be given to you.

This is the line I keep coming back to. Not because it's defiant — though sometimes defiance is exactly what's needed — but because it's true.

If the room doesn't have space for you, you can build the room. If the conversation isn't happening, you can start it. If the people around you don't see what's possible, you can create the proof.

You don't need to feel ready. You don't need to have all the answers. You don't need a perfect plan or a flawless track record or someone else's validation before you begin.

You just need to start.

To every woman who's been talked over and showed up anyway. To every student who walked into a room full of "experienced" people and stayed. To everyone who's ever felt like they were building in the dark — you are not alone, and your work matters.

The table doesn't have to be given to you.

Build it.

To the AWS Cloud Club - HUGO team of TUP Manila:

Thank you. Genuinely.

Being invited to speak at EmpowHER! — Sketching Visions, Building Futures was one of those moments I didn't expect to sit with me as long as it did. But here I am, still thinking about the energy in that room, and it's entirely because of the space you created.

To the event chairladies, Charlote and Zendy — the way you lead is the kind of leadership that makes people feel like they belong before they even introduce themselves. You didn't just organize an event. You built something that mattered. And I was so honored to be a small part of it.

I came to share a story, but I think I left with more than I brought. That's the mark of a community that's doing something right.

Keep building! The tech space is better because you're in it.

If you made it to the end of this — thank you. Really. It means more than you know.

And if something here resonated with you, if you're somewhere in the middle of your own becoming and you have questions about the industry, corporate life, what it actually looks like to navigate tech as a woman or someone who's ever felt like they didn't quite fit — I want you to know my door is open.

If you'd like to be mentored, need someone to think out loud with, or just want a safe space to ask the questions you're afraid sound too small or too big — reach out. No agenda, no pressure. Just an honest conversation between people trying to figure it out together.

I can't promise I have all the answers. But I promise I'll show up for you the same way I wish someone had shown up for me.

Find me on LinkedIn. I'd love to hear from you. 🩷

Automate the Work, Elevate the Leaders

Joanne de Guzman — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 10:04:10 +0000

As someone who has been part of different communities throughout my journey, I always found myself searching for a great leader — someone who could guide me, mentor me, and help me develop a leadership style I could eventually call my own.

I encountered many mentors whom others looked up to, and I tried adopting their approaches. But things never quite fell into place the way I hoped. It took me a while — and a few hard lessons — to realize that not every leadership style will resonate with everyone. And when you spend too much time trying to embody someone else's style, it drains you. You end up chasing a version of yourself that was never yours to begin with.

Where It All Started

Through AWS User Group BuildHers+ Philippines, as part of the organizing team, we curated a mentorship initiative program open to mentors and mentees alike — whether experienced professionals, early-career individuals, career shifters, or students. The initiative aimed to connect people with similar interests who sought to:

Find guidance in navigating their career path with clarity
Grow their skills through practical mentorship and real-world insights
Build meaningful connections in a safe, empowering community
Gain the confidence to turn their goals into milestones

Even while juggling my responsibilities as part of the organizing team, I still signed up to be a mentor — with the quiet hope of finally becoming the kind of mentor I once needed.

I was paired with two amazing women who are student-leaders with a shared interest in Robotic Process Automation and a genuine passion for leading and serving their communities. Through a pre-mentorship survey, I gathered their insights and learned what they hoped to gain from our time together. From there, I curated a learning plan that would guide our sessions throughout the program.

Week 0: Onboarding

Before diving in, we aligned on expectations. I walked them through our program guide — our "golden book" — and laid out the overall structure. The program was divided into two learning paths:

RPA Learning Path
Focus: Microsoft Power Automate
Platform: Microsoft Learn
Method: Self-paced

Community Building & Leadership Development
Method: Live, classroom-style sessions

Week 1: Building the Foundation

We kicked off the RPA track with foundational lessons from Microsoft Learn, covering:

Getting Started with Power Automate
Build Your First Power Automate for Desktop Flow

On the leadership side, we explored Understanding Leadership Styles — why they matter, what the most common ones are, and how to begin identifying your own. We wrapped the session with a short quiz and a reflection activity.

One thing I made sure to leave them with:

There is no such thing as a perfect leader. Every great leader started the same way — with a single step, a small act of courage, and the willingness to try.

Week 2: Going Deeper

The second week marked a shift into intermediate RPA territory, with lessons from the PL-500T00-A: Microsoft Power Automate RPA Developer course on Microsoft Learn.

Our leadership sessions this week tackled two topics that go hand in hand:

Building a Tech Community — what it takes to create spaces where people genuinely want to show up
Communication & Influence — how to speak with intention and lead conversations that move people forward

Week 3: The Heart of It

We continued the intermediate RPA course while diving into what I consider the most meaningful part of the program:

Collaboration & Empathy

Great leaders don't just build systems, they build people.

Empathy is the not-so-secret ingredient that makes collaboration work. When you lead with intention and empower others to grow, you create teams and communities where everyone can succeed.

Giving Back & Sustainability

Leadership doesn't end when the session ends.

True impact comes from sharing what you've learned and paying it forward. When you give back, you don't just grow others — you grow yourself, too.

Facilitating these sessions in a community I consider my safe space brought me a kind of joy that's hard to put into words. Being a mentor here felt less like a role and more like coming home.

Week 4: The Culminating Activity

The final week was theirs. Each mentee presented their mini capstone project — a culmination of everything they had learned, built, and reflected on over the past four weeks. Watching them present with confidence and clarity reminded me exactly why I said yes to this in the first place.

A Note of Gratitude

To my two mentees — thank you. You came into this program as student-leaders, and you left having reminded me what leadership is really about. I came in hoping to teach, but you taught me just as much. Your curiosity pushed me to think deeper, your openness challenged me to be more intentional, and your growth genuinely moved me.

Mentorship is never a one-way street. I hope you carry everything we built together into every community you touch — and I hope you remember that the best thing a leader can do is make sure the people around them never stop growing.

I am proud of you both. Keep going.

To Anyone Reading This

If you've ever thought about becoming a mentor but talked yourself out of it, start anyway. You don't need to have all the answers. You just need to show up, listen well, and be willing to grow alongside the people you're guiding. The right mentees will change you just as much as you change them.

And if you're a mentee searching for the right mentor, know that the best ones aren't the loudest voices in the room. They're the ones who make you feel like your voice matters, too.

About the Author

Joanne De Guzman is a Senior Analyst, Automation & Integration at Go Global Business Services, Inc., the shared global professional services arm of the Gokongwei Group. A Class of 2025 Graduate of BS Information Technology from T.I.P. Manila, she specializes in developing and implementing automation solutions that drive efficiency and digital transformation across the organization.

Beyond her professional work, Joanne actively champions inclusion in tech as one of the User Group Leaders of AWS User Group BuildHers+ Philippines and a Media & Communications Volunteer with the Philippine Anti-Discrimination Alliance of Youth Leaders (PANTAY), advocating for women, LGBTQIA+, and inclusive innovation. She also serves as a Tech Volunteer for WorkFlow PH, a community under AWS Cloud Club Philippines that advances digital transformation by empowering communities through AI-driven automation.

Let's connect via LinkedIn: Joanne De Guzman

One Voice, One Vision Towards Shaping an Inclusive Future

Joanne de Guzman — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 14:11:41 +0000

June 28, 2025 - the AWS User Group BuildHers+ Philippines launched its first-ever Pride Month event: “One Voice, One Vision: Pride Stories Shaping Tomorrow’s Future in Tech.” It wasn’t just a milestone—it was a movement. A space carved out intentionally to honor LGBTQIA+ individuals in tech, and a powerful celebration of resilience, authenticity, and community.

A First for BuildHers+

The event marked a turning point for BuildHers+ Philippines. Known for championing women and underrepresented groups in tech, the group expanded its reach by shining a spotlight on LGBTQIA+ voices—many of whom rarely get the opportunity to share their stories on such a platform.

Community Co-Lead and Project Head Ms. Joanne De Guzman opened the event with powerful words:

“In the spirit of Pride, we gather not only to celebrate how far we’ve come, but also to commit ourselves to building a future that is more inclusive, more compassionate, and more just—especially in the spaces where innovation and technology thrive.”

With that, the floor was given to three courageous individuals, each with their own journey through tech—each story a lens into what inclusion truly looks like.

Stories of Resilience: LGBTQIA+ Voices in Tech

Breaking Through: Elsa Versailles on Being Different in Tech

First to speak was Ms. Elsa Versailles (Vince Austria), a BSIT student, academic researcher, and advocate for inclusion. Through her talk, “Breaking Into Tech: The Unspoken Paths That Got Me Here,” Elsa traced her non-linear path into tech and the barriers she overcame in both academic and professional settings.

With experience in IT infrastructure and compliance—and deep involvement in organizations like Pride PH—Elsa spoke with clarity and fire:

“You’re not late. You’re learning. Being different is a strength. Don’t wait for permission.”

Her message was simple, but radical: embracing your identity isn’t a liability—it’s your edge.

Claiming Space: James Morillo on Belonging and Bias

Next was Mr. James Morillo, a Cloud Operations Engineer at Accenture Philippines, who shared his story with quiet strength and focus. A DOST scholar and Magna Cum Laude graduate, James has excelled in AWS infrastructure, automation, and security. But his journey wasn’t always smooth.

He spoke candidly about favoritism, exclusion, and what it means to feel unseen in corporate spaces. His advice was as grounded as it was hopeful:

“Malawak ang industriya ng teknolohiya. I assure you, may uupuan ka.”
(The tech industry is vast. I assure you, there’s a seat for you.)

James reminded everyone that worth isn’t determined by titles or favoritism—it’s rooted in skill, consistency, and self-belief.

Leading with Heart: Precious Manucom’s Vision for Inclusive Communities

The final speaker, Mx. Precious Manucom, brought energy, passion, and a strong sense of purpose. A Computer Science student at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Precious is no stranger to leadership—she serves as President of DEVCON Manila and plays key roles in AWS Cloud Club – PUP and AWSUG BuildHers+ PH.

Precious spoke about the need for intentional, learner-friendly spaces—especially for students, queer individuals, and newcomers to tech. She emphasized that community isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a structure that can lift people up, open doors, and create real belonging.

The event also featured a panel discussion, where questions about amplifying diverse voices and stories, building solidarity and shared understanding, and inspiring action for inclusive tech futures were answered by the speakers.

Lastly, as the event closed, Ms. Uriel Alonso, the Community Lead of AWS User Group BuildHers+ Philippines, delivered her closing remarks:

Thank you for showing up, for listening with open hearts, and for standing with us as we amplify the voices of the LGBTQIA+ community in tech. Your presence today speaks volumes about the kind of inclusive future we are all striving to build together.

Why Visibility Matters

What made this event stand out wasn’t just the impressive resumes of its speakers. It was their honesty. Each talk peeled back the layers of what it means to exist in tech as an LGBTQIA+ individual—to show up, speak up, and thrive, even in systems that weren’t built with you in mind.
These weren’t generic success stories. They were stories of grit, growth, and radical self-acceptance.

The Future Starts with Listening

“One Voice, One Vision” was more than a celebration—it was a statement. That inclusion can’t be passive. That tech spaces must evolve. Those diverse voices, when amplified, don’t just belong—they build the future.

And the future? It's already in motion—led by people like Elsa, James, and Precious.

About the Authors

Joanne De Guzman is a purpose-driven community leader at AWS User Group BuildHers+ Philippines. She currently serves as a SIPAG 2025 Intern at the Gokongwei Group and previously worked as an RPA Developer Intern at Aspen Business Solutions, Inc. Joanne is a passionate advocate for inclusivity in technology, believing that representation is essential, especially in empowering younger generations to explore and thrive in the tech industry.

Uriel Alonso is a Cloud Applications Specialist at Apper Cloud Labs and a key member of the Professional Services Engineering team that delivers innovative cloud solutions. Passionate about increasing representation in tech, Uriel serves as the Community Leader of AWS User Group BuildHers+ Philippines. Together with Joanne, they serve as the Community Leads of AWS User Group BuildHers+ Philippines, working to create inclusive spaces and opportunities for women and gender-diverse individuals in the technology industry.