Dear Gentle Readers,
Perhaps you did not notice that the June edition of our newsletter was missing, well Racheal noticed 😊 and it was intentional. At first, I planned to delay it by just one week, but then it slipped… and slipped again… until it was clear the deadline was well and truly missed. The truth is, life was happening. Busy was busying. And we all know this kind of season.
However, I will always remember the words of my favourite monk -Jay Shetty, ( favourite like i know many other monks😀,)... Jay shared that we could spend more time — or make more time — for the things we love. In fact he prayed for us in that post and his gospel continued, but you get the gist.
The truth is, I love to write. Each time I write a story or a post, I feel like I did something for myself. But why is it so hard to find time for the things we truly love? In this fast-paced world we live in, with a zillion distractions competing for our attention, we cannot always blame ourselves. All we can do is take it one step at a time and recommit to our goals and plans — one small, imperfect step at a time.
Yes, the June edition was missed but the ball did not drop, because I am here again, showing up and doing what I love. Many of us can relate to this in our careers, families, relationships, and everyday life.
There is a quote I return to often, from Maya Angelou: "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." That is the permission slip I want to hand to every reader today.
We often think of consistency as a straight line... a neat, unbroken chain of daily wins. But real consistency, the kind that builds careers, communities, and legacies, looks much more like a heartbeat. It rises, it dips, it pauses, and then it rises again. What matters is not that the line never dips. What matters is that it keeps going.
When I look at the women I admire most, fellow founders, the engineers, the leaders, the mothers, the mentors.... none of them have a perfect track record. What they have is a return rate. They come back. They keep coming back. They miss a beat, take a breath, and then step right back into the arena.
That is what community has taught me. That is what leadership has taught me. And that is what I hope this newsletter reminds you of today.
✨You do not have to be relentless.
✨You do not have to be perfect.
✨You just have to be willing to come back.
Because every time you return to the thing you love — the writing, the coding, the building, the dreaming, the volunteering— you always remind yourself, "I am still here. I still count. This still matters."
And this, my dearest gentle reader, is the most powerful and important story any of us can tell.
Here is a roundup of stories worth knowing this month:
AI regulation gains momentum: The EU AI Act continues to shape how companies deploy AI systems, with the next set of obligations for General-Purpose AI (GPAI) providers coming into effect. Companies across Europe are racing to align their governance frameworks.
The rise of AI agents: From OpenAI to Anthropic and Google DeepMind, agentic AI is dominating headlines. Enterprises are beginning to pilot autonomous agents for customer service, engineering, and internal operations — reshaping how work gets done.
Cybersecurity spotlight: With ransomware attacks on the rise globally, organisations are investing heavily in zero-trust architectures and identity security.
Germany: SAP continues to double down on its Business AI strategy, positioning itself as Europe’s answer to enterprise AI. Meanwhile, Berlin’s startup scene is seeing renewed Venture Capital interest in climate tech and AI infrastructure companies.
Deutsche Telekom announced further expansion of its AI-powered customer experience tools, partnering with major AI labs to bring generative AI to millions of European customers.
Austria: Vienna is emerging as a hub for quantum computing research, with new partnerships between universities and industry players accelerating breakthroughs.
Switzerland: ETH (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich) and EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne) researchers released Apertus, an open-source, multilingual large language model, positioning Switzerland as a serious contender in sovereign European AI.
Diversity in tech: Several DACH-based companies have renewed their commitments to inclusive hiring and pay transparency ahead of the EU Pay Transparency Directive taking full effect in 2026- a topic close to our community’s heart. More info to come on this
Most of us are currently on a summer break, but exciting things are brewing behind the scenes. Stay tuned for a fresh line-up of events, conversations, and connection opportunities ☀️
Date: 25th June 2026
Speaker: Endah Bongo Awah
Topic: Exploring Pathways into Tech
🎧 Listen to the recording -> here
✨ What has been your experience with professional networks?
✨ Have you found a community that helped you grow in your career?
✨ What types of events, discussions, or initiatives would you like to see from Black Women in Tech DACH?
Whether it's mentorship programmes, technical workshops, leadership conversations, social gatherings, or something completely different, your ideas matter. We are building this community together, and your feedback helps us create spaces that are truly valuable and impactful.
If this story resonates with you, or if you're looking for a community where you can connect, learn, and grow alongside other Black women in tech across the DACH region, we'd love to welcome you.
💡 Join our volunteer team - and help shape what comes next.
Together, we can create the networks we once wished we had.
With gratitude,
Chioma