This week hundreds of tech professionals will gather together for re:connect 2025 at AFC Bournemouth.
This unique event is bought to you by the team at Reconnect Events CIC – a community interest company (CIC) who are committed to strengthening the tech industry in Dorset by supporting local events, forming partnerships with educational institutions, and creating opportunities for emerging talent.
We met with its co-founder Seemin Suleri. As the vice president of Engineering at Prima, Seemin is in high demand as a tech transformation leader and keynote speaker and is known for her approach building and leading high performance teams.
Here she shares the story behind Reconnect—why it started, what it aims to achieve, and how community and collaboration sit at the heart of it all.
What inspired you to launch re:connect and what’s your mission?
I started re:connect because I was tired of seeing all the best tech events happen in London or other big cities. Dorset has incredible talent and a growing tech scene, but it didn’t have a flagship event that brought the community together. I’ve always believed in the power of grassroots collaboration—and I’d seen firsthand through local meetups and women in tech groups how transformative community can be.
So I gathered a team of volunteers, and we decided to build something ourselves. re:connect is a non-profit, community-led conference designed to be inclusive, accessible, and genuinely enriching. It’s about real conversations, not corporate buzzwords. Our mission is to create a space where technologists can connect deeply—with ideas, with each other, and with the kind of leadership we need more of in this industry.
Who is the event aimed at—and why are they your focus?
It’s for software engineers, product thinkers, and anyone passionate about building and leading in tech—from early-career folks to senior leaders. We focus on them because they’re the people shaping how technology actually gets built and used. And often, they don’t get the space to pause and connect across disciplines.
I wanted re:connect to be a space where you can talk about architecture, ethics, leadership, burnout, and belonging—all in one day. Because that’s the reality of working in tech. It’s not just code; it’s culture.
Why Dorset?
Perhsps the question should be, Why not Dorset?!
Dorset deserves it. I live here, and I’ve seen the hunger for meaningful tech conversations that go beyond local meetups. We have a beautiful coastline, thriving local companies, and a growing digital economy—yet we were missing a space to bring it all together.
I didn’t want to wait for someone else to build it. So we did it ourselves. re:connect is proof that world-class events don’t have to happen in big cities. They can start right where the people are, with community at the heart.
What topics are you particularly excited to spotlight this year—and why?
I’m especially excited about two things: technical excellence and ethical AI.
Kevlin Henney is opening the conference with a keynote on the craft of software—because no matter how fast tech evolves, quality always matters. On the other end of the spectrum, Claudia De Jeu Boronat is speaking about agentic AI, fairness, and transparency—issues that are no longer optional in a world driven by algorithms.
We’re creating a programme that reflects both where tech is heading and what it’s grounded in. I love that we can hold those tensions together at re:connect.
What unique opportunities does Reconnect offer for early-career professionals or students?
We’ve deliberately built re:connect to be accessible. We reserve at least 20% of tickets for students, underrepresented communities, and local talent—free of charge. That’s baked into our values. We also offer real access to senior professionals. No velvet ropes. It’s a place where someone just starting out can share a stage or lunch table with someone who’s been in the industry for decades. That kind of access and visibility can be life-changing early in your career. I know it was for me.
What can be done to encourage more people into tech?
First, we need to stop treating inclusion as an afterthought. It has to be part of the design from day one—whether you’re building a team, a product, or a conference.
At re:connect, we focus on three things: access, visibility, and belonging. Access through fair ticketing and outreach. Visibility through speaker slots and leadership stories that reflect the diversity we want to see. And belonging by creating a culture where people don’t have to leave parts of themselves at the door to fit in.
We also partner with colleges, universities and local organisations to build bridges into the industry. And on a personal note, I think storytelling matters—a lot. When people see someone who looks like them or sounds like them doing the thing, it opens up possibility. That’s why I keep showing up and would encourage others to do the same.
Organiser Seemin Suleri is the VP of Engineering for Prima Assucuriazioni.