For the JavaLand x Women in Tech series, Ixchel Ruiz has interviewed female speakers of the upcoming JavaLand 2026 at Europa-Park. These speaker spotlights give you the opportunity to get to know the speaker better and get their valuable input and insight on current topics. You can find more background information regarding the Women in Tech movement as well as Ixchel's motivation behind it in our previous article.
Title:What Would YOU Do? Navigating Ethical Dilemmas
Time: Tuesday, 10.03.2026 | 16:00 – 16:40
Room: Salle Petit Paris
Language: English
Focus: Methodology & Culture
Would you build it?
In many teams, the most challenging questions are not related to architecture or performance. They are about whether or not to build something in the first place. A feature might be technically possible. The deadline might be tight. Everyone might want to ship it.
And yet, something feels off.
Leonóra Dér’s session begins with that uncomfortable feeling. The one where something is completely buildable, yet not quite right. It's a situation that most engineers will encounter at some point in their career, but it's rarely discussed openly.
Meet the Speaker: Leonóra Dér
Leonóra works at Zeto Inc. and brings a thoughtful, experience-driven perspective to software ethics. The ideas for her session came from real moments in her own projects, as well as stories shared by friends in the industry. Time and again, she has noticed that ethical dilemmas arise quietly, embedded in everyday decisions rather than in dramatic, headline-grabbing cases.
Rather than presenting abstract theory, Leonóra invites the audience to join the conversation. In her interactive session, she asks participants to vote on real-world dilemmas ranging from minor feature trade-offs to larger, more complex requests that raise deeper questions. Together, the group explores how similar or different their instincts are and how these change when more context is revealed.
Why Leonóra Brought This Conversation to JavaLand
Leonóra realised how rarely engineers openly discuss ethical uncertainty, despite most of them encountering it at some point in their careers. In fast-moving environments, it is easy to focus on feasibility and meeting deadlines. Asking ethical questions can feel inconvenient or even disruptive.
Her session addresses this gap directly. Through relatable stories and real-life examples, she illustrates situations in which ethical decisions have had tangible consequences for careers, products and people's lives. She also links these stories to familiar engineering frameworks, such as IEEE principles, demonstrating that ethical thinking is integral to our profession.
Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding that ethics is not an abstract philosophy, but an integral part of everyday engineering work.
The One Idea She Wants You to Take Home
Ethical decisions are not rare, dramatic moments. They are small, everyday choices.
They arise from trade-offs, quick fixes, 'temporary' solutions and features that are not questioned because 'that's how we've always done it'. Being a good engineer means recognising these moments and engaging with them consciously.
Leonóra wants attendees to leave with the confidence to pause and ask themselves, 'Should we build this?' Or, sometimes, "Should I be part of this?" She encourages engineers to use simple ethical frameworks as guidance tools, especially when making decisions that feel uncomfortable or unpopular.
Her Perspective: The Courage to Ask Uncomfortable Questions
Leonóra openly discusses how speaking up does not always come naturally and how this can be subtly discouraged. As a woman in technology, she has witnessed first-hand how quickly someone can be labelled "difficult" for raising valid concerns.
She believes that thoughtful questions lead to stronger systems.
Ethics is not about moral superiority. It is about responsibility. It's about recognising when something feels wrong and having the courage to say, 'Can we think about this for a moment?'
If she could leave the community with one thought, it would be this: your discomfort may highlight something important. Do not ignore it.
Why JavaLand Is the Right Place for This Talk
Leonóra is especially looking forward to the conversations that take place outside of the talks. The hallway chats. The coffee breaks. The 'Wait, what did you think?' moments.
She is also excited to attend sessions that are outside her comfort zone, knowing that some of the best conference experiences come from exploring unexpected topics.
On a personal note, she is looking forward to practising her German. Currently at C1 level, she hopes that JavaLand will offer her plenty of opportunities to use the language in conversation. Perhaps by JavaLand 2027, she will even be brave enough to submit a talk in German!
Join the Conversation
This session invites you to reflect on the small decisions that influence your daily work.
If you have ever felt that something was technically feasible, yet ethically ambiguous, then this talk is for you. Expect relatable stories, interactive voting, practical tools and an opportunity to reflect honestly.
Bring your instincts, doubts and questions to JavaLand 2026, and join us in exploring what it really means to be a responsible engineer.
This article’s grammar and syntax were refined using ChatGPT and DeepL. The content reflects the speaker’s ideas, hopes, and statements.
