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Building Community in Tech with Elizabeth Stock
53:42 with TreehouseEveryone deserves an inclusive workplace so they can thrive to their fullest potential. Presenter Elizabeth Stock covers the importance of community support in the tech industry, particularly for women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ folks.
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Hello everyone,
it's Tony again, hey listen,
0:04
we have a wonderful guest this session.
0:08
And she is experienced nonprofit leader
and the executive director of PDXWIT.
0:12
Her work is centered on
distributing systems and
0:19
technology, an equitable future for
humanity.
0:23
Through advocacy,
mentorship and scholarships,
0:27
PDXWIT is advancing the careers of women,
non-binary and
0:31
underrepresented people in tech.
0:36
Y'all welcome to the stage
Elizabeth Stock.
0:39
>> All right, thank you Dr. Joe Sato,
0:41
hi everybody I'm Elizabeth
really excited to be here today.
0:44
I am going to make sure I'm
ready to share my screen here,
0:49
all right, so good morning everyone.
0:54
As Dr. Joe Sato said, I'm Elizabeth Stock,
my pronouns are she her.
0:58
And just gonna pop over the chat looks
like people can hear me, see me, okay,
1:01
great.
1:06
So I'm really grateful to Treehouse for
asking me to speak.
1:07
And at first, I have to admit
I was a little bit hesitant,
1:10
as my background is in nonprofit work and
community organizing and social justice.
1:14
So I thought, why would a bunch of
technologists want to hear from me?
1:20
But then I realized what a unique
opportunity this is, the opportunity to
1:25
connect with people who are about to blaze
a serious trail in the tech industry.
1:30
An industry that is no big deal,
shaping the future of humanity.
1:35
So you all have the power
to change the world, and
1:39
I am not gonna pass up
an opportunity to connect with you.
1:42
So technologists, in my opinion,
need to know how critically important it
1:46
is to have a strong network and community,
if we wanna survive this industry.
1:51
Especially if you don't look like,
sound like or
1:56
think like the typical individual
who's dominating this industry.
2:00
We can all play a role
in building a strong and
2:05
equitable community, but
we have to stick together and
2:07
elevate one and other, and I'm here to
talk about how we can actually do that.
2:11
You can take this information
to your own tech community, and
2:15
hopefully apply it in a way that works for
you.
2:19
So I'm gonna go ahead and
2:22
share my screen now, hold tight, okay.
2:26
[SOUND] Okay, share,
here I go, here it is,
2:33
share, bear with me for
my notes for a minute.
2:38
Present, all right, hopefully we're good,
2:42
can you all see my screen?
2:48
Okay, got to find my notes,
here they are, okay, so
2:50
I'm here to talk about building
community in tech today.
2:56
And the full name of my talk which
is not listed here on this slide,
3:01
really should be.
3:06
Building Community in Tech means
calling myself out on my shit, and
3:08
feeling okay when other people
call me out on my shit.
3:13
But I wasn't feeling like that would look
very good in the marketing materials for
3:16
this conference.
3:20
So I just shortened it a little bit, but
3:21
that's really what I'm
gonna be talking about.
3:23
And a quick note, I'm supposed to say
here, go ahead and maximize the slides so
3:25
that they're big and I'm small.
3:29
I'll give you a second to do that,
so here's my plan for today.
3:31
I'll probably talk for about 30 to 35
minutes, and then I'll leave time for
3:36
questions and discussion.
3:40
I'll be sharing some personal stories and
3:42
somewhat embarrassing truths
about my own journey.
3:44
And this is from childhood,
all the way up to some very recent
3:48
examples of my own white
fragility bubbling up.
3:52
And I'll leave you with three simple but
not so easy steps we can all take
3:55
to build and participate in community that
fosters and advances inclusion in tech.
4:01
Disclaimer, some of what I say today
is gonna be challenging for some,
4:07
as we're gonna talk about some really
difficult and often taboo topics.
4:12
So I wanna be sure that people take care
of themselves as we move through this
4:17
presentation.
4:22
I also wanna mention that I'm
in the basement of my house,
4:23
pandemic life, we're all here together.
4:27
The door is locked, but my kids
are here and they're getting smarter.
4:30
So I'm crossing my fingers that they
won't try to break in, or pick the lock,
4:35
but I cannot make any promises.
4:40
So before I dive in though, I want
to ground us in some terminology and
4:42
acronyms that I'll be throwing around.
4:47
I'm sure many of these
are familiar to all, but
4:50
just in case I want to cover a couple.
4:52
So first off, I will use B-I-P-O-C or
BIPOC, this stands for Black,
4:55
Indigenous, and People of Color.
4:59
The reason that I use this abbreviation
instead of people of color, for
5:02
example, is to center and
give clear visibility to those who have,
5:07
particularly in this country, banned,
systematically abused and oppressed.
5:11
I also wanna make a note here that
if I'm specifically talking about
5:17
a particular group, then I'll say that.
5:22
For example, if I want to talk
about the Latin x community,
5:24
I will say Latin x,
I'm not gonna say people of color.
5:28
Grouping or BIPOC, so
in my view, grouping all races
5:32
that aren't white into one
singular term is a form of
5:37
colonialism in Eurasia and
I'm trying to avoid that.
5:42
Second, I will use GNC,
this stands for gender non-conforming.
5:47
So folks whose gender doesn't fall into
conventional mainstream definitions,
5:52
nonbinary folks fall into this category.
5:58
And lastly, you'll see some Es, some Ds,
some Is some D & Is, these stands for
6:01
equity, diversity, and inclusion,
or diversity and inclusion.
6:07
When I'm discussing these terms, I'm gonna
try not to lead with the word diversity.
6:13
It is a popular word, but
it's also a meaningless word if it's
6:19
not coupled with equity,
inclusion and justice.
6:24
So having that letter be the first in
an acronym or the first word you say
6:28
when you're talking about issues
of inclusion, feels wrong to me.
6:32
Having said that, it's a pretty go to
word, so as I'm citing different sources,
6:37
they may use that word first, but
I will mirror my language to reflect that.
6:43
And I wanna share a bit about
myself before we get started,
6:48
I'm Elizabeth,
I mentioned that, I'm white.
6:53
I am cisgender, so
my biological sex matches
6:57
the gender in my heart,
in my head and my soul.
7:01
I'm a mom to two boys, who hopefully
won't break in, I have two dads.
7:06
I am able bodied, and
I have a lot of unearned privilege,
7:16
you can see it on this list.
7:21
And there's a lot I didn't mention,
a lot a lot, I'm kind of dripping with it.
7:23
So let's talk about unearned privilege,
this captures
7:29
the advantages people have simply
because of the way they were born or
7:33
the context or family they were born into.
7:38
For example,
I was born with white skin, so
7:41
I have privileges associated
with being white.
7:44
Having white skin doesn't automatically
make my life easy, but it is certainly
7:47
not a factor that makes my life more
difficult, that's unearned privilege.
7:53
So some examples of my own
on unearned privilege,
7:58
my first job at the age of two
was due to unearned privilege.
8:02
The reason I had the opportunity for that
job, was because I had a certain look.
8:07
This is the look, and on every job,
whether it was a commercial set or
8:13
a TV show, I was surrounded
by people with white skin.
8:18
The other actors, the directors,
the crew, the onset teachers,
8:22
if I was in an ensemble cast,
there were likely a bunch of white kids.
8:27
And perhaps one black kid,
or one Latin x kid,
8:32
or a kid in a wheelchair, maybe.
8:37
But definitely not all of
those identities at once, and
8:40
certainly no intersectionality
of identity.
8:44
So, my chances of booking work
were exponentially greater than
8:47
actors who didn't look like me,
this was unearned privilege.
8:52
And today 30 years later,
I sit in a position of influence,
8:56
running an organization that I was
qualified to run in part because of
9:01
the education that I had
as an actor growing up.
9:05
Not because I was particularly talented,
but
9:09
because people like me were on TV,
and I had a certain look.
9:12
There's improvement in that industry, but
9:17
that's not what I'm here
to talk about today.
9:19
So back to some other examples of my
unearned privilege, I can shop and
9:21
not be followed or monitored closely
by security or other customers.
9:26
Honestly, I could probably steal and
not be noticed.
9:31
Similarly, I can stencil black lives
matter on my front steps without
9:35
passers by harassing me or
accusing me of defacing public property.
9:40
I can safely ask someone to leash their
dog without the potential of being harmed.
9:46
This next one is somewhat Portland
specific, and I know this is a national or
9:53
international audience,
but it's worth mentioning.
9:58
That I can almost always expect whiteness
to be the most represented space in
10:02
any public space I'm in here in Portland.
10:07
And so that's some information about me,
my unearned privilege.
10:12
But another big thing to know about me
is that I run an organisation based here
10:16
in Portland.
10:20
We're called PDXWIT, or
Portland Women in Tech, or
10:20
PDX Women in Tech,
we'll answer to all of those.
10:24
Our mission is to empower women,
non-binary, and
10:27
underrepresented people to join and
stay in tech.
10:31
And I'll share a little
bit more about PDXWIT.
10:35
But first,
10:38
I think it's important to tell you about
why we need an organization like PDXWIT.
10:39
So if technology affects everyone
in some way, which it does,
10:45
shouldn't it also reflect and
consider everyone as it's being iterated,
10:50
and developed, and perfected?
10:56
Well, it doesn't.
10:58
And yes, some progress has been made.
11:00
But there's not nearly enough
diverse representation among
11:03
those who are defining and
creating technology.
11:08
Folks from diverse backgrounds who are
currently working in the industry aren't
11:12
feeling like their companies'
EDI initiatives are effective.
11:16
So even if they're
working in the industry,
11:20
they're lacking a sense of belonging and
inclusion.
11:22
And that leads to dismal retention rates.
11:26
Here's some data to back
up what I'm saying.
11:29
So every year, PDXWIT does a survey
where we collect data to understand
11:32
the experiences of people in the tech
industry across the country.
11:37
We just closed our 2020 survey last week.
11:42
So the most recent data set we
can look at was from last year,
11:45
but it certainly is still relevant.
11:48
We had about 5000 responses.
11:50
And we were aiming, like I said,
I don't know if I said this, but we were
11:52
hoping to look into the articulated
culture that a lot of tech companies may
11:58
have around diversity and inclusion versus
the experienced or expressed culture.
12:03
So we know tech companies talk
a big game when it comes to how
12:09
much they value diversity and inclusion.
12:13
Yet the representation, especially
as we move up the leadership ladder,
12:16
is simply not expressing that value.
12:21
It's being articulated, but not expressed.
12:23
We also wanted to be sure to see
where disparities may exist between
12:26
the perspectives of white and
cisgender people versus BIPOC or
12:32
gender non-conforming individuals.
12:36
Spoiler alert, there were major
differences in perception.
12:40
So the first question was,
that we're gonna look out today,
12:45
was does your employer talk about
diversity and inclusion as a priority?
12:48
So in gray here we have white and
cisgender men and women,
12:52
in orange we have BIPOC and transgender,
non-conforming respondents.
12:56
You can see here that of the white and
cisgender men and
13:02
women surveyed 50% or more,
up to 63% in the case of white women,
13:06
believe their employer talks about
diversity and inclusion as a priority.
13:11
Only 30% of BIPOC, or trans, or
13:16
gender non-conforming individuals
responded yes to that same question.
13:19
It's a pretty big difference.
13:25
Similar story when it comes to whether
respondents felt like their company is
13:27
authentically taking steps to
prioritize diversity and inclusion.
13:31
Again, are these companies
articulating a certain stance and
13:35
authentically taking
steps to make it happen?
13:39
Once again, over 50% of the cis and
13:42
white respondents said yes,
while far less than 50% of BIPOC,
13:45
or gender non-conforming,
or trans folks did.
13:51
So oops, [LAUGH] you might wanna see that.
13:55
There's certainly something
breaking down here, and
13:58
we will come back to this data point.
14:01
But I also wanted to share some
qualitative data that sums up what
14:03
might be going on in the tech industry.
14:07
So we had an open field in our survey for
14:09
the question of what is one thing that
you wish would stop in this industry.
14:12
These responses speak for themselves, but
14:17
I'll read them anyway in case you
have me on in the background.
14:19
The sense that now that I'm here,
a queer Latina,
14:23
our team as a whole is diverse and
our work there is done.
14:27
I sometimes feel tokenized or
like others are using me as a shield.
14:31
I'm tired of being the only
black person in the room.
14:37
People need to stop asking
me where I'm really from.
14:43
So back to this data point.
14:48
Companies very well may be trying to
create diverse and inclusive environments,
14:50
but their initiatives are clearly
not resonating with individuals who
14:55
are the most underrepresented
in this industry.
15:00
One theory on this, perhaps actions and
15:03
initiatives around diversity
are coming from the top.
15:06
And remind me, who is overwhelmingly
at the top of tech companies?
15:10
Yeah, white and cisgender people.
15:16
So I am glad that white and
cisgender people are happy with their
15:19
own efforts around inclusion and
diversity.
15:24
But really,
15:28
what is the point of these efforts if
they're only pleasing dominant groups?
15:29
And let me make something
very clear before I move on.
15:35
I'm not suggesting that these
company leaders see this data and
15:38
go to their BIPOC, or trans, or
gender non-conforming, assuming
15:43
they at least have some, employees for
guidance on how to do better.
15:48
I have yet to see a job description that
says, if you're from an underrepresented
15:54
group in tech, you will also be expected
to educate the white employees at this
15:59
company on what we should be doing about
equity, and diversity, and inclusion.
16:03
So if you're not writing this
into your job description,
16:09
that means you are not paying for
this labor.
16:12
And it is labor,
do not expect this to come for free.
16:15
If you wanna have optional focus groups
within your company or have your BIPOC,
16:19
or trans, or gender non-conforming
employees give you feedback,
16:24
you need to pay for this,
and it needs to be optional.
16:29
And you need to pay well.
16:32
I would recommend starting in at least
$300 an hour, but that would be a deal.
16:34
So back to PDXWIT, the organization I help
run, and why we're here and what we do.
16:40
I'm not gonna read through all this,
hopefully it sorta speaks for itself.
16:46
This isn't meant to be a commercial for
my organization,
16:50
although you're welcome to join us.
16:53
But our hope, through our programming,
is that we're filling a gap,
16:55
creating community, and supporting
individuals who are trying to break into
17:00
this industry or trying to stay in
this industry once they find a job.
17:05
We're also supporting companies in doing
better when it comes to equity, diversity,
17:09
and inclusion.
17:14
Through our programming,
we're filling some gaps.
17:15
But it's our ultimate hope that
an organization like ours would be
17:18
unnecessary.
17:22
We know we have a long way to go, though.
17:23
And if you're not already,
become a member.
17:25
It's free, we're not a typical
professional organization.
17:27
Membership basically just means you
come to our events sometimes, or
17:30
read our newsletter,
or pop into our Slack.
17:35
We're here, there's no barriers to entry,
and I'll share more links later.
17:37
And here's our rad team.
17:44
So the top row's our staff team and
the bottom row's our amazing board.
17:45
We also have over 100 active volunteers
who help advance our mission,
17:49
and we were all volunteer-run
just until a couple years ago.
17:54
As an organization, we often get asked
17:58
by tech companies who are struggling
to build diverse teams for help.
18:01
Our first question to
these company leaders is,
18:06
what is your current leadership makeup?
18:09
Show us your numbers.
18:12
Unsurprisingly, these leadership
teams are almost always white,
18:14
and almost always white men
of a particular age range.
18:19
So when we're asked that question, we let
companies know that there's not a quick
18:22
and easy fix when it comes
to creating rich and
18:27
diverse teams that foster inclusion and
belonging.
18:29
It goes way beyond the annual
diversity trainings,
18:32
or special logos, or statements.
18:36
PDXWIT team did not always look like this.
18:39
And it took intention, authenticity, and
vulnerability on the part of our board
18:42
to assemble a team that truly mirrors our
community and demonstrates our values.
18:47
So as a white person doing my best
to lead this organization and
18:54
advance inclusion in a space
that is historically and
18:59
presently not great at it,
I've learned a few things.
19:02
I have so much more to learn.
19:06
So I figured, as I learn,
I should start sharing some of this.
19:08
So first, it's important for me to know
when to show up and when to stand down.
19:13
Second, there is no end point,
19:20
no goalposts signifying our
arrival at a more equitable world.
19:23
This work is ongoing and eve-revolving
as we peel back the layers and
19:28
learn more about ourselves and each other.
19:33
This is not a skill you master,
it's not a boxy check, it's forever.
19:36
Lastly, it's important to know
that if it feels really good,
19:44
I'm probably fucking it up.
19:49
Any warm, fuzzy feelings I start to feel
are likely a sign that my activities
19:51
are benefiting me more than
the cause I'm working towards.
19:56
Sorry to say it, but advancing justice and
20:00
equity should be uncomfortable for
white and privileged people.
20:03
We've been comfortable for
a very long time.
20:08
Once a white person starts to
see the injustice around them,
20:11
it's easy to go to a place of guilt and
shame.
20:15
But neither of those things
are typically productive.
20:19
And they also make it about you and
your ego.
20:22
So instead, acknowledge your privilege and
think about ways you can leverage it.
20:26
And I'll share some examples.
20:31
But also,
you've probably recently heard about
20:32
performance allyship or optical allyship.
20:37
And I wanna touch on that for a minute.
20:41
So Latham Thomas coined the term
optical allyship in May of 2020.
20:43
But the concept is something
that's been explored for a while.
20:49
Thomas defines it as allyship that
only serves at the surface level to
20:52
platform the ally.
20:57
It makes the statement but
does not go beneath the surface and
20:59
is not aimed at breaking away from
the systems of power that oppress.
21:02
Acts of optical allyship may include
social media posts or alarm signs.
21:06
And it's not that these activities
aren't okay, they are okay, but
21:13
they cannot be the only way we show up.
21:17
Ally, if we wanna use that term,
and I'm using air quotes,
21:20
must be willing to become uncomfortable.
21:24
Because their discomfort is a sign
that they're privilege is shifting,
21:27
making space for
others to have access to spaces and
21:32
opportunities that BIPOC may have
historically lacked access to.
21:35
I read something yesterday that said, that
a black woman posted on Instagram, and
21:39
it said, being black is not the barrier,
white supremacy is the barrier.
21:44
And that really stuck with me.
21:48
And as white people,
we need to step aside and be aware that we
21:50
are creating barriers just by being
in a space, taking up that space.
21:54
So how many of you saw something like
this over the last couple months?
21:59
This is a template that many organizations
use to show their support for BLM.
22:07
Many did this and
then went back to business as usual,
22:15
never said another thing,
never did another thing.
22:20
This is a prime example
of optical allyship.
22:24
So in my personal quest
towards non-optical allyship,
22:33
I have been using three rules of thumb.
22:37
And this is not meant to be
a complete list by any stretch.
22:39
And I also wanna dig into
the term ally for a minute.
22:42
It is inherently passive and
does not guarantee action all the time.
22:45
A person can decide when they wanna
be an ally and when they don't.
22:50
So what we often see with allies is
that when things become uncomfortable or
22:54
start to risk the ally's position and
power,
22:59
they remove themselves from the situation.
23:03
And I've really appreciated the term
accomplice as an alternative.
23:06
It demonstrates a commitment to
long-term ongoing engagement,
23:10
even if that means the accomplice is
gonna lose some privilege and some power.
23:14
This is the type of involvement,
and intervention, and
23:19
behavior that can actually
contribute to long-term change.
23:23
So here are my three rules of thumb.
23:27
And again,
this is not meant to be a complete list.
23:29
Move aside, practice humility,
and create dedicated spaces.
23:35
All right, so an example of moving aside.
23:43
Earlier this year, I was asked
to join a panel on diversity and
23:46
inclusion at a large tech company
headquartered in Portland.
23:50
I was excited about the opportunity and
I felt equipped to talk about the subject.
23:54
Before I committed, I asked the organizer
of the panel who the other speakers were.
23:58
And I wanted to just get a sense
of who else would be there, and
24:03
I wanted to know if there was gonna be
diverse representation on the panel.
24:07
The person organizing the panel
told me they were really excited
24:11
about the diversity because so
far it was all women.
24:15
I probed further and eventually
learned that it was all white women.
24:19
This organizer was doing what a lot of
white people do, which is looking at
24:24
whiteness as the default rather than
saying it out loud specifically.
24:29
She was also implying that
a group of white women would,
24:34
being on a panel, would lead to
a rich discussion about diversity.
24:38
So at that point, I decided I would
not be participating as a panelist.
24:44
But I wanted to use the opportunity
to nominate my incredible colleague,
24:49
a Filipina woman who's a member of the
LGBTQ community, to participate instead.
24:54
Not only would this add a level of
legitimacy to the panel being organized,
24:59
but it would add far more, but
25:04
she would add far more to
the discussion than I ever could.
25:06
And it was a bit of a loss for me,
I do love being on panels or speaking,
25:10
but it was a tangible way for
me to move aside and create space.
25:16
So as for practicing humility,
I have a visual to go with this lesson.
25:21
This was the graphic that PDXWIT
released on our Facebook page soon
25:28
after awarding our last round of
scholarship funds, just about a month ago.
25:32
I'm wondering if you notice
anything about this graphic.
25:37
It's problematic, and
I wish I had been the first to notice.
25:43
But I didn't, and I wasn't.
25:47
It took someone reaching
out to our Facebook page,
25:50
pointing out that the two white-passing
recipients were on the top of
25:53
the graphic stacked above
the BIPOC recipients.
25:58
The person who reached out with
this feedback is a black woman
26:02
named Kyoshi Owens, and
she knows I'm sharing this example today.
26:06
When I initially read
this message from her,
26:10
my first reaction was
to feel very defensive.
26:14
I wanted to immediately tell her that
it was just one of several different
26:18
versions of the graphic, and we had
to resize and reorient the photos for
26:22
different social media platforms.
26:27
And I wanted to tell her that
the white-passing individuals pictured had
26:30
broken down barriers and
experienced their own inequities.
26:34
And I wanted to feel better about
myself and about the organisation.
26:37
But instead of doing that,
instead of whitesplaining,
26:44
my mistake, I paused and
I really considered the feedback.
26:49
And I decided to see it as
an opportunity to demonstrate humility
26:54
on the part of our organization and
myself.
26:59
My instant white fragility almost
blocked me from doing that.
27:02
I wanted to explain it away, I wanted to
prove myself as one of the good ones.
27:08
But I should have caught
this before it published.
27:13
And to be honest, I am surprised I didn't.
27:17
But it's a reminder that I
still have massive blind spots,
27:20
and that if I'm gonna do this work,
27:25
I have to be open to criticism,
and feedback, and discomfort.
27:28
So yeah, it was a big lesson for me.
27:34
Growth is uncomfortable, and
it doesn't have to feel good.
27:37
And as I mentioned earlier, if it does
feel good, and if it feels warm and fuzzy,
27:40
I'm probably fucking it up,
because it's performative and ego-driven.
27:46
So lastly, remember, I wanted to talk
about creating dedicated spaces.
27:52
So earlier I was talking about
some of my unearned privilege,
27:57
specifically here in Portland.
28:01
I shared that I could pretty much
guarantee that any space I go into,
28:03
whether it's a restaurant, or
a tech meetup, or a movie theater,
28:07
white people will be the majority.
28:11
I realize this is Portland-specific,
but even in cities that are more
28:14
racially diverse than Portland,
it is critical that spaces exist for
28:19
BIPOC only, for black women,
for LGBTQ folks, for trans men.
28:24
These exclusive spaces need to exist.
28:29
And to convey the importance
of exclusive spaces for BIPOC,
28:32
I wanna cite Kelsey Blackwell,
a black woman who wrote
28:36
an article called Why People of
Color Need Spaces Without White People.
28:40
I've referenced and
shared this article with many individuals
28:45
to question the importance, and value,
and legitimacy of exclusive spaces.
28:49
And I gotta tell ya, the people
questioning the value, and legitimacy,
28:53
and importance of exclusive spaces
are typically white people.
28:58
So let's just noodle on that for a minute.
29:02
I recommend you read
Blackwell's full article, but
29:06
I also added some quotes on this slide for
you to read and I'll link it at the end.
29:09
But here are some quotes that stood out
for me, I'm just gonna let you read them.
29:15
I'm gonna read this last one, though.
29:30
The values of whiteness
are the water in which we all swim.
29:32
No one is immune.
29:35
These values dictate who speaks,
how loud, when, the words we use,
29:36
what we don't say, what is ignored,
who is validated and who is not.
29:42
I'll link this article at
the end of the presentation.
29:47
I highly recommend you
read the whole thing.
29:51
So hopefully it's clear that I see
the value of these spaces, but
29:57
how is the organization I run following
through on this particular idea?
30:01
So events are a huge part of what we do,
or what we did pre-COVID.
30:05
They're all virtual now.
30:10
But every month we would have five or
30:11
six events in person to bring
together anywhere from 50 to 300
30:14
people in the PDXWIT community to network,
learn, and connect.
30:18
We have all kinds of recurring events,
including BIPOC in tech,
30:23
how to study for a technical interview.
30:28
And all of these events are meant to be
spaces where people can really meet one
30:31
another and connect.
30:35
And I'm also thinking about the fact
that this is absolutely a digression.
30:37
But these events were happening in person
and hundreds of people were shaking hands,
30:41
and eating off of
the same appetizer trays.
30:46
And enclosed confined spaces for hundreds
of people and it's just blowing my
30:48
mind right now to think about ever
doing that again, post pandemic.
30:52
But back to my topic here at these events,
30:56
PDXWIT which creates breakout and
breakout sessions in person for
31:01
VIP OSI only for for LGBTQ folks only.
31:07
And since late May PDXWIT has actually
been holding virtual space for
31:11
racial justice conversations
within the PDXWIT teams.
31:16
So among our staff and our volunteers,
we come together as a full group,
31:20
and then we break into two
groups BIPOC and White Allies.
31:26
The space for BIPOC,
is not one that I'm in.
31:31
So I can't speak to what is being covered.
31:34
But the space for white allies is
a space to share resources and connect.
31:37
And so far,
this has been very well received.
31:41
So I'm glad we're able to follow
through on this value. So to review,
31:48
here are the three simple but not so easy
suggestions that I wanna leave you with.
31:49
And as you go out into
the professional tech world,
31:54
no matter what your background is or
what realm or
31:58
niche within tech you'll exist in.
32:02
I just want to challenge you to see it
is your responsibility, to create and
32:06
foster a more exclusive tech space.
32:10
Especially if you go out into this
industry due to unearned privilege.
32:12
The stakes are high.
32:17
Technology is not going anywhere.
32:19
And it has a direct impact on all of us,
and of course on future generations.
32:22
And as technologists, we can hold
our companies, and our teams, and
32:28
our bosses, and our peers accountable.
32:33
And I know many of you
are not here in Portland.
32:37
And, well, we are headquartered here
as an organization, we are a space for
32:42
anyone and everyone.
32:46
And pretty much everything is
all virtual at this point.
32:47
So the only blocker I can think
of right now is the timezone.
32:50
But even that is not too tricky.
32:56
We're dealing with that today.
32:57
So you're invited, please,
you're welcome to join our movement.
32:59
Here's some various
ways to find us online.
33:03
And I also wanna mention that we actually
have one of our happy hours tonight,
33:06
and it's at 5 o'clock.
33:11
So coming off of in virtual events
thing maybe this doesn't sound great.
33:13
But we're gonna have a bunch of recruiters
on site ready to connect with people in
33:18
real time about positions they have open.
33:23
Off the top of my head I know we have
Survey Monkey, VMware, TEKsystems,
33:25
New Relic, Candlelight, and a bunch of
other companies who are hungry for talent.
33:29
So I know we have many
talented people watching this.
33:34
And I'll let you know how to register for
that.
33:37
And I mean it's just another
hour in front of a screen, so
33:42
I feel like we can handle that.
33:46
And here are some sources I'm happy
to share these in some other way.
33:49
But for now I wanted to be
sure it share some links, and
33:53
I'm gonna open it up to questions.
33:57
So I'm going to stop sharing my screen.
33:59
How do I stop sharing my screen?
34:06
Okay, hi, I'm here now.
34:11
Looks like I have a question.
34:16
All right.
34:17
How do you manage to keep hope
when working in inclusion work?
34:23
That's a big question.
34:27
I don't always feel hopeful.
34:29
I think it's when I hear the little
success stories from people
34:32
who are making connections,
and learning from one another,
34:37
and leveraging their own privilege.
34:42
As I mentioned in my presentation
that gives me hope but
34:46
it's through those individual connections.
34:48
But sometimes I just feel like giving up,
to be honest.
34:51
[LAUGH] There is a big, long road ahead
when it comes to really affecting deep,
34:56
systemic change.
35:00
So I try to keep hope.
35:02
And part of it is just also
taking care of myself and
35:03
setting boundaries with my time and heart.
35:07
How can I as a BIPOC woman stay
confident when pursuing a job
35:10
as a software engineer?
35:15
So caveat,
I'm saying this as a white woman.
35:17
But I really think that being sure
that you have community around you and
35:20
people who are going to build you up.
35:25
Who will have the time to
do a practice interview
35:28
will give you some of their
time to review your resume.
35:32
And actually, I'm plugging PDXWIT again,
35:36
just cuz I think it's
a great organization.
35:38
But we have all of those resources
available, live and in real time.
35:41
So yeah, accessing those resources and
also just knowing that you're smart and
35:44
your perspective is hugely important,
and will make a better tech industry.
35:51
So trusting that about yourself and
knowing that you're here for a reason, and
35:57
you have gone through
the training you've gone through.
36:02
And it's not easy to go through
that level of training.
36:05
So this sounds cheesy but,
believe in yourself.
36:07
Let's see,
how can BIPOC tell when they're being
36:10
given opportunity at work
versus being tokenized?
36:15
That is such a nuanced and good question.
36:19
And I thought about talking
about it in my presentation,
36:23
because there's no way to know for sure.
36:27
But what I would recommend is
directly asking that question.
36:30
So if you're asked to take
on a special project or
36:35
even if you're asked to have your
photo used for marketing materials.
36:39
I think it's perfectly okay to say,
why do you wanna use my photo?
36:46
And have whoever is asking you,
answer that question.
36:50
It's going to make that person
probably feel a little uncomfortable.
36:55
Because people in positions of power
aren't typically used to being questioned
37:01
or challenged, but
it's really important to do it.
37:05
And let's see, do I know of any
PDXWIT type organizations in Austin?
37:08
I don't off the top of my head, but
truly at this point we're here for you.
37:14
So if you wanted to,
I can explore that a little bit.
37:20
But for now what I would recommend
is tagging yourself on to the PDXWIT
37:24
community, seeing what we're about, and
37:28
then maybe consider starting
a small community in Austin.
37:31
I mean a lot of people say Austin and
Portland are kind of sister cities.
37:35
So it would make sense that
there's something there, but
37:39
I haven't heard about it.
37:41
And as of now PDXWIT doesn't
have like a chapter model.
37:43
Let's see here.
37:46
Hi, Elizabeth,
can you speak to how these ideas
37:50
still specifically group
segregation based on identity.
37:54
And I want to be I'm repeating this
question htat use the word segregation.
37:58
I think that's kind of a loaded term.
38:03
But I wanna repeat the question.
38:04
So can you speak to how these ideas
specifically group segregation based
38:06
on identity can lead to cohesion
rather than separation.
38:11
So from my perspective, I think if people
feel seen, and empowered, and safe.
38:15
They're going to not only be at
their best in that group, but
38:21
take that feeling with them into a larger
group setting where things are no mixed.
38:25
So I think the quotes from Kelsey that I
shared are really powerful in that regard
38:31
that really if you are a non-white person
in a space that is dominated by whiteness.
38:37
Which the tech industry, frankly is
Then no matter what you are having
38:44
to flex your muscles to sort of be seen,
to know what to say.
38:49
And having spaces where you
can safely talk about that.
38:54
Marcus Carter, who's mentor of mine here
in Portland calls those brave spaces,
38:57
not safe spaces but brave spaces.
39:02
Because you can really just
kind of be who you are, and
39:04
have a supportive network who has been
there through similar challenges.
39:08
And then you take that sort of
feeling of empowerment and apply it.
39:13
And I'm not saying that everybody should
only exist within their own bubbles,
39:17
that would be the wrong thing.
39:20
But I do believe that people need
to charge off one another and
39:22
charge off people who have
had similar experiences.
39:26
Okay, yeah, so how can companies
recruit wholeheartedly for
39:30
diversity instead of
tokenizing candidates?
39:36
Does it start from diverse
leadership at the very top?
39:40
Well, thank you whoever asked that
question because you answered it for me.
39:42
Diversity starts from the inside out.
39:47
And I know that some people might
say like chicken or egg situation,
39:50
how do you do it if you're not there yet.
39:54
But you just set some standards for
your company.
39:57
So the leader of a company, you can
go to your board, to your investors,
39:59
to your other leaders, and say.
40:04
Here's our current diversity numbers,
40:06
here's where we're lacking
in representation.
40:09
Let's set a goal as a team,
to go to increase by whatever percentage.
40:12
That means you're not going to just
hire the next person you see that
40:17
feels qualified.
40:21
But instead,
you're gonna take a broader view.
40:23
Take your time.
40:27
Also, look at your interviewing.
40:28
Look at your rubrics for scoring.
40:31
Who is on your interview committees?
40:33
Who is looking at your job postings?
40:35
Where are you posting these opportunities?
40:37
So I really do believe
it comes from the top.
40:41
And I see far too often that companies
may be have some diversity at
40:43
their entry level.
40:48
But then as you move up the ladder,
things get less and less so.
40:50
And at that point, it really is more
about internal retention efforts and
40:54
less about recruitment.
40:59
But I think when people talk about
the pipeline and trying to build a more
41:00
diverse pipeline, it doesn't necessarily
get at the root of the issue.
41:05
Which is that usually the people at
the top are, may be no fault of their own.
41:10
But as they've started these companies,
41:15
they hired the people they already knew,
they hired the people who felt familiar.
41:18
We know that implicit bias is very
rampant in every realm of the world.
41:24
So they likely got to a point
where suddenly they realized all
41:27
of their leadership was white, or
cisgender, or white, yeah, white women.
41:32
I just wanna say, white women
are absolutely part of the issue as well.
41:39
Let's see.
41:44
[SOUND] Wow,
these are such good questions.
41:45
I wanna make sure I'm
not missing anything.
41:48
So I do self care?
41:52
I'm so glad you asked because we actually,
I was just writing a newsletter
41:53
blurb that's gonna go out next week
about self care and wellness and
41:58
the importance of that.
42:03
And also the importance of confronting
the current narrative around self care and
42:04
wellness because it's not for everybody.
42:09
It's often out of reach and cost money for
42:12
people to engage in
the traditional self care.
42:15
So going to yoga.
42:19
Having a nap.
42:19
Having a nice house where you
can escape from your kids.
42:21
Did I mention I'm currently locked in the
basement, the door is literally locked?
42:24
All of those things are,
yes, ways to escape,
42:30
but also absolutely come with privilege.
42:32
And so, I think it's really important
when we talk about self care to
42:34
think about ways that don't cost money,
like setting limits with our time.
42:39
Snoozing our slack notifications
after a certain time of day.
42:45
Ensuring that you set aside time to,
42:49
if it's your family that
gives you kind of energy.
42:52
Or if it's cooking a meal, or
if it's being outside, going on walks,
42:56
all of the things that we
know kind of build us up.
43:01
And I am absolutely guilty of
not always doing those things.
43:04
I was definitely emailing Liz who was
coordinating this last night at 10 PM.
43:07
So I didn't do a great job
with boundaries yesterday.
43:13
But most days, I really try to have
a distinction between work and home.
43:16
But I also see this as my
responsibility as a human.
43:21
So if I'm not in work mode, but
I hear something that's problematic or
43:25
if I see something that's problematic
I'm not just gonna be like,
43:30
well, I'm not wearing my equity hat.
43:35
I guess I'll just look the other way.
43:38
I'm going to hopefully do
something to call it out.
43:40
Okay, let's see.
43:44
Regarding the breakout session, yes,
43:45
there are breakout sessions for
GNC or queer people.
43:48
So just last month at our happy hour,
we had a really fun,
43:52
a bunch of different breakout sessions.
43:56
So we come together as a group and
43:58
then we have different kind of meeting
links that people can pop into.
44:01
So because it was June, we actually
had sort of a mini pride party for
44:06
one of the breakout rooms.
44:10
And the facilitator that, I wasn't
in there, but it sounded really fun.
44:12
But they piped in music and people were
both networking and kind of celebrating.
44:17
And also having pretty deep conversations
about the inter-sectional roots of pride.
44:22
And especially considering where we
are with racial justice in this moment as
44:27
a country.
44:31
So yeah, these breakout rooms
are definitely happening.
44:32
So the question of
PDXWIT providing mentor,
44:35
it came up, and
I wanna be sure to talk about that.
44:39
So I am incredibly proud of
the mentor program that PDXWIT has.
44:43
And I don't know, may be someone
in the chat may be ways you can
44:47
share a link to pdxwit.org/mentorship.
44:51
So If you go to that part of our website,
you can sign up for
44:55
two different ways to engage with mentors.
44:58
You can either go through a traditional
route of being paired with a long term
45:01
mentor who will, probably meet
with you monthly or quarterly.
45:06
Of course, it's all virtual right now.
45:10
But you can get set up for
that long term sponsorship and connection.
45:12
And/or you can get set up with
what we call ad hoc mentorship or
45:17
on the spot mentorship.
45:21
So if you have a job
interview coming up and
45:22
you just want someone to look at your
resume or do a quick mock interview.
45:24
Or give you some kind of coaching on
a conflict you're having at work,
45:28
then you can sign up for
more one time encounters.
45:33
And so, it's really fast, you just click
the button and suddenly you're taken to
45:36
a menu of different people with
photos you can connect with.
45:41
So you can kind of see what their
backgrounds are professionally, and
45:44
personally, and culturally.
45:49
And you can pick a time slot with them,
and
45:51
then you get set up to do pretty
instant video call with the mentor.
45:53
So yes, mentorship is a big part
of what we do, and it is so
45:57
critical in this industry to have mentors.
46:02
I also just wanna make a plug
that you can be mentors too.
46:05
Even if you're pretty early on
in your career in the industry,
46:08
most of you have been working
through a coding program.
46:12
Or have been through other experiences
professionally that would probably lend
46:15
themselves really well to say,
college students or
46:20
younger people who are Thinking
about going in that direction.
46:22
So I personally think sometimes a mentor
who's more recently joined the industry
46:26
might be a better source than someone
who's been in it for 20, 30 years.
46:31
All of it is important, but
I just never want people to sell
46:36
themselves short in terms
of what they can offer.
46:40
So how does disability play
into the conversation?
46:43
So in terms of our organization and
what I am aiming to do.
46:47
We are just trying to create
visibility on the fact that the tech
46:53
industry is not necessarily made for
people who are not able bodied,
46:58
who don't have perfect vision or hearing.
47:04
So we are really careful about
where we host our events when we're
47:08
doing them in person.
47:12
So what types of venues and
spaces are we gonna take up.
47:14
Are they going to be
physically accessible?
47:17
Are we going to have an ASL
interpreter on site?
47:21
Which we always do for our virtual happy
hours and our in person happy hours.
47:24
And also, I think someone mentioned social
anxiety and I'm glad you did because
47:29
that's something that we're just now
starting to talk about as an organization.
47:35
I don't have much social anxiety so
it honestly hadn't occurred to me,
47:41
and I'm happy to admit because
I'm practicing humility.
47:46
But it hadn't occurred to me that a happy
hour with 200 people would not be
47:50
everybody's cup of tea.
47:53
And it's only been since COVID that
we've veered into virtual where I'm
47:55
seeing all of these new people engaging,
47:58
who are like, I never wanted to
go to your events in person.
48:00
But I'm so glad now I can go to it online
from the comfort of my home without
48:04
feeling like I have to talk to people and
meet people in person.
48:09
And so, out of that we're going to once
we do start meeting in person again,
48:13
we're always gonna have
a virtual component too.
48:17
So that can help with the people
with more social anxiety.
48:20
And then another thing about disability.
48:24
And I don't know if I would even
call this a disability, but
48:26
I wanna talk a little bit
about neurodiversity.
48:31
So the tech industry is full of
all different kinds of brains, and
48:34
minds, and including people who
might be on the autism spectrum or
48:39
have just a different way of thinking.
48:44
And interviews, LinkedIn,
kind of all hands meetings,
48:46
all of those kind of typical
things you see in tech do not lend
48:51
themselves very well to
people who are neurodiverse.
48:55
So our organization has tried to
have awareness events about this and
49:00
both, as I said before, online and
49:04
in person spaces where we can have
speakers touch on those topics.
49:07
All right, let's see.
49:11
So how do we tackle ageism in tech?
49:14
So I'm glad you asked about that too.
49:16
That's another big thing that I wouldn't
say were successfully tackling yet.
49:20
But we do have a recurring event series
called Experienced Women In Tech.
49:25
And it's really meant for
49:30
people who have more than 20 years
of experience in the industry.
49:32
And they also sometimes go by the name,
Seasoned Women In Tech.
49:36
And it's a cohort of people within
the PBXWIT community who meet in person.
49:41
Who also have a private channel,
49:46
where they can talk through
the experiences they're having.
49:48
And I would say in terms of how I or
49:52
my organization confirms this is really
just talking about it and calling it out.
49:54
I hope you learned it in my presentation,
but may be I didn't emphasize it enough,
49:58
but But there is a very small common age
bracket for people in this industry.
50:03
I'm on the other side of it, and
I'm not particularly on the older side.
50:10
So I know this is a problem.
50:16
Not only a problem for opportunity,
but also, it leads to a lack of
50:18
innovation if we're not seeing
diverse ages reflected across teams.
50:23
So it is an issue, and
it's an ongoing one.
50:28
All right, well, let's see, maybe,
50:34
What are the things we should look out for
when applying to a workplace?
50:40
So I would say number one thing you do
after you read a job description, so
50:43
in that job description, be looking
out for benefits that are specific.
50:49
So do they have trans healthcare,
for example?
50:54
What does their parental
leave policy look like?
50:58
What's their remote policy look like?
51:02
So looking at all of those
things are really important.
51:05
And I should mention PDX
has a job board where we
51:08
have badges that companies can basically,
51:11
that's the first thing you would see
if you're looking at a PDX board job.
51:13
So look at that.
51:18
And then the very next thing you need
to do is go to their website and
51:18
look at their leadership team.
51:22
If you can't find it,
51:24
it probably means they're not feeling
particularly proud of the makeup of it.
51:26
So trying to do a little more digging.
51:32
Look on your LinkedIn.
51:35
See if you can find anybody who's
connected with that company.
51:36
Because odds are, if they're not willing
to show their numbers, show their work,
51:40
externally, then you're probably not gonna
be joining a particular diverse team.
51:46
That's not to say you shouldn't apply for
those jobs.
51:52
If it still feels like
a great opportunity,
51:54
If it still has the benefits and
flexibility you need, then go for it.
51:57
But I would say just go into it eyes
wide open, knowing that at the start it
52:00
might not necessarily be the environment
that will foster as much inclusion.
52:06
Yeah, so the question came up of, should
I connect with folks from the company if
52:16
I'm interested in the job I see at
the company, even if I don't know them?
52:21
And the answer is yes, absolutely.
52:26
I just know being in my role, and
also other places that I've worked,
52:29
I loved it when people would cold call
me and reach out to me and say, hey,
52:33
I just noticed you're hiring.
52:37
I don't know anybody at the company, but
this job is really interesting to me.
52:39
Your company,
obviously praise their company a bit.
52:42
Say I love how you're doing this on this,
and
52:46
that'll get the person's attention
that you're connecting with.
52:49
And do [INAUDIBLE] build
those relationships.
52:52
And yeah,
don't be afraid to put yourself out there.
52:54
That's really, ultimately,
the way people get jobs these days,
52:58
is through these connections,
not through sending out 100 resumes.
53:01
All right.
53:07
Let's see, last minute advice.
53:10
All these are such good questions, and
53:14
I just really appreciated
how engaged you've been.
53:15
So I don't think I have anything to
add besides what I've already said.
53:17
And I will work with the organizers
of this event to share some
53:21
of those resources with you all
that I cited in my presentation.
53:26
Because I feel like those writers and
53:30
those leaders in this industry do
things way better than I ever could.
53:32
So thanks for listening.
53:36
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