Amazon Has a Rare Chance to Get More Diverse Fast

Bloomberg | Emily Chang, Jeff Green, and Janet Paskin | May 10, 2018
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-10/amazon-has-rare-chance-in-hq2-to-hire-more-women-and-minorities

“By the end of the year, Amazon.com Inc. will announce the location of its second headquarters. It’s hard to overstate the local impact of 50,000 new jobs, and Amazon knows it: It’s staging a months-long reality show of a selection process to see which city can offer the best package of financial incentives, real estate, and livability, alongside other requirements. The search for a second home gives Amazon something else: an unprecedented opportunity to deal with a problem besetting all of big tech—a stunning lack of diversity.”

The Systems Holding Back Women In Tech

Forbes | Tracey Welson-Rossman | May 10, 2018
https://www.forbes.com/sites/traceywelsonrossman/2018/05/10/the-systems-holding-back-women-in-tech/

“This column continues to shine a light on the women in technology that reside behind the curtain – the disruptors you might not know by name but that are driving innovation forward. It champions both the incremental and the landmark progress they deliver in pursuit of technology advancement and the role that women play within the industry. It was with this in mind that I leaped at the chance to speak with Catherine Ashcraft. She is the Director of Research and Senior Research Scientist for the National Computing Women in Technology (NCWIT). For the last 12 years, her job has been to document and help grow the role of women in technology. She provided some much-needed perspective on the history of women in tech and where we need to go from here.”

Military Vets Increasingly Look to Solve Tech’s Chronic Shortage of Skilled Workers

Entrepreneur | Jennifer Spencer | May 9, 2018
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/312462

“When Mike Slagh told the military he was interested in working in Silicon Valley after finishing his service, they were shocked. Prior to the military, Slagh had helped start a company as a school project (now ID.me), but he had no idea how the skills he had learned in the military translated into something of value for future Silicon Valley employers. Since Slaugh had worked as a bomb disposal officer, his exit interviewers encouraged him to take a job with a nuclear power plant. However, Slaugh suspected that his experiences could help him succeed in other areas. He had attended the ultra-competitive Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal School, where he had learned to disable mines underwater. He knew the education had prepared him to learn technical skills at an extremely fast pace, “If you want to be on a submarine in the Navy, you have to obtain the civilian equivalent of an engineering master’s degree in six months.”

Tech companies not hiring blacks despite ownership rates

The Seattle Times | Jesse J. Holland | May 3, 2018
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/tech-companies-not-hiring-blacks-despite-ownership-rates/

“WASHINGTON (AP) — African-Americans are among the top owners of mobile devices, but aren’t being considered when it’s time for social media and technology companies to hire. The National Urban League is highlighting this new technology gap in its 2018 State of Black America report released Thursday, and pushing social media and technology companies to put in place safeguards and corporation solutions to make sure minorities don’t get left behind in the digital revolution.”

Black lawmakers visit Silicon Valley to press Apple, Twitter and other tech giants on diversity

The Washington Post | Tony Romm | April 30, 2018
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/04/30/black-lawmakers-visit-silicon-valley-to-press-apple-twitter-and-other-tech-giants-on-diversity/

“Top black lawmakers are paying a visit to Airbnb, Apple, Twitter and other tech giants this week, as they continue their crusade to improve Silicon Valley’s hiring practices and train a new generation of diverse engineers and entrepreneurs. For members of the Congressional Black Caucus, who arrived in the Bay Area on Monday, the tech sector has been too slow to diversify its executive ranks, invest in minority-owned start-ups and assist workers who can’t find jobs in tech hubs, like San Francisco, or afford those cities’ sky-high costs of living.”

Uber shows slight progress in diversity

Bizwomen: The Business Journals | Betsey Guzior | April 25, 2018
https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2018/04/uber-shows-slight-progress-in-diversity.html

“Uber’s latest diversity report shows some progress in the ridesharing company’s goal of creating a more inclusive workforce. Worldwide, Uber’s workforce is 38 percent female, compared to 26.1 percent in 2017, TechCrunch reports. Asians make up 32.3 percent of Uber’s workforce, blacks and African Americans make up 8.1 percent, and Latinos make up 6.1 percent. That compares to a workforce that last year was 30.9 percent Asian, 8.8 percent black and African American, and 5.6 percent Hispanic.”

‘Depressing and inspiring’: Study finds 5% of Washington tech companies founded by women

Geekwire | Taylor Soper | April 9, 2018
https://www.geekwire.com/2018/depressing-inspiring-study-finds-5-washington-tech-companies-founded-women/

“New research from the Washington Technology Industry Association shows how wide the gender gap is among the state’s startup founders. WTIA collected data on 400 active tech companies in Washington that are at least two years old and have raised a seed round investment or more. It found just five percent of companies started by women. “This gender dataset is both depressing and inspiring,” WTIA CEO Michael Schutzler said via email.”

Emily Chang offers tips on what Seattle companies can do to fix tech’s ‘Brotopia’ culture

Puget Sound Business Journal | Ashley Stewart | April 3, 2018
https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2018/04/03/emily-chang-offers-tips-on-what-seattle-companies.html

“Emily Chang, author of “Brotopia: Breaking Up the Boys’ Club of Silicon Valley” and a Bloomberg TV technology reporter, just made a trip to a group of Seattle-area tech companies to talk about how companies can hire and retain more women and people of color. She went to Amazon, Microsoft, T-Mobile and Redfin, among others, to host a discussion on what needs to change in order for women and people of color to feel comfortable in the tech industry.”