Free Housing, Other Efforts Try to Attract Women to Tech

CNBC | Elaine Thompson, AP | October 23

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/23/free-housing-other-efforts-try-to-attract-women-to-tech.html

“Free rent and groceries were selling points, but college freshman Aishwarya Mandyam was more excited about the chance to connect with like-minded women when she moved into the eight-bedroom house offered up by a Seattle software startup…Mandyam and seven other women are sharing a 3,100-square home, rent-free, blocks from the University of Washington. TUNE, a software startup that provides technology for marketers, is paying the rent for the house with the goal of creating a supportive community for UW women interested in computer science and technology.”

 

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on the Battle Over the Cloud: ‘It’s a Seattle Race’

GeekWire | Jacob Demmitt | October 22

http://www.geekwire.com/2015/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-on-the-battle-over-the-cloud-its-a-seattle-race/

“Tech giants everywhere are fighting for their slice of the cloud pie, but Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said during an on stage interview at Dell World this week that it’s starting to look like Microsoft and Amazon are running away with the competition. “It’s a Seattle race,” he said at the high-profile Austin, Texas event. “Amazon clearly is the leader, but we are No. 2. We have a huge run-rate. All up, our cloud business last time we talked about it was over $8 billion of run-rate.”

 

Can This Change Eliminate the STEM Gender Gap?

Fast Company | Lydia Dishman | October 21

http://www.fastcompany.com/3052518/strong-female-lead/can-this-change-eliminate-the-stem-gender-gap

“Here’s what we know: With the exception of three areas (statistics, botany, and health care) where women dominate, the workforce in many STEM fields is pretty homogenous. Women make up 47% of all U.S. employees, yet they only represent a quarter of the jobs in mathematical sciences and just 13% of engineers, according to statistics gathered by the National Girls Collaborative Project.”

 

Seattle, Boston Mayors Meet with Tech Execs to Talk Housing Affordability, Civic Involvement

GeekWire | Taylor Soper | October 19

http://www.geekwire.com/2015/seattle-boston-mayors-meet-with-tech-execs-to-talk-housing-affordability-civic-involvement/

“Both cities have robust technology ecosystems made up of big corporations and small startups alike. As a result, both are dealing with similar growing pains related to housing affordability, transportation infrastructure, and much more.

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh met today in the Emerald City at Zillow Group, the online real estate company headquartered in downtown Seattle. Executives from Zillow, Facebook, Google, Porch, and Microsoft joined the politicians for a private discussion about how their fast-growing cities can provide a place for technology companies to thrive while maintaining a high quality of life for all citizens.”

 

Seattle Tech’s Playbook: Here’s How to Solve the Industry’s Biggest Problems

Puget Sound Business Journal | Ashley Stewart | October 19

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/techflash/2015/10/seattle-techs-playbook-heres-how-to-solve-the.html

“The Washington Technology Industry Association is taking aggressive steps to tackle top challenges facing the Puget Sound region’s fast-growing industry. The Seattle-based nonprofit trade organization has produced a 35-page “playbook” with detailed steps to improve recruiting, training and diversity. One key issue: Tech companies use vastly different job descriptions, making it complicated for students to know which skills are in high demand. WTIA plans to publish a standard description for common jobs.”