Tag: Diversity – GeekWire

Working Geek: Usermind security officer Ted Bardusch on why diverse teams are more functional

by Lisa Stiffler on March 23, 2018March 23, 2018 at 6:57 am 2 Comments

Ted Bardusch remembers the good old days of the 1980s when men and women were more equally represented in the tech field. He sounds wistful when he recalls running engineering teams… Read More

Why entrepreneurs and investors are participating in the ‘Founders for Change’ diversity movement

by Taylor Soper on March 22, 2018March 23, 2018 at 8:24 amComment

Startup founders want venture capital firms to step it up when it comes to diversity. More than 500 venture-backed entrepreneurs are part of a new initiative called Founders for Change,… Read More

Science — without the mansplaining

by Megan Watzke & Kim Arcand on March 8, 2018March 8, 2018 at 11:15 am 9 Comments

[Editor’s Note: This guest commentary by Seattle-based writer Megan Watzke and data scientist Kimberly Arcand is part of GeekWire’s coverage of International Women’s Day.] It’s been a rough year or so if you are a woman.… Read More

Podcast

GeekWire Podcast: MIT’s president on human intelligence and the quest for smarter machines

by Todd Bishop on February 21, 2018February 21, 2018 at 7:03 pmComment

Can a better understanding of human intelligence make for smarter machines? We explored that topic this week with Rafael Reif, president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, following the announcement… Read More

Employment lawyers puzzled over IBM’s non-compete suit against Microsoft’s new diversity chief

by Monica Nickelsburg on February 15, 2018February 15, 2018 at 2:58 pm 4 Comments

IBM’s decision to sue a longtime human resources executive for taking a new job at Microsoft is raising questions among lawyers who specialize in employment agreements and non-compete clauses. Earlier… Read More

Pittsburgh Profiles: Black Tech Nation CEO Kelauni Cook is on a mission to make tech more inclusive

by Monica Nickelsburg on February 7, 2018February 6, 2018 at 1:22 pm1 Comment

PITTSBURGH — Two years ago, Kelauni Cook moved from North Dakota to Pittsburgh chasing an opportunity she couldn’t pass up. Academy Pittsburgh was offering a free, 12-week coding bootcamp designed… Read More

Event Calendar

Champion Awards

by Todd Bishop on December 20, 2017December 20, 2017 at 1:53 pmComment

In a year that has seen huge leaps forward in exposing companies, people and behaviors that affect women negatively, we believe it’s more important than ever to recognize the companies,… Read More

WTIA’s Apprenti program is turning out skilled tech workers by the dozens, with no tuition costs

by Lisa Stiffler on November 14, 2017November 16, 2017 at 11:57 am 2 Comments

Roscoe Bass could easily have been passed over by the technology industry. “I don’t have much history in tech,” said the 35-year-old Shoreline, Wash., resident. “Before this, I was a… Read More

‘You’re pretty good, for a guy:’ Three ways men can combat sexism in esports — and elsewhere

by Clare McGrane on October 8, 2017October 8, 2017 at 7:08 pmComment

It’s no secret that competitive gaming can be a toxic place for women and girls. Sometimes that toxicity comes in the form of outright sexism, but often the cuts that… Read More

So you want to be a competitive gamer? Women in esports offer advice to encourage more women

by Clare McGrane on October 2, 2017October 2, 2017 at 1:17 pmComment

Esports — organized, competitive video gaming — is booming. Games like “Dota,” “League of Legends” and newcomer “Overwatch” are driving a competitive scene that is truly the Wild West of both sports… Read More

Podcast

GeekWire Podcast: Axios chief tech correspondent Ina Fried on the new world of technology and media

by Todd Bishop on September 6, 2017September 6, 2017 at 6:00 pm1 Comment

Our guest on this episode of the GeekWire podcast: Ina Fried, the San Francisco-based chief technology correspondent for Axios, a new media company founded by former executives of the Politico news… Read More

Working Geek: Amazon manager MaryBeth Pecha and colleagues create card game to break down gender barriers

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 11, 2017August 11, 2017 at 7:18 am 5 Comments

During nearly a decade working in finance and accounting, MaryBeth Pecha experienced the challenges that come from gender inequity at the office first-hand. She bonded over those challenges with colleagues… Read More

Seattle gender pay gap is wider among more educated workers, pointing to equity issues in tech

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 8, 2017August 8, 2017 at 1:52 pm 18 Comments

A new study from Seattle civic data startup LiveStories reveals that the gender pay gap in its hometown is significantly wider than cities with similar populations, like Boston and Denver… Read More

Video

Tensions over race, gender and finances split GeekGirlCon organizers, leading to resignations

by Clare McGrane on August 8, 2017November 26, 2017 at 4:42 pm 18 Comments

The sudden resignation Sunday of five volunteer staff members from the inclusivity-focused GeekGirlCon sent ripples through the Seattle region’s geek community. The resigning members hijacked GeekGirlCon’s mailing list and website… Read More

Even after firing an engineer, Google faces an existential and cultural crisis

by Tom Krazit on August 8, 2017August 8, 2017 at 10:02 am 30 Comments

Google is one of the most amazing tech companies to emerge from the rubble of the first dot-com bust — a company with a purpose, backed by some of the… Read More

Campaign to diversify startup boards launched by Redfin, Madrona, Pioneer Square Labs and others

by Monica Nickelsburg on July 13, 2017July 13, 2017 at 10:19 amComment

Real estate technology company Redfin and several prominent tech investment firms will encourage startups in their portfolios to recruit an “independent, diverse board member” within two years of funding —… Read More

Commentary: Bonderman and Uber make my head hurt: What your company actually needs from a board member

by Jonathan Sposato on June 14, 2017June 14, 2017 at 4:48 pm 3 Comments

My whole life I’ve believed that the true judge of one’s character is what he/she does when he thinks no one is looking. Just like most of you, I was… Read More

‘Failing, frustrated, and asking for help.’ How Techstars Seattle ended up with a male-dominated class — and what they’re doing about it

by Monica Nickelsburg on April 20, 2017April 21, 2017 at 12:11 pm 24 Comments

It’s no secret that tech has a diversity problem. In fact, the lack of gender equity at tech events has become so quotidian that I almost didn’t notice that each… Read More

March for Science spotlights Bill Nye plus Lydia Villa-Komaroff, Mona Hanna-Attisha

by Alan Boyle on March 30, 2017March 30, 2017 at 1:06 pm 4 Comments

Lydia Villa-Komaroff and Mona Hanna-Attisha may not be as well-known as Bill Nye the Science Guy, but all three scientists strike the right chords after what has been a somewhat dissonant… Read More

Redfin CTO Bridget Frey has a message for managers who want to build more diverse teams

by Monica Nickelsburg on March 17, 2017March 17, 2017 at 1:25 pm 2 Comments

When Bridget Frey joined Redfin, she had the advantage of an existing relationship with the CEO, Glenn Kelman. The friendship allowed for a frank conversation about how Frey would balance… Read More

On MLK Day, here’s what 7 black tech leaders say about diversity and the state of the industry

by Lisa Stiffler on January 16, 2017January 16, 2017 at 10:04 am 52 Comments

It’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day and nearly the end of Barack Obama’s presidency. America has made tremendous strides in improving racial equality, but clearly there’s a long way to… Read More

Jeff Bezos email reaffirms Amazon’s commitment to ‘tolerance and diversity’ after Trump win

by Kurt Schlosser on November 14, 2016November 14, 2016 at 1:10 pm 20 Comments

Jeff Bezos has responded to what he called a “heartfelt email” from an employee representing Amazon’s Affinity Group Leaders who were seeking a message of support from the company’s leadership in… Read More

Why industry and education must collaborate to solve the tech talent gap, fight sexism and ageism

by Clare McGrane on October 5, 2016October 6, 2016 at 10:41 amComment

To those in the industry, the tech talent gap and diversity in the workforce are almost becoming tired subjects. There are many thousands more tech jobs being created each year than… Read More

Code Fellows pledges $5M to new Tech Opportunity Fund, with shout-out from VP Biden

by Monica Nickelsburg on September 9, 2016September 9, 2016 at 10:07 amComment

Code Fellows, a coding bootcamp headquartered in Seattle, is pledging $5 million to help women and minorities learn tech skills over the next five years. The scholarships are part of… Read More

ReBoot career accelerator launches in Seattle to help women return to work

by Monica Nickelsburg on September 8, 2016September 13, 2016 at 9:41 am1 Comment

Retention is one of the biggest obstacles to gender equity in the workforce. Far more women than men take time off to care for children and elderly relatives and then struggle… Read More

Startup Spotlight: TalentSonar promotes diversity in tech with ‘blind resume review’ software

by Monica Nickelsburg on July 28, 2016July 28, 2016 at 4:07 pm 5 Comments

Women and minorities are historically underrepresented in the tech industry and companies often struggle to fix the diversity issue. Now one Seattle startup wants to help remove any unconscious bias… Read More

Internal email: Microsoft launches investigation into Xbox ‘schoolgirl’ dancer incident; ‘We are not going to tolerate this,’ says HR chief

by Todd Bishop on March 19, 2016March 19, 2016 at 6:18 pm 62 Comments

Microsoft’s top executives were “embarrassed and appalled” upon seeing photos of female dancers in schoolgirl outfits at a Microsoft Xbox-sponsored event at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco this week, the… Read More

Diversity