Diversity

Event Calendar

Oregon Bio’s Diversity in the Workplace and Bio on the Vine

by Todd Bishop on June 19, 2017June 19, 2017 at 11:00 amComment

Whether you are in high tech, advanced manufacturing, food and beverage, outdoor gear and apparel or bioscience, diversity and inclusion are essential to driving innovation. Join us on July 20… 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

Event Calendar

Steps to Inclusion: What Inclusion Means to You & Incorporating it at Work

by Todd Bishop on February 16, 2017February 16, 2017 at 8:31 amComment

We’ve all heard everyone talk about inclusion, no matter what industry we’re in. We’ve been told that it’s a company problem, and we look to our organizations to fix the… 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

Changing how software companies interview could reduce gender bias in tech

by Clare McGrane on February 25, 2016February 25, 2016 at 8:03 am1 Comment

If you’ve ever interviewed for a job as a software engineer, you’ve probably encountered the dreaded Whiteboard Test. Just you, a blank wall, and a marker. “Five developers sat across from… Read More

Report says investors should fund untapped entrepreneurial talent: black women

by Greg Sandoval on February 11, 2016February 11, 2016 at 7:55 amComment

The tech industry should seek to add more minorities to their ranks for many reasons, not the least of which is that it’s good for business, according to a new… Read More

Geek of the Week: Gwen Houston is Microsoft’s champion for diversity and inclusion

by Todd Bishop on February 10, 2016February 11, 2016 at 7:47 am 4 Comments

Diversity is on the minds of tech leaders more than ever, as companies across the industry push to make their workforces more inclusive and representative of their customers. But this is not… Read More

New study reveals disturbing stats on gender discrimination in tech

by Monica Nickelsburg on January 19, 2016January 19, 2016 at 3:17 pm 13 Comments

“In one review session, one male partner said of a female employee, ‘We don’t have to worry about her bonus or promotion because she just got married. So she’ll probably… Read More

A closer look at Microsoft’s U.S. diversity: 46% white males, 481 fewer women than 2014

by Jacob Demmitt on November 23, 2015November 23, 2015 at 4:33 pm 6 Comments

Microsoft made headlines on Monday afternoon with updated workforce statistics, but a federal report the company quietly published at the same time sheds even more light on the diversity within its ranks. The… Read More

Microsoft’s female workforce drops 2%, but company boosts diversity among top execs

by Jacob Demmitt on November 23, 2015November 23, 2015 at 12:21 pmComment

The number of women employed by Microsoft has dropped from 29 percent to 26.8 percent of the company’s workforce since 2014, standing in stark contrast to the more-inclusive employee base that the… Read More

Microsoft CEO: Why Minecraft is key to getting girls involved in computer science

by Jacob Demmitt on November 16, 2015November 16, 2015 at 11:12 am 4 Comments

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella welcomed a group of teachers to the company’s Redmond, Wash., campus on Monday morning, talking to them about the ways Microsoft products can be used in… Read More

‘The Diversity Advantage’: Why hiring, promoting and funding more women will boost your bottom line

by Molly Brown on October 26, 2015October 26, 2015 at 4:09 pm 26 Comments

Women’s workplace problems aren’t just women’s problems. Those issues affect everyone and especially the economic bottom line. That’s one of the key points from Seattle-based journalist Ruchika Tulshyan’s new book… Read More

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella skips speaking role at women in tech event, will listen and learn this time

by Jacob Demmitt on October 13, 2015October 13, 2015 at 8:29 am 3 Comments

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will be returning to the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing conference again this week, but don’t expect him to make quite the splash he… Read More

Seattle’s tech diversity gap and what Techstars is doing about it, here and around the world

by Chris DeVore on October 5, 2015October 5, 2015 at 1:58 pm1 Comment

Whether it’s marriage equality, legalizing marijuana or addressing the growing gap between rich and poor, we Seattleites like to think of ourselves as national leaders on progressive issues. But our… Read More

Microsoft’s employee review system is biased against women, lawsuit alleges

by Todd Bishop on September 16, 2015September 16, 2015 at 4:19 pm 35 Comments

A former Microsoft security program manager alleges in a newly filed lawsuit that the company’s employee review system discriminates against women in performance evaluations, compensation and promotions. “Microsoft’s company-wide policies and practices… Read More