Diversity

Despite more attention on female founders, funding to women-led startups hasn’t increased

by Taylor Soper on January 2, 2019January 2, 2019 at 11:01 amComment

In response to several sexual harassment allegations and the massive diversity gaps throughout the tech industry, there’s been a lot of attention on directing more investment capital to women-led startups.… Read More

Building a diverse workplace doesn’t stop at recruitment: 4 crucial steps to retain that talent

by Michael Schutzler on December 21, 2018December 28, 2018 at 7:37 amComment

Inhospitable work cultures, isolation and lack of upward mobility. With the job market as strong as it is today in the tech industry, it’s unthinkable that anyone would tolerate those… Read More

Microsoft releases new diversity numbers, says it’s ‘closer to the beginning of the journey than the end’

by Nat Levy on November 14, 2018November 14, 2018 at 12:09 pm 6 Comments

Like much of the tech industry, Microsoft says it is focused on making its workplace more diverse and inclusive, and today the company gave a snapshot of how that effort… Read More

Dungeons, dragons and diversity: How the world’s most influential RPG turned the tables on inclusion

by Clare McGrane on October 28, 2018October 29, 2018 at 12:00 pm 10 Comments

Dwarven wizards. Dragon-born clerics. Orc wizards. There’s plenty of diversity in the world of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), the oldest and arguably most influential tabletop roleplaying game. RELATED: Tech CEOs… Read More

GeekGirlCon kicks off its ninth ‘celebration of the female geek’

by Clare McGrane on October 27, 2018October 27, 2018 at 7:08 pm1 Comment

It’s another cosplay- and comic-filled weekend for thousands of geeks attending the annual GeekGirlCon in Seattle on Saturday and Sunday. Now in its ninth year, the convention describes itself as… Read More

California’s new law mandating women on corporate boards could be a model for other states

by Monica Nickelsburg on October 1, 2018October 1, 2018 at 12:32 pm 2 Comments

California became the first state in the nation Sunday to pass a law demanding women have a seat on the boards of publicly traded companies. The law applies to companies… Read More

Here are more than 50 women VCs and angel investors backing startups in Seattle and Portland

by Taylor Soper on September 18, 2018October 17, 2018 at 9:59 am1 Comment

Studies show that women-led startups outperform their male counterparts in revenue. Other research indicates that companies with more gender diversity generate better financial returns. Yet less than 3 percent of venture capital… Read More

Coffee Meets Bagel CEO explains the importance of having an inclusive workplace

by Taylor Soper on September 13, 2018September 13, 2018 at 6:59 pmComment

Arum Kang had just launched her startup, dating app Coffee Meets Bagel, when two of the company’s software engineers became fathers. Coffee Meets Bagel didn’t have parental leave policies in… Read More

Melinda Gates rallies top tech companies to double women of color studying computer science by 2025

by Monica Nickelsburg on September 12, 2018September 12, 2018 at 12:14 pm 7 Comments

Melinda Gates is convening leading tech companies in an effort to dramatically increase the number of computer science degrees awarded to women of color, part of a broader effort to… Read More

Backstage Capital partners with Microsoft to launch accelerator for underrepresented founders

by Taylor Soper on September 5, 2018September 6, 2018 at 10:40 am1 Comment

Backstage Capital continues to push forward on its mission to invest in women, people of color, and LGBT founders. Its latest announcement came Wednesday in the form of a new… Read More

Video

Workplace consulting firm Diverse City eyes L.A. expansion as founder shares Seattle frustrations

by Kurt Schlosser on August 27, 2018August 25, 2018 at 8:50 am 2 Comments

Cheryl Ingram looks forward to the day when she’s put out of business. As the founder of the consulting firm Diverse City, Ingram is in the business of teaching companies… Read More

Author of ‘Why Women Don’t Code’ defends essay as colleagues, diversity experts challenge claims

by Monica Nickelsburg on July 3, 2018January 16, 2019 at 9:21 am 10 Comments

Why don’t more women code? Stuart Reges believes he has an answer to that difficult question, one that the tech industry has been wrestling with for years. But far from resolving… Read More

Video

‘Defining moment’ for Seattle as Microsoft, Amazon, others support Special Olympics USA Games

by Taylor Soper on June 29, 2018July 1, 2018 at 2:02 pm 2 Comments

Seattle-area tech companies are making a statement about building an inclusive workforce as the city hosts one of the largest sporting events in the region’s history. More than 3,000 athletes… Read More

Video

Immigrant perspectives: Women entrepreneurs on ‘microaggressions’ and biases

by Starla Sampaco on June 27, 2018June 28, 2018 at 3:10 pmComment

Reetu Gupta, founder and CEO of Cirkled in, has 20 years of experience in corporate America. In addition to having an MBA and a master’s degree in engineering, Gupta has… Read More

Video

University of Washington lecturer’s essay on ‘Why Women Don’t Code’ stirs controversy

by Monica Nickelsburg on June 22, 2018June 26, 2018 at 1:59 pm 119 Comments

A University of Washington lecturer is sparking new debate with an essay claiming that the technology industry is about as close to gender parity as it will ever get because… Read More

Video

Hey, kids: Put a rocket in space and win a million dollars in Base 11 Space Challenge

by Alan Boyle on June 15, 2018June 15, 2018 at 3:30 pmComment

News Brief: Students from colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada are being recruited for the Base 11 Space Challenge, a $1 million competition to encourage the development of… Read More

Melinda Gates says VC firms are ‘leaving money on the table’ by not investing in women-led businesses

by Taylor Soper on May 31, 2018May 31, 2018 at 10:51 amComment

Traditional venture capital firms are missing out on returns by overlooking women-led startups. That’s according to Melinda Gates, who spoke to Fortune this week about why she’s investing in women… Read More

What entrepreneurs can learn from the journey of The Riveter CEO Amy Nelson

by Taylor Soper on May 25, 2018May 25, 2018 at 10:09 amComment

Throughout her career on Wall Street, in the courtroom, and at non-profits, Amy Nelson wondered where the women were. She graduated from law school with a class split evenly on… Read More

Amazon board diversity in the spotlight as tech giant agrees to officially adopt ‘Rooney Rule’

by Todd Bishop on May 15, 2018May 15, 2018 at 6:02 pmComment

Amazon says it is simply formalizing a practice that was already in place, but the company’s new policy pledging to consider “a slate of diverse candidates, including women and minorities” for… Read More

Commentary: Wake up, white men, it’s time to stop talking and start acting on diversity

by Michael Schutzler on April 27, 2018April 27, 2018 at 7:40 am 8 Comments

[Editor’s note: This guest commentary comes from Michael Schutzler, CEO of the Washington Technology Industry Association] In the technology industry, we pride ourselves on being data-driven, rapidly making sound business… Read More

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

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

Despite more attention on female founders, funding to women-led startups hasn’t increased

Building a diverse workplace doesn’t stop at recruitment: 4 crucial steps to retain that talent

Microsoft releases new diversity numbers, says it’s ‘closer to the beginning of the journey than the end’

Dungeons, dragons and diversity: How the world’s most influential RPG turned the tables on inclusion

GeekGirlCon kicks off its ninth ‘celebration of the female geek’

California’s new law mandating women on corporate boards could be a model for other states

Here are more than 50 women VCs and angel investors backing startups in Seattle and Portland

Coffee Meets Bagel CEO explains the importance of having an inclusive workplace

Melinda Gates rallies top tech companies to double women of color studying computer science by 2025

Backstage Capital partners with Microsoft to launch accelerator for underrepresented founders

Workplace consulting firm Diverse City eyes L.A. expansion as founder shares Seattle frustrations

Author of ‘Why Women Don’t Code’ defends essay as colleagues, diversity experts challenge claims

‘Defining moment’ for Seattle as Microsoft, Amazon, others support Special Olympics USA Games

Immigrant perspectives: Women entrepreneurs on ‘microaggressions’ and biases

University of Washington lecturer’s essay on ‘Why Women Don’t Code’ stirs controversy

Hey, kids: Put a rocket in space and win a million dollars in Base 11 Space Challenge

Melinda Gates says VC firms are ‘leaving money on the table’ by not investing in women-led businesses

What entrepreneurs can learn from the journey of The Riveter CEO Amy Nelson

Amazon board diversity in the spotlight as tech giant agrees to officially adopt ‘Rooney Rule’

Commentary: Wake up, white men, it’s time to stop talking and start acting on diversity

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

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

Science — without the mansplaining

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MIT Technology Review Presents: EmTech Digital 2019

Google + Taqtile: Startup War Stories

Fireside Chat with Bill Bryant