On Wednesday, September 30 at 11:15am PT the Reboot Representation Tech Coalition CEO, Dwana-Franklin Davis, will speak at the 2020 virtual Grace Hopper Celebration. Dwana’s talk–Less Guilt, More Action: Centering Women of Color in Grantmaking to Diversify Tech–will address the importance of strategic and collective action in improving representation in the tech sector, especially for Black, Latina, and Native American women.
The historic events of 2020 have only underscored the need for equity in all sectors, including tech. COVID-19 discriminates—the negative health, economic, and higher ed pipeline effects extend to women of color (WOC) studying computing. Further, the current movement for Black lives has catapulted racial equity conversations onto the front page. This is a unique moment that has made the need for action clearer than ever.
Joining the conversation is not the same as strategically addressing the solution. The Reboot Representation Tech Coalition is working to demonstrate that collective action can lead to truly improved representation. And what better place to share some of our initial learnings than the Grace Hopper Conference, the world’s largest gathering of women technologists?”– Reboot Representation CEO, Dwana Franklin-Davis
Although U.S. tech corporations and leaders continuously tout their desire to create space for WOC in tech, WOC still make up only 4% of computing professionals. We need less talk and more action in the tech sector–a public statement or shared theory won’t create change by itself. To learn how to take real action towards change, check out Dwana’s 2020 virtual Grace Hopper Celebration talk, where she will share key takeaways from Reboot’s philanthropic investments, and discuss how everyone can work together–no matter where you are in your tech journey–to increase diversity in tech. No single company created gender and racial inequity in the industry, but as a collective, we have the power and resources to change the current landscape.