THE CULTURE OF TECH: WOMEN

UNINVITEDPRESENTED BY AMANDA BLAIR

FROM QUILMONT LLC

Women In IT• Women Make Up More Than Half The Workforce:

About 56%• Approximately 30% Of Positions In The IT Industry

Are Held By Women• “Google, Facebook, Apple And Other Big Tech

Companies Released Figures Showing That Men Outnumbered Women 4 To 1 Or More In Their Technical Sectors.” –LA Times

BUT• Women Are Not Staying In The Industry!• “53 percent of the women who did start their careers

in tech later took a position in another industry, versus just 31 percent of men who did that.” –SiliconBeat

The Culture of Tech• Stereotypes• Unspoken Judgement• General Culture• Unconscious Bias

Work Environments Push Us Away• Inadequate Pay• Lack Of Flexible Work Arrangements• Little Support From Co-Workers, Family, School Mates• Little Encouragement, Sometimes Berating From Society

Why Should We Have To Choose?

Lack of Role Models• There Are Too Few Women In IT • This Creates A Competitive Atmosphere• Men Are Sometimes Our Only Example: Less Than 5% of

CEOs are Women• There Aren’t Enough Mentors• The Media Can Contribute To This

Sheryl Sandberg – COO Of Facebook And Creator Of Lean In

We Need More Role Models Like This

Your Importance• Begin At Home, Encourage Your Children• Gain Family Support• Befriend The IT Women At School Or Work – Email, Call,

Skype!• Stick Together!• Use Social Media To Your Advantage – Lean In, LinkedIn

And Facebook Groups• Further Your Education • Promote Awareness

What about Schools?*• Recruitment Programs, Clubs And Groups• Acceptance Of Women And Their Participation• Mentor Programs• STEM Encouragement For Women• Scholarships And Classes• A New Way Of Looking At Classes:“College Programs That Divide Students By Experience Level Will Help To Alleviate Fears Of Women Who Are Inexperienced In Tech And Thus Less Likely To Pursue It.”—Forbes.Com

What Can We Do In The Industry?• Spread Awareness And Social Support In Your

Business• Resource Groups : Are You Being Heard?• Begin Breaking Up Stereotypes• Remember: Role Models Can Be The Most Important

CodeIT• Pilot Program In Spring Of 2015• 8 Women In Computing From The Technical Schools

Of South Carolina• Included A Week Long Coding Camp That Ended

With A “Code Tank”• Met Business Owners And Managers In The

Greenville Area• Speaking Engagements With Professionals From The

IT Field

CodeIT

NEXT Innovation Center In Greenville, SC – A Variety Of Businesses Housed In One Building, Including Small Companies And Entrepreneurs, To Connect Like-Minded Individuals And Cultivate Innovative Ideas.

Clemson University – The Computing Department Showing Us A Game Created To Teach Younger Children How To Code, Using Alice And A Dance Game.

CodeIT

CU-ICAR Facilities – Research And Development (In Collaboration With Clemson University) Of High Tech Machinery, Vehicle Prototyping And Manufacturing. This Was Part Of A “Tech Neighborhood”, Including Schools And Businesses That Were Centered

Around Engineering.

CodeIT• Experienced New Software Through

The Program

• Create Your Own Adventure Style App For Android

• App Was Created With Android Studio• Aimed To Use For Teaching Purposes,

Including Language Teaching• We Also Gained Experience With:• Writing Problem Statements And

Reports• Proposal Writing• Project Creation And Presentation

Interact With Adventure Screenshot

AITP• Association Of IT Professionals• National Group With Local Chapters• Professional And College Level Chapters• Gender Inclusive

• Our Local Chapter Seeks Out• Networking Opportunities• Volunteer Opportunities – Our Brightwater Project• Hands-On Experience• Participation In The NCC

AITP

AITP NCC Omaha, Nebraska 2015 – We Received Honorable Mention In 4 Categories And One Of Our Participants Received The 3rd Place Trophy In

The Security Category.

AITP

Students Participate Every Other Week, Teaching Technology Classes At Brightwater, An Adult Community In

Carolina Forest.

Resources : Immerse Yourself!• CodeIT Academy --

sctechsystem.edu/codeitacademy• Engaging Creative Minds --

engagingcreativeminds.org• WIT Mentoring Program --

womenintechnology.org/mentoring• ARA Mentoring Program – aramentors.com• Grand Strand Technology Council – gstechcouncil.org• Join A Lean In Circle – leanincircles.org• ACM-W: https://women.acm.org/• Email Me: ablair@quilmont.com

Questions?

Sources• Statistics: https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-latest-

stats-on-women-in-tech• LA Times: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-

women-tech-20150222-story.html• Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-

progress/2012/06/20/stem-fields-and-the-gender-gap-where-are-the-women/#1516e32333a9

• SiliconBeat: http://www.siliconbeat.com/2014/10/23/women-with-tech-educations-shun-tech-jobs-study-finds/

• GitHub Study: http://www.iflscience.com/technology/women-are-seen-better-coders-only-if-their-gender-isnt-known