A few weeks back, I boarded a plane to speak at AccelerateOTT. This was my first time speaking to a large event audience about the 50/50 Pledge and explicitly talked about the experience of being a woman in technology.
The entire experience confirmed for me that our presence on conference stages will have far-reaching impact on the tech industry as a whole.
The reactions I received from the audience also taught me a few key lessons for other women who will talk about these issues. For all those who want to take the stage to share their expertise, here are three things to keep in mind as you prepare or pitch yourself as a speaker.
1. If You Raise Your Voice about Gender Diversity, Speaking Engagements Will Follow
First, I learned that those who care about tech – both men and women – are dying to talk about gender diversity.
The organizers of AccelerateOTT approached me to talk about the 50/50 Pledge specifically. They want to encourage more women entrepreneurs and founders, and encourage more women to be a part of the tech industry.
If you have a strong stance and clear ideas for how to make diversity happen, people want you on stage. Conference organizers will approach you, as they approached me. They want to hear strong opinions, and people in tech are craving to do their part in making the tech industry a more diverse playing field.
After my talk, men and women alike said how much they appreciated the work that the 50/50 Pledge is doing. People in tech around the world are just beginning to acknowledge the lack of women in tech in their communities, and it’s encouraging when we finally talk about it in a public forum.
It should come as no surprise that this is a popular topic these days, and, at 50/50, we’re proud to say we can be a conduit for those who want to take action toward change.
2. Prepare to Answer “Women in Tech” Questions
Second, I learned how important it is to prepare to answer some standard “women-centric” questions on stage. Because this is such a hot topic, gender diversity will likely come up during Q&As, whether you’re speaking explicitly about “women in tech” in your talk or not.
We should be prepared to answer these questions, but not feel like we must have the right answers.
Here are some examples of common questions:
- At AccelerateOTT, I received a poignant question from an audience member: “How do I get my daughter to become an entrepreneur?” (you can see my answer at 28:15).
- “Is it harder to start a tech company as a woman?”
- “Does bad stuff happen to you as a woman that discourages you?”
How do we answer these questions in a way that appeals to the whole audience and creates allies? I believe it starts by being truthful to our own experiences, and as transparent as possible. Only by sharing our real, personal stories can we start to learn from each other and apply those lessons and insights to our future actions.
It’s also the raw, unexpected moments that often trigger people to finally push forward on an idea or to wholeheartedly confirm their pledge to a mission. On a stage in front of large groups of people, women tech professionals have a powerful position to ignite action in others. That power also comes with some added responsibility too, and means knowing when to identify when biases are leading to harmful, insulting questions.
3. Read Up on Others’ Perspectives Before Taking the Stage
The final lesson I learned is how important it is to stay up-to-date with different perspectives on this issue. Why? The audience you speak to needs to know that this is part of a larger conversation and shift in the industry. Diversity in tech is not a side topic. It’s the topic.
Like most tech events, AccelerateOTT had many men in the audience. I tried to answer their questions in a robust way. I addressed the 50/50 Pledge not as a standalone initiative, but as an important piece of the drive toward more diverse companies in technology.
I spoke about this in terms of how diversity leads to more inclusive, welcoming customer experiences and new ways of thinking. If tech is all about innovation and disruption, we need to get multiple perspectives on board to allow for full representation of ideas and viewpoints.
As a woman in tech, you’re joined by all kinds of allies – both men and women. You’re not standing alone. Elevate others’ voices when you can and read up on some of the most impactful pieces that have been written recently:
- Rachel Thomas’s If You Think Women in Tech Is Just a Pipeline Problem, You Haven’t Been Paying Attention
- Nicole Sanchez’s Why Women in Technology?
- EricaJoy’s #FFFFFF Diversity
- @Shaft’s Thought on Diversity Part 2. Why Diversity is Difficult.
As we find opportunities to speak about this issue, it’s important that we give credit to the work that others are doing as well. This will ensure that audience members understand how widespread this conversation has become.
You can also elevate other women’s voices by asking them to join the 50/50 Pledge Directory. This will ensure that their voices are heard on stage at tech events, just like I was fortunate enough to be able to do in Ottawa.
Want to see the entire talk? You can watch my summation of the 50/50 Pledge story at Accelerate OTT.
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