Untapped: Building a Roadmap to Gender Equity in Tech

In this program, focused on increasing the number of women at all levels in a tech organization, we will hear from tech leaders who know how to increase the representation of women.

They will share unconventional strategies and policies that you can introduce to your companies to reach gender parity in new hires while retaining women in tech roles. Together, we will create a roadmap to achieve greater gender diversity across tech teams and in executive roles while providing a path to equitable advancement.

Who Should Attend

This conference is for leaders who have an impact on the policy, processes, and opportunities for advancing women and who carry the titles of Directors, Sr. Directors, VPs, or direct reports to CXO’s.

Attendees will learn how to

– Build a culture of continuous learning for all members of their teams – from UX to Development to QA and Operations – as technology strategies and priorities evolve

– Fix the gender gaps on your technical teams through cross-functional collaboration

– Measure the impact of diverse technical teams on leadership effectiveness and your bottom line

Agenda

8:15 – 9:00 AM

• Registration and Networking

9:00 – 9:30 AM

• Keynote: The Journey, Lessons, and Road to the Top

9:30 – 10:30 AM Session I: Top Tech Trends and How to Set up Women to Succeed

Women historically have been underrepresented in tech leadership. While companies are trying to prioritize diversity, women still occupy less than a quarter of current C-suite positions.

This gap is likely to widen as companies leapfrog their technology stacks with AI and Machine Learning tools, which will require more effort for women to close an even larger gap in their upskilling and navigating their career path.

This session will help leaders understand how to balance priorities between the constantly evolving technology landscape and creating long-lasting programs for gender diversity in leadership.

Topics include:

• Implementing training processes that allow women on technical teams to not only keep pace – but also lead during times of transition
• Ensuring continuous learning results in increased visibility for women that doesn’t put pressure on them to choose between career growth and managing commitments outside of work
• Developing strategies for women to thrive amidst continuous change and make it a source of competitive advantage for their career growth

10:30 – 10:45 AM Break

10:45 – 11:45 AM Session II: Looking at Unconscious Bias in Your Networks

Many companies have established allyship and sponsorship programs, but they have not had the positive impact that was originally hoped for. While businesses are prioritizing diversity, they haven’t created the structure to support gender equity.  As a result, women are leaving the workforce disproportionally.

This session will help you recognize how unconscious bias curbs positive impact in these well- intentioned programs. We will touch on the effectiveness of policy and how it can ignite change. We will outline how to build successful programs and policy that will give women the tools they need to grow and evolve in their careers and on your team.

Topics include:

• Advocate for women offering opportunities for growth, visibility, and development
• Creating programs that build direct relationships to the C-Suite
• Understanding the impact of unconscious bias, receiving tools to be an effective ally or sponsor

11:45 AM – 12:45 PM Session III: Interactive Workshop: Building Your Executive Presence

Many women bumping up against the invisible barriers to the top are told they need to display more Executive Presence; however, when pressed to clarify what this means, we are often told we need to exude more confidence. Because confidence is subjective and perceived through the lens of unconscious bias in many work environments, this advice leaves us feeling stuck between a rock and a hard place.

When we show up with a high level of certainty and passion, we can be branded “a bull in a china closet” and in our efforts to avoid being labeled “aggressive” we can be branded as indecisive and weak. This dynamic often leaves us feeling penalized for the same behaviors our male counterparts receive rewards and recognition for, and it’s a particularly challenging road to navigate.

This training utilizes interactive activities and thought-provoking discussion to explore the key components of executive presence. These exercises support you in identifying what blocks executive presence and also gives you tips for taking your presence to the next level and bringing your colleagues along with you.

Key Takeaways:

• A clear understanding of the components of compelling vs. repelling presence
• An ability to identify blocks to presence
• Insight into pattern interrupts to unblock executive presence

12:45 – 1:00 PM  Wrap Up and Close