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8:00am
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Doors Open8:00am - 9:00am Jun 14
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9:00am
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Welcome Address9:00am - 9:10am Jun 14Tech Inclusion Co-Founders Wayne Sutton and Melinda Briana Epler welcome everyone to an inclusive tech conference. We'll also paint an picture of what we're learning about diversity and inclusion barriers and solutions across the US and globally.
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Gender by the Numbers (Solo Talk)9:10am - 9:20am Jun 14A conversation on the attitudes and data of women and work.
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Fireside Chat with Michael Carr9:20am - 9:50am Jun 14We'll address what it means to be a white male ally in tech, the role and responsibility of tech executives in developing inclusive work cultures and Michael's experience as a VP with a disability in tech.
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10:00am
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No More Self-Censorship: Women and The Resistance (Solo Talk)10:00am - 10:10am Jun 14It’s never been clearer that those driving the narratives that dictate policy are not on the receiving ends of those policies. Why the disconnect and how can we elevate our voices to drive a more dynamic narrative and better public policies, as a result? Women and minorities have more power than ever before to drive a stake into the discussion and elevate social consciousness in a way that benefits us all in the long run.
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Lessons Learned from Engaging Students with Disabilities (Solo Talk)10:00am - 10:10am Jun 14For more than ten years, AccessComputing has worked to increase the participation of individuals with disabilities in computing fields. Students with disabilities nationwide engage with peers, staff, and mentors and participate in career development activities that include internships and conference attendance. Through this, we’ve learned valuable lessons that can be applied elsewhere to increase the success of individuals with disabilities.
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Workshop: Toward an Inclusive Tech Interview10:00am - 10:50am Jun 14What are your interviewers thinking?
The on-site is when every applicant strives to put their best foot forward. But what if you're not sure what types of questions and behaviors your interviewers are looking for? In this workshop, we'll dissect parts of our interview process – share what we're hoping to learn from a candidate, conduct a brief mock interview, and discuss how our 'candidate' responses helped (or hurt) her. Finally, we'll open the floor for feedback: tell us how we could improve our assessment and what else we should be asking. -
Startup Mentor Office Hours10:00am - 10:50am Jun 14Startups, join us for 1:1 mentoring with Startup Advisors and Investors.
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Avoiding "Power Rangers" Diversity (Solo talk)10:10am - 10:20am Jun 14Scott Hanselman talks about the difference between diversity and inclusion, allies and accomplices, and how teams can avoid building United Colors of Benetton teams - and instead build cohesive teams where everyone feels welcome and appreciated.
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Panel: Improving STEM Education with Diversity and Inclusion in Mind10:10am - 10:50am Jun 14There is a digital divide in many of our cities nationally and globally, where some have access to technology and STEM education and others do not. Unfortunately, as technology continues to grow, wealth and opportunity gaps continue to increase. How can we improve K-12 STEM education to better include all communities, reduce biases in education and storytelling and improve the pathways for anyone to have a tech career?
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DIS-ABILITY: It’s ABILITY that counts. (Solo talk)10:20am - 10:30am Jun 14We must realize that a disability is just one aspect about a person. People with disabilities have the right to full inclusion and equal opportunity in the workforce. It’s ABILITY that counts!
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10:30am
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Assimilate or Standout: Finding Your Identity in the Workplace (Solo talk)10:30am - 10:40am Jun 14
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Speaking Truth to Power (Solo Talk)10:40am - 10:50am Jun 14How Allies can use Economies of Scale when Speaking Up
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11:00am
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Co-Designing with Design Swarms (Solo Talk)11:00am - 11:10am Jun 14
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Structuring your Interview Process to Promote Skills-Based Hiring (Solo Talk)11:00am - 11:10am Jun 14The status quo for interviewing in our industry relies on arbitrary measure, and decisions rooted in how interviewers "feel" about candidates. Lack of structure in the interview process can lead to inconsistent and inaccurate outcomes at best, and rampant unconscious bias at worst. This talk will be a high level discussion on the most effective types of structure you can implement in your interview processes to deliver more accurate and inclusive results.
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Workshop: Inclusion in Emerging Technologies11:00am - 11:50am Jun 14Building tech products for an inclusive future.
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Panel: Workplace Diversity & Inclusion11:10am - 11:50am Jun 14How tech companies are addressing diversity and inclusion in the workplace: from recruiting to retention, promotion, leadership development and creating an inclusive culture. What has worked, what hasn't worked and what is the future of diversity and inclusion in tech?
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Panel: Inclusive Investment11:10am - 11:50am Jun 14How venture capital partners, angel investors, corporate funds and accelerators are addressing diversity and inclusion in their portfolios.
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12:00pm
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Lunch12:00pm - 12:50pm Jun 14Lunch provided by a local caterer.
Gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, Halal, Kosher meals available - please let us know your dietary needs upon registration!
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1:00pm
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We didn't know how good baseball could be until we let everyone play. (Solo Talk)1:00pm - 1:10pm Jun 14This is a 10-minute presentation on getting more access to young Black and Latino males in America. We know how the story goes as it has been written over and over again. Things are better when we play together.
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Want to Be Relevant in the Future? Be Open to Possibilities. (Solo Talk)1:00pm - 1:10pm Jun 14What does it take to be relevant in the future? Technical competence, drive and confidence are not enough. To be valuable in the future, you need to be willing to question your beliefs, embrace change and be open to the possibilities. You need to evolve the way you think about who you are, the role you play and the world you live in.
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Workshop: You are Hired—now what? Onboarding for Diversity & Inclusion1:00pm - 1:50pm Jun 14Every person involved in the onboarding process is responsible for inclusion—the recruiter, the hiring manager, the HR representative, and the incoming employee. We’ll explore what each person does to foster inclusion and onboard the new recruit to yield a faster start-up and greater commitment to the organization.
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Panel: The Importance of Diversity and Inclusion in Artificial Intelligence1:10pm - 1:50pm Jun 14What will the role of artificial intelligence be in 3 years? What about 30? How do we think about diversity and inclusion in a world run by augmented and "artificial" intelligence, and how does having diverse minds around the table influence the ethical development of these technologies? More than any other set of decisions, the way we staff our a.i. teams may have the largest impact on society in the next 100 years - come hear from experts on the issues surrounding ethical a.i. and ideas for improvement and resolution (and a little sci-fi fun).
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Panel: The Role of Policy & Local Government in Tech Inclusion1:10pm - 1:50pm Jun 14This panel will address the role and responsibility of local government in helping create a more diverse and inclusive tech ecosystem. How can local policy facilitate inclusive change in the tech ecosystem? What resources exist for underrepresented founders, and what else is needed? How can government help to bridge any digital and education divide? And how are government agencies working on their own internal gaps in technology and inclusion?
Moderated by Melinda Briana Epler, Founder & CEO of Change Catalyst & Tech Inclusion
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2:00pm
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How Virtual Reality Can Bridge the Empathy Divide (Solo Talk)2:00pm - 2:10pm Jun 14Virtual reality has been called the next "empathy machine," but what does that really mean, and what are the implications? This talk will explore the ways 360 video, games and simulated experiences, and social VR are being used to cultivate empathy, as well as some of the risks and industry pushback against VR as a tool for empathy.
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Inclusive Leadership as a Strategic – and Only – Choice for the Future. (Solo Talk)2:00pm - 2:10pm Jun 14Whether local or global, the business context is getting more diverse and more complex to lead. This requires leaders to become ever more aware of the impact of their beliefs, values, actions and inaction. In this session we’ll explore some of the key elements of inclusive leadership.
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Workshop: Fundraising as an Underrepresented Entrepreneur2:00pm - 2:50pm Jun 14Entrepreneurship is truly a gamble as a high rate of startups fail within the first few years. Some say, entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities take an even bigger risk due to the limited amount of opportunities and access to resources. As tough as it may seem, there are several ways to build and fund a successful business as an underrepresented entrepreneur. Come learn how to hack your way to resources with our checklist/pathway to a fundable company, and gain some insight from seasoned underrepresented entrepreneurs who’ve grinded their way to a successful company.
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Panel: How Tech Companies Are Investing in the Local Community2:10pm - 2:50pm Jun 14This panel addresses how local Seattle tech companies are investing in the health of the tech ecosystem in Seattle, through STEM programs, startup investing, code school partnerships and more. Panelists will also discuss where current the gaps are in the local tech ecosystem, and what the responsibility is of tech companies to invest locally.
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Panel: Designing and Building Accessible, Inclusive Products2:10pm - 2:50pm Jun 14Panelists will discuss designing and developing products that work for everyone, the benefits of designing accessible products, what it means to design with empathy and inclusion, and where audience members can increase their skills in accessibility, inclusion and empathy.
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3:00pm
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Steep Learning Curve ≠ Less Functionality (Solo Talk)3:00pm - 3:10pm Jun 14Sometimes we assume that a steep learning curve is an indicator that we are not talented or smart enough to work in a specific area. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as “imposter syndrome.” Let’s learn how to RETRAIN our brains to overcome self-doubt!
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Diversity-Friendly Software and Strategy (Solo Talk)3:00pm - 3:10pm Jun 14Most software today works best for people like the teams that create it, and embeds biases against women, black people, Latinxs, people with disabilities, gender-diverse people, and other marginalized groups. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Diversity-friendly software creates opportunities for a strategic competitive advantages - for startups, larger companies, and open-source projects.
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Negotiation Skills for Women & Minorities: Getting paid what you're worth.3:00pm - 3:50pm Jun 14It is well-known that there is a significant gender wage gap in the U.S., with women making on average 80% of what a male makes. Even less talked about and reported on is the racial wage gap in the U.S., with black men making 78%, black women making 63% and hispanic women making 54% of what a white male makes. Join us for this workshop to learn how to: talk about money, discover your worth in the market, find your "walk away", deal with objections and roadblocks in a job interview, and more!
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Startup Showcase Pitches3:10pm - 3:50pm Jun 14Showcasing outstanding early stage entrepreneurs in FinTech, PeopleTech, EdTech, FutureTech and HealthTech. The startups pitch to investors on the Main Stage and host demo booths during the evening happy hour. Cash & in-kind prizes from local tech companies are presented to the winners on stage at the end of the conference.
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Panel: From Code Schools to Tech Jobs: Addressing Gaps and Exploring Solutions3:10pm - 3:50pm Jun 14Code schools, bootcamps and other less traditional tech education programs have the power to disrupt education while offering lower barriers to entry for diverse tech talent. However, many tech companies are not set up to recruit and support non-traditional tech talent. What can we do to bridge the gaps between code schools and tech companies?
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4:00pm
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Engineering Empathy: The Power of This Key Differentiator in Tech (Solo Talk)4:00pm - 4:10pm Jun 14EQ now more important than IQ?! The paradigm shift has already begun. Facilitated by counselor turned edtech director, this discussion will cover the value of utilizing empathy as a skill in a tech working environment. We'll look at how teams can make optimizations to their culture, processes, and in turn their projects, services, and products by focusing on awareness and inclusion.
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Solo Talk: Stephanie Donner4:10pm - 4:20pm Jun 14
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Fireside Chat with Jonathan Sposato4:20pm - 4:40pm Jun 14
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4:30pm
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Keynote Panel: Women Leaders in Tech4:40pm - 5:20pm Jun 14Learn from a diverse group of women in the tech industry about their path to leadership. How did they start down the tech path, what barriers have they faced in the past and how have they pushed through those barriers? How can tech be more inclusive and supportive of women in leadership positions? Moderated by Jessica Eggert, Inclusion & Diversity Advisor, Founder @IncludeSeattle
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5:00pm
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Startup Showcase Winner Announcement & Closing Remarks5:20pm - 5:30pm Jun 14
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5:30pm
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Happy Hour5:30pm - 7:30pm Jun 14
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