10 Actionable Ways to Actually Increase Diversity in Tech

Tech’s diversity problem is not new information, especially to those of us who work in the industry. There is a trend taking hold in tech companies over the past few years: publishing diversity stats. While taking a hard look in the mirror is an important step in addressing diversity issues, taking additional steps to implement meaningful change efforts is also important. But what steps are most effective?

In this webinar, Dr. Catherine Ashcraft, NCWIT Senior Research Scientist, presents 10 research-based strategies for increasing diversity. You will learn:

  • The benefits diverse teams bring to innovation and startup environments
  • The role societal biases play in startups and business processes
  • Strategic and actionable steps that both individuals and companies can take to better recruit AND retain a diverse range of employees

Download the webinar slides using the button below, and listen to the audio here.

We thank OpenView for their support.

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Public Published Date 06/08/2016


Black Women and Girls in Computing Roundtable: Executive Brief

In August 2016, representatives from more than 40 non-profit, industry, media, education, and policy organizations gathered for a Black Women and Girls in Computing Roundtable, hosted by NCWIT and Google, to discuss influence, intersectionality, and media messaging. Participants reported increased awareness about the importance of encouraging and supporting black women and girls through tangible resources and actions. And, in the months following the convening, many attending organizations have collaborated on ways to increase opportunities in computing education and tech in the Black communities.

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Public Published Date 11/21/2016


By the Numbers

Check out the most compelling statistics on women’s participation in computing on a single page.

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External URL https://wpassets.ncwit.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/19193926/05_19_2023_BTN_FullSize.pdf

Public Published Date 03/01/2022


By the Numbers (pocket sized)

The most compelling statistics on women’s participation in IT, in a pocket-sized format for easy distribution and saving.

External URL https://wpassets.ncwit.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/19155603/05_19_2023_BTN_PocketSize.pdf

Public Published Date 05/19/2023


Collaborating to Grow the Pathway of Native Americans in STEM: White Paper

Intel, in partnership with NCWIT, hosted Growing the Legacy of Native American Leadership in Science and Technology: A Thought Leadership Event. Key leaders in academia, government, tribal nations, non-profit organizations, and the tech industry convened to discuss the state of technology in Native American communities, identify gaps, and create actionable steps for increasing Native American student participation and retention in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education. The resulting recommendations are outlined in this white paper; these insights ultimately will be used to help shape Intel’s comprehensive Native American strategy.

View highlights from the event here.

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Public Published Date 11/08/2016


Color of Our Future

The Color of Our Future anchors NCWIT programs, initiatives, and research-based resources focused on broadening the meaningful participation of underrepresented women and girls of color (Black, Latinx, and Native American) to positively impact the future of computing.

Interested in learning more? Contact the Color of Our Future team at [email protected].

Program Leadership

JeffriAnne Wilder, Ph.D.

Senior Research Scientist & Director of Strategic Initiatives for Women & Girls of Color 

National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT)


Colorism Bias in the Tech Industry

Achieving equity in the tech industry must be intersectional: race, class, gender, sexuality, and other key factors of identity shape experiences differently; and understanding those differences is critical to promoting diversity, inclusion, and change for women, girls, and other underrepresented groups in IT.

Over the past decade, many institutions and organizations are becoming more aware of how unconscious and overt bias leads to uneven access, recruitment, and retention of individuals in computing along race and gender lines. Building on this awareness, it is important to call attention to a lesser known, but equally challenging, form of bias that can be an added barrier for women and girls of color to achieving equity in computing: color bias or “colorism.”

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Public Published Date 05/03/2019


Communicating for Change: Persuade Colleagues to Get on Board

Changing the culture of an organization to one that promotes women’s participation in computing requires that members reach new understandings and act in new ways. Enlisting allies in this process requires persuasive communication. This resource provides guidance on the four distinct and necessary steps for the long-term process of effective persuasion.

For more information on the Extension Services program, visit https://ncwit.org/program/extension-services/.

Related Resource — Gearing Up for Change: Institutional Reform in Undergraduate Computing Programs

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Public Published Date 02/19/2009


Communicating Research-based Interventions to Change Agents

This Guide was created to support the use of evidence-based interventions by change leaders. It can help researchers to avoid jargon and communicate effectively. This resource is intended to help readers design an overall communication strategy. Steps include identifying goals and philosophy, deciding whether to translate at all, carefully analyzing specific audiences, and based on these, developing a user-centered communication strategy.

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Public Published Date 04/19/2019


Conversations for Change

Join us throughout the year for an online experience like no other: virtual conversations, Q&As, on-demand videos, and more! Fully immerse yourself in research-based recommendations and peer-to-peer discussions to further your efforts in creating inclusive cultures.

Advancing Racial Equity in Tech: A Conversation with Dr. Allison Scott and Dr. Ivory Toldson 

Thursday, March 2 // 10 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. MT / 12 p.m. CT / 1 p.m. ET

Please join us as we hear from two leaders at the forefront of advancing racial equity in computing: Dr. Allison Scott, CEO of the Kapor Center, and Dr. Ivory A. Toldson, the national director of Education Innovation and Research for the NAACP. The Kapor Center’s work focuses at the intersection of racial justice and technology, and they are committed to fighting for racial justice and creating a more inclusive technology sector. The NAACP is the home of grassroots activism for civil rights and social justice, and has been working to disrupt systemic inequities since 1909.

Together, the Kapor Center and the NAACP published “The State of Tech Diversity: The Black Tech Ecosystem,” as a means to offer concrete solutions for improving access and inclusion for Black Americans in tech.

In this conversation, we will hear more about their individual and collective efforts to positively impact the future of computing.

For more information, visit the event page.

 


Register Here

Playback Previous Conversations

Check out sessions you might have missed or simply want to watch again: ncwit.org/PreviousCFCRecordings.

A graphic featuring headshots of Dr. Allison Scott and Dr. Ivory Toldson and the tagline "The idea you don't have is the voice you haven't heard."


Conversations for Change Recordings

Navigate the listings below to check out sessions you might have missed or simply want to watch again.

Lien Diaz Photo (Preview Image)

“Promoting Equity In Computer Science Education”

with Lien Diaz

Gladys West Photo

“vNCWIT Pioneer in Computing Award Celebration”

with Dr. Glayds West

Lisa Cook Photo

“Conversations for Change”

with Lisa D. Cook

Van Jones Photo

“#YesWeCode: Race, Gender & The Digital Divide”

with Van Jones

Cathy O'Neil Photo

“Bad Algorithms & The Ethical Matrix”

with Cathy O’Neil

“My Work is My Protest”

with Dr. Nicki Washington

“Change Leadership: A Call for Courageous Action”

with Dr. Jane Goodall

“Connecting Generations”

with Ruzena Bajcsy and Eshika Saxena

“Race to the Future? Reimagining the Default Settings of Technology and Society”

with Ruha Benjamin

“Different Kinds of Minds”

with Temple Grandin

“The Color of Our Future: Promising Practices and Next Steps”

with Jannie Fernandez; Cheryl Swanier, PhD;
and JeffriAnne Wilder, PhD

“Learning About Intersectionality: Videos That Spark Discussion”

with Colleen Lewis, Kyla McMullen,
and Darryl Yong

“Fostering a Culture of Respect, Inclusion, and Engagement”

with Paul L. Marciano

“Tech Culture Interrupted”

with Lucy Sanders

“Changing the Narrative About Aging, Tech, and Innovation”

with Janine Vanderburg


Critical Listening Guide: Just Because You Always Hear It, Doesn’t Mean It’s True

Use this guide to help identify common misunderstandings that surface when people talk about how to increase the participation of women. Learn to spot “red flags” that indicate a particular discussion is headed in a direction that may not be research-based or effective.

Learn how to implement the “The Action to Catalyze Tech (ACT) Report” recommendations: https://ncwit.org/CatalyzeTech.

External URL https://ncwit.org/resources/critical-listening-guide

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Public Published Date 01/29/2016