Month: April 2016

The lack of diversity in the technology industry has received a deluge of media attention in the past couple years. This has, for the most part, been hailed as a welcome occurrence but as in many other areas, the rise of traditionally discouraged voices has brought with it an opposite reaction from a segment of the white, male demographic that feels attacked, “at siege.” Intel has been one of the biggest tech companies at the forefront of tackling diversity and improving opportunities for women, African-Americans, Hispanics and other under-represented groups. Indeed, it was only a year ago that the...

The White House is continuing its drive to steer today’s youth towards the fields of tomorrow’s innovations. Teaming with hundreds of public-sector and private-sector groups, the Obama administration is leading what is now called ‘Early Active STEM learning’ which is, at its simplest, STEM pre-school. This drive is in response to new studies pointing to STEM jobs being the jobs of the future. The United States Department of Commerce released a study finding that the growth in employment in STEM fields will double that of non-STEM fields over the next decade. At the Department of Education, Libby Doggett, Deputy...

The California government invested millions of dollars into drawing high-paying, high-skilled jobs into the state. Through the California Competes state committee, over $280 million in tax incentives have been improved for companies like developer Riot Games and augmented reality startup Magic Leap in an agreement that they invest in equipment, property and people. Now, the committee is looking for these companies to invest in diversity and inclusion. While legislation would be needed to mandate diversity and demographic improvements as criteria for the Competes credits, members of the committee are already raising questions to applying companies and looking for adequate...

Among tech companies residing in the Bay Area, there are of course only a handful of black, female CEOs. That handful got a little bigger today as TaskRabbit, an online marketplace that matches freelance laborers – in cleaning, moving, delivery, etc. – with local demand, promoted Chief Operating Officer Stacy Brown-Philbot to CEO after Founder Leah Brusque stepped down from the position. Ms. Brusque, currently expecting her second child, explained, “I’m leaning into a few other causes I’m passionate about, including my family.” Ms. Brown-Philbot has a long history of advancing the cause of diversity in the tech industry....