Diversifying tech companies is a hot topic right now and attending the panel “How Women Are Rebuilding a Man-Made Internet” was just as exciting as you could imagine. Being among women who have pioneered through the male-dominated tech industry and are currently employed in female-made brands was inspiring. In attendance were Andrea Barrica, founder and CEO of O.school, Alex Williamson, Bumble’s chief brand officer, and Blue Fever co-founders Greta Mcanany and Lauren Tracy.
All women on the panel agreed that the internet needs to evolve to serve everyone, noting that billions of people use the internet but currently the only products and services that are being made and funded are created and invested by white males. The desperate need for women and minorities to be involved in the early stages of a company is because women make 80 percent of the purchase decisions in households. Despite their critical role as decision-makers, women are still greatly outnumbered by their male counterparts in the tech industry.
Men make up for 78 percent of the industry and a whopping 67 percent of these men are white. If women and minorities were allowed a voice in the products and services that are made from the beginning, we would be creating a world that serves everyone.
The panel explained that diversity is a combination of different lived experiences, and because of them we are allowed to consider ourselves experts in our point of view. If we make the internet more empathetic, it will lead to more voices being heard, because we currently do not have any non-judgmental spaces and it’s not only causing a diversity debt in businesses, but also gaps that need improvement in products and services.
Despite the desperate need for change, the panelists expressed their belief that unfortunately this country is not ready for change right now. However, with much more optimism, they went on to explain how Generation Z, known for having deep empathy and the need to help others, is not only ready for change, but is angry and will be the one to make it happen. The panel came to a close with women advising to turn to your community for curating and contribution and that together we can create the emotional intelligence needed to make change happen.
