Intentional about diversity, Quest aims to amplify the voices of traditionally underrepresented and underserved individuals. The Women in Technology Luncheon at this year’s 2023 BLUEPRINT 4D conference in Dallas, TX, served as a reminder to encourage and support the growing ratio of women both in leadership in technology and software engineering positions.

This event included keynote speaker Valerie Davis, Senior Patent Counsel at Texas Instruments and President of Dallas Fort Worth Alliance of Technology and Women. Following Valerie’s presentation, which focused on how to strengthen the pipeline of women in technology, three panelists were invited to join the discussion about barriers for women in technology and how to overcome them. Panelists included Terri Jackson, Senior Director of Professional Services, Syntax; Rob Meikle, Executive Consultant and Speaker, Info-Tech Research Group; and Mona Abou-Sayed, Senior Vice President, Standard BioTools Business Systems.

Be the Village

As a part of her address, Valerie Davis shared that it takes a village to serve those that are underrepresented and under-resourced. An environment that provides support and community is an integral part of progress and growth.  Since not everyone has a village so it’s the responsibility of people and organizations to reach out to those who they recognize needs support.

DFW Alliance of Technology and Women has a vision for changing the face of technology with women. Their mission is to strengthen the pipeline of girls and STEM to continue to see women in technology. DFWATW has a program called Ignite. This program exists to provide opportunities for under-resourced women to get certification in technology and open doors for them. Ignite has a big impact on these women and their children. Women who are domestic violence survivors, newly divorced, or newly widowed are not left behind thanks to the programming, examples, and opportunities provided by DFWATW.

When asked how women can give back, reach out, and pull someone along with them, Valerie says the answer is to “be the village.”  She shared that this looks like seeking organizations to partner with, serve, and help change lives.

A Panel of Change

After Valerie’s address, she was joined by a panel to continue the conversation.  Panelists included. Terri Jackson, Senior Director of Professional Services, Syntax; Rob Meikle, Executive Consultant and Speaker, Info-Tech Research Group; and Mona Abou-Sayed, Senior Vice President, Standard BioTools Business Systems.

The panelists shared that the biggest barriers faced for women in technology include lack of role models, bias, and finding support. To overcome these barriers, the group suggested women working in technology know their purpose, be authentic to who you are, promote yourself and others, and seek out those who can offer support.

Furthermore, the panel discussed that removing barriers for women at an organizational level might require going back to the drawing board. One place to start is by looking at the lifecycle of your talent acquisition and making credential changes for those results. In doing this, you can significantly recruit more females for your organization.

The panelists also shared that having a support system is imperative for women in technology and leadership. To find support within your career, the panel recommended looking at the people that represent you and who you connect with for support. Good mentors make you feel good about yourself and what you are doing. Look also for the people that are doing something right and that you want to emulate. Don’t be afraid to ask them about mentorship. It may be as simple as just inviting them for lunch! It’s important to remember that you are not alone; looking to others that are ahead of you can help you see how you can adjust and adapt.

Mentoring and sponsorship look different in a post-Covid world where many employees no longer walk down the hall and have a water-cooler conversation. The panel suggests that organization leaders should try to touch every resource on your team within a two-week period. This looks like leaving time at the end of a weekly team meeting to ask what other questions or issues team members want to discuss. Be available and emphasize your willingness to meet one on one, intentionally leaving space in your calendar for those that take you up on the offer. The panel also suggested creating opportunities for team members to come together and fostering positivity by giving shout outs for recognition.

The panel advocated for women in technology and shared that as long as you look around the table and you’re the only woman there, there is more work to be done. Building awareness is key. You can build awareness in your organization by talking about it, being vocal about it, and enabling leaders to understand how they need to behave in situations; what they should or should not say. Individuals can call out when things are wrong, like when a woman is interrupted while they are speaking. People sometimes just need to be informed.

If a company lacks an initiative, the panel believes that this organization is missing out on the value added by gender and diversity, which can make them more profitable and more creative. The reality is that there is a lot of bias steeped in culture and tradition, and it takes someone who is willing to get an initiative started even if it is not senior leadership. Initiatives don’t happen with huge change all at once, but by incremental pieces that take time.  The panel recommends continuously looking for opportunities. Conversations are needed.  Sometimes the reason there is no initiative is because people are afraid to do it wrong as takes courage to start the dialog, but the panelists pointed out that people are more willing to learn than we sometimes think and need to hear what outside voices, research, or case studies are saying about this topic.

The panel reminded the audience that allies are needed in the workplace more often than we think and that small gestures go a long way.  When you see a new hire, regardless of gender, that is having a hard time fitting in, put yourself out there for that person. Make yourself approachable and authentic. Once you do that, people will come to you. Being an ally means you become recognized as someone that is available and willing to help.   The panel discussed that people always remember how others make them feel.  The panel challenged the attendees in the room and their organizations to make every interaction make a difference in a person’s life and career, creating a culture where all people are valuable and important.

Key Takeaways

Taking women’s leadership to new heights looks like actively taking steps to reach out, and “be the village.” Individually, this looks like seeking mentors and being a mentor. It requires risk and putting yourself out there both to better yourself and your career and to be an ally and a support for someone else. This comes with intentional effort and creative ideas.

Organizationally, it begins with finding a champion for an initiative. It calls for incremental changes and a culture of coaching and communication. It requires stepping up to the challenge to make change in an organization.  The benefits are not only gender and diversity in the workplace, but also high performing teams where everyone sees success.

Furthermore, each woman and each organization that desires diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace should think about all the ways they can give back and continue moving the needle forward.

For more information, check out the full BLUEPRINT 4D Women in Technology Luncheon recording available here: Women in Technology Luncheon: Taking Women’s Leadership to New Heights.

For more DEI related educational sessions from Quest events, check out the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Content Center in the Quest Content Library.