Despite increased attention for the underrepresentation of minorities in the tech world (especially in leadership positions), it’s still not easy being a person of color at a tech company.
But, just maybe, sharing stories and advice can make it better.
This is precisely what DMV Startup and its event partners — DCMedia Innovations and the Washington Post — hope to do with “Diversitech.” The upcoming event will bring together a culturally diverse panel of D.C. techies to “share their experiences, dilemmas, awkward moments, successes, and advice on navigating through this industry as a minority.”
Mark your calendars for April 20th. #Diversitech is going down. Brought to you by @DMVStartup & @dcmediainnov 😁🔥https://t.co/i2VaQdwWlW
— DMV Startup (@DmvStartup) March 29, 2016
As of writing, the panel includes Sibyl Edwards, a freelance digital art director who was recently named one of DCFemTech’s Powerful Women Designers, Tim Wong from the Post, Phone2Action cofounder Ximena Hartsock and UX designer Glennette Clark.
Some questions the panel organizers hope will be addressed:
- What can you do to stand up for yourself or others in uncomfortable situations?
- What can we or employers do to influence our own environments and make diversity not an elephant in the room?
DMV Startup cofounder Brandon Luong told Technical.ly he’s hoping the event will be full of “real talk on what it is like to be a person of color in the DC tech area, and actionable steps on how to gain a larger voice in the meetings.”
As for who he is hoping will be in the room, Luong says he’d like the crowd to include “techies who are of color, upper management, and techies who aren’t people of color so they get a better grasp on the struggle.”
You’re invited.
Before you go...
Please consider supporting Technical.ly to keep our independent journalism strong. Unlike most business-focused media outlets, we don’t have a paywall. Instead, we count on your personal and organizational support.
3 ways to support our work:- Contribute to the Journalism Fund. Charitable giving ensures our information remains free and accessible for residents to discover workforce programs and entrepreneurship pathways. This includes philanthropic grants and individual tax-deductible donations from readers like you.
- Use our Preferred Partners. Our directory of vetted providers offers high-quality recommendations for services our readers need, and each referral supports our journalism.
- Use our services. If you need entrepreneurs and tech leaders to buy your services, are seeking technologists to hire or want more professionals to know about your ecosystem, Technical.ly has the biggest and most engaged audience in the mid-Atlantic. We help companies tell their stories and answer big questions to meet and serve our community.
Join our growing Slack community
Join 5,000 tech professionals and entrepreneurs in our community Slack today!