ColorComm 2015 - Women of Color in Communications - Epic

ColorComm 2015 - July 30th - Aug. 1st - Miami, FL.  ColorComm 2015 was one of the most engaging, thought provoking and enlightening communications conferences I've ever experienced.  I attended at least 80% of the sessions and events during the 3-days of workshops/seminars and each one gave up-to-the minute and real-time information and tools that can be applied to both fledging and seasoned professionals.  Above all, the networking was taken to the next level where speakers and fellow attendees did not just exchange business cards as a matter of habit, but there was high level, one-on-one engagement that moved the dial on relationships and new connections.  One of my most memorial experiences at the ColorComm was Linda Clemons' session, "It's What You Don't Say That Speaks Volumes".  Linda, CEO, Sisterpreneur, Inc., Sales & Body Language Expert, is an extraordinary speaker who delivers with energy that you know is authentic and comes from a genuine place. Understanding how your very stance during a presentation to your hand movements while answering questions was an eye opening revelation.  I am positive every attendee in the standing-room-only session, walked away with information to improve their skills the public relations and communications profession.

Read more about the C2Miami

Photos from ColorComm 2015

Tech Round-Up: Pinterest | Tech 808 | 43North | Intel

Pinterest has a new Diversity Initiative.  On Tuesday, July 28th Pinterest hosted the Bay Area Blacks in Tech Meet-up group in their continued effort to be true to their commitment to Diversity in Tech.  The speakers were Aston Motes, Developer of Dropbox.com website and Entrepreneur; Nancy Douyon, UX Researcher, Google Speaker, Global Innovator, Storyteller; Grant Oladipo, Engineer, Entrepreneur, Mobile Leader and Medium.  More than 100 millenials and tech enthusiasts gathered for thought provoking conversation and not just chatter or noise. 

So many are burnt out on the conversation of the lack of diversity in tech and it's time to talk solutions and Pinterest wants to lead that charter.  Not just by hosting an event, but launching an innovative diversity project.  Pinterest is putting a huge stake in the ground by setting specific, measurable goals, targets and a 2016 timetable to achieve its diversity and inclusion goals.  This is a very aggressive date, but more palatable for those who have been anxious and waiting for change.  Additionally, Pinterest is opening an experimental lab inside the walls of the company to apply the human ingenuity to test new strategies for building more diverse, inclusive companies. Read more about Pinterest's diversity project.

Two African American women are now a significant part of 43North.  43North's $5M Challenge is the largest prize money in the country as a carrot to attract entrepreneurs from around the world to build their fledgling tech businesses in Buffalo.  Two African American women, Angel Davis and Lauren Washington, are among the 2014 winners of the 43North business-idea competition.  Davis and Washington have been friends for more than 10 years and have won a $250,000 prize for the app they developed, KeepUp.  This application is currently available on the iTunes App Store, is a productivity tool that helps users filter out non-essential posts from six major social media feeds, like Twitter and Facebook, and limit incoming messages to as many as a dozen milestone-type events.  The prize comes along with office space in 43North’s incubator, access to area business resources, like University at Buffalo’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, and mentors to develop and nurture their venture.  Read more about Angel Davis, Lauren Washington and 43North.

Tech808 comes to Oakland, CA.  Tech808 takes place on Saturday, August 15th at ImpactHUB Oakland with a line-up of 14 speakers.  Tech 808 was created for minority and millennial entrepreneurs and appeals to those interested in the intersection of hip hop culture, tech and entrepreneurship. The first conference kicked off in 2014, but this year multiple stops will extend the experience for attendees across the country. The three stops include D.C. (which happened in June), Oakland and a finale in NYC, where the original conference began.  The next Tech 808 conference will happen on August 15 in Oakland  in collaboration with Impact HUB Oakland and sponsored by Kapor Center for Social Impact and MailChimp.  The Phat Startup’s conference will once again link entrepreneurs, tech enthusiasts, students and more together in order to elevate and motivate those looking to succeed in the tech industry.  Read more about Tech808 and get tickets.....

Intel ups referral bonus to achieve more diversity in its workforce.  Intel will pay up to $4,000 in bonuses to employees who refer a woman, minority, or veteran to its workforce, the company confirmed in a statement to the Wall Street Journal on Monday. The fee is double Intel's current referral bonus and viewed by the company as a way to increase chances of having women and minorities receive more representation in a job applicant pool that has disproportionately consisted of white men. At the end of 2014, Intel had nearly 54,000 employees and over three-quarters of its workforce was male and 56 percent of employees were white. Just 8 percent of the company's employees were Latino and 3.5 percent were African American. Intel did not share data on veterans. Read more about Intel's new initiative here...

Who moved the dial on diversity at Rev. Jesse Jackson's PUSHTECH2020 Conference?

Rev. Jesse Jackson's PUSHTECH2020 Conference took place on May 6th in San Francisco, and during his remarks throughout the day you would often hear him say, 'here in Silicon Valley'.  Clearly an implication that SF can be considered Silicon Valley and the movement of closing the gap of diversity and inclusion among the tech giants needed to happen in both the Bay Area and SV.  Rev. Jackson's PUSHTECH2020 initiative of Diversity + Inclusion = Innovation has drawn national attention and just about every tech and corporate giant who has diversity and inclusion initiatives,  were in the house at the conference.  Well of course they were because when Rev. Jesse Jackson talks, people listen.

While there is certainly a reason to continue the conversation about the diversity gap in technology,  Lisa Jackson, Apple's VP Environmental Initiatives, said in her keynote address to not discredit the non-tech jobs (which are 60% of the jobs in SV), that are held by a diverse population at Apple because these jobs do feed families.  In Apple's effort to show their movement to divide their resources among diverse communities, Ms. Jackson further stated that Apple has donated $10M to NCWIIT (National Center for Women in Information Technology) and extended more than $3B to diverse suppliers.  Those are indeed impressive numbers, however Mr. Butch Graves, President & CEO of Black Enterprise called it 'window dressing' because Apple, along with several other tech industry companies represented at the conference, do not have 'one' person of color on their Board of Directors.  Particularly, during the Leading from the Top: Minority Board of Directors on Advancing the Diversity & Inclusion Agenda panel, Mr. Graves stated that Apple's idea of a 'diverse supplier' is women and many of those women-owned companies who receive contracts from Apple are not from a diverse populations.  Desiree Johnson, CEO, Johnson Publishing, who was also on this panel, stated that attention must be paid to ad buys in Black media.  That while many of the tech firms represented at this conference buy millions of dollars in advertisement, those ads are not seen in Black media.

Lastly, Lisa Jackson wanted attendees to know that Williams Capital Group, manages Apple's bond investments, where Christopher J. Williams, Chairman and CEO is an African American.

Who put money on the table and moved the dial at the conference?  Who took a first step in showing a monetary investment right here in Oakland?  Intel!  Brian Krzanich, Intel's CEO announced  they will invest $5 million over the next five years in a new pilot program to teach computer science to high school students in the Oakland Unified School District.  The goal of the program will be to send 600 high school graduates to college to study computer science engineering in preparation for jobs with Intel or other companies.

Several comments during Rev. Jesse Jackson's keynote address reigned true and received applauds.  Rev. Jackson stated, "Let’s turn pain to power by hiring youth and not shooting them down", "Diversity & Inclusion is not the cost of doing business, it’s doing good business",  and "Let's move the conversation from diversity to equality".

By: Y'Anad Burrell - Glass House Communications

For more BUZZ visit theREGISTRYBayArea

 

Ken Coleman's Perspective on Diversity in Technology - 4 Myths

Ken Coleman, Board Chairman for Saama Technology, is one of the most celebrated African Americans in technology here in the Bay Area and when he speaks many ears are listening.  Mr. Coleman points out four myths about the state of Blacks in technology in Silicon Valley, two of which are: (1) media has treated the SV area like the 'left coast' and given far more attention and coverage to diversity in technology happening on the East Coast; and (2) given the success and contributions that West Indians and Asians have made to technology, little to no attention has been given to women, Hispanics or Blacks.  While I agree with these myths, moving towards solutions and/or strategies to dealing with these issues is at the top of my list.

See Ken Coleman's interview and read more here: Silicon Valley Insider Pinpoints Common Myths Around Diversity In Tech

Tech Talk: 91 Year Old Tech Designer | CODE 2040 | Toddler Tech | Pandora's Diversity Program

Toddler Tech: YouTube. Can you image your 3 year child being memorized for hours and hours by a bright screen with vibrant colors and lots of movement dancing across the screen?  Have we considered what this does from an educational learning perspective or even more importantly from a physical one?  When it comes to marketing, dollars and corporate brand, these questions, I would imagine, are nowhere close to the top of the list.  Google jumped into the world of toddler tech when it introduced YouTube Kids late last month, marking Silicon Valley's first big step in appealing to a lucrative and largely untapped demographic of mobile device users: kids under 5. Amazon launched a kid-safe tablet in the fall, and other companies are likely to follow.  YouTube Kids offers a solution to the problem of uncontrolled viewing with a timer parents can set. And by giving parents more control over what children watch, Google and other tech companies are trying to earn the keys to a well-protected kingdom.  Educators and healthcare professionals are chiming in on this conversation and I am sure we will be hearing more from these industries.  What in the world will happen to programs such as First 5 or Head Start?  Details at 11.

Founded in 2012, CODE2040 has a simple mission that dovetails with the growing and resounding message pressing Silicon Valley to use its significant brainpower to make tech less of an ivory tower.  CODE2040 provides college-age African-American and Latino students who have shown an interest in computer science with both an encouraging network of peers and, more pointedly, a summer internship program aimed at placing them at tech companies whose narrowly focused recruiting efforts often overlook them.  Tristan Walker, Co-Founder of CODE2040 and CEO of Walker & Company Brands, is quoted in USA Today saying "If you're a smart company, you'll want an ethnically diverse team empathetic about the needs of your diverse consumers. What we're doing at CODE2040 isn't charity work. We're trying to help tech organizations because there is a real business imperative here."

Pandora's Diversity Program.  Last year, Pandora, located in downtown Oakland, joined a wave of Silicon Valley companies that revealed the makeup of their workforces. The music streaming site said that about 70% of its U.S. employees are white, and 3% are African-American..  More recently the numbers have shown that nearly half of Pandora employees are women, a far better gender balance than most tech companies have achieved, but the majority of them are White.  This diversity in tech conversation will go on for many years, but it's important to track certain companies and their efforts in, at least, working on more diversity in the field.  When Lisa Lee, Diversity Program Manager, joined the company last spring, she spent her first month simply listening and learning about what people were already doing. “She asked them about some of the things they were proud of that had happened in the past and what else they would like to see in the future. Instead of instructing employees on what they should do, Lisa incorporated their opinions and insights as she drafted the company’s diversity strategy.  The strategy of empowering different employee groups so they can have a voice in the diversity dialogue, both in the company’s culture and the way it conducts business is critical to inviting employees to drive diversity initiatives. 

As a young girl, Barbara Beskind dreamed of becoming an inventor. Now, at 91 years old, she's seeing it through.  Beskind works as a tech designer for IDEO, a Silicon Valley design firm. Two years ago, she read an article about IDEO, which is famous for creating the first mouse for Apple, and decided to apply for a job, saying: Beskind primarily works on projects pertaining to aging. She feels like her coworkers can't always put themselves in the shoes of the elderly.

 

And go!

Judy Smith - The REAL Olivia Pope of ABC7 Scandal

I have been a fan of ABC7's Scandal and the lovely Kerry Washington since the season started. However, meeting the real Olivia Pope, that would be JUDY SMITH, made the excitement much for enticing. I met Ms. Smith about 5 months ago at an event and was so happy to see how engaging, unassuming, delightful and unapologetic she was about her wit and intelligence.  

On Jan. 20th, Ken Coleman, technology giant and Special Advisor to Andreesen Horowitz, hosted a fireside chat with Judy Smith in their Menlo Park, CA office.  The chemistry between Ms. Smith and Ben Horowitz during the Q&A was the best I've seen in a long time.  When asked about how her career started, Judy shared that she had to be reminded by her childhood friend, affectionately known as 'beanhead', that her conflict resolution skills began at the age of 15 as she was always the neighborhood 'we can all work this out' negotiator. 

Judy's career in conflict resolution went through the roof right after her tenure as special assistant to the press secretary during President George H.W. Bush administration in 1991.  During her time with President Bush, some of her major work included PR guidance during the Clarence Thomas nomination, PR consulting during the Gulf War and dealing with US Kuwaiti relations.

While many saw the writing on the wall that President Bush would not be reelected, Judy stayed the course until the very end instead of leaving and looking for employment like many.  It was that tenacity, dedication and loyalty that lead to President Bush making several phone calls to key influentials in the political arena, sharing the stellar work Judy performed under his administration, that her phone began to ring constantly with requests for her services.  Since that time, Smith & Associates has been the most sought after crises management firm in the nation and beyond. 

Judy's most fascinating client was former Mayor Marion Barry.  According to Judy, even in light of his indiscretions and 6-month federal prison sentence for drug possession and use, Mr. Barry remained a 'people' person and very much connected to the community. Despite his history of political and legal controversies, Barry was a popular and influential figure in the local political scene.  After his release, he was elected to the Council of the District of Columbia in 1992, and ultimately returned to the mayoralty in 1994, serving from 1995 to 1999. 

Judy Smith's book, "Good Self, Bad Self: How to Bounce Back from Personal a Crisis is a must read.

 
And go!

Post by Glass House Communications.

Intel Invests $300M Towards Diversity in Technology while Microsoft Struggles With an Inclusive Workforce

"It's time to step up and do more. It's not good enough to say we value diversity," says Intel's CEO Brian Krzanich.  Intel will aim for its U.S. workforce at all levels to mirror the talent available in America in the next five years, and Krzanich said the compensation of Intel leaders would be directly tied to the progress they make in reaching that diversity goal.  "This isn't just good business. This is the right thing to do," he said.

While Intel should absolutely be applauded for this initiative, a huge red flag is their first step, according to Krzanich, which is putting together the structure for connecting managers' pay to diversity stats and that part of the program will be implemented for 2015 pay.  Money certainly talks so who is to say the managers' efforts will be truly a party of Intel's 'culture of diversity' as opposed to keeping their monetary compensation steady and growing.  Anything tied to money will influence behavior so does it become a game of just 'filling in the numbers', as opposed to truly believing that Diversity & Inclusion is 'just good business sense'.    Read More About Intel's Initiative!

In mid-December, Microsoft quietly released its EEO-1 form, a federal filing that outlines employment data by race and gender according to job type. While Microsoft has diversity in its highest ranks, including an African-American Board Chairman, an Indian CEO and a female CFO, the overall statistics are less flattering: the company is 60.6% white and 71% male, according to its EEO-1 form.  Read more!

I have been passionate about Diversity & Inclusion (affectionately called D&I) since my graduate studies at Golden Gate University when I chose to do my thesis on Change Management.  It's been a 'lifestyle' and not just the hot topic of the year or month.  While D&I can be challenging to grow in any industry (i.e. technology, art, education, etc.), it's the consistency of the effort that brings the most impact and not an effort that has a 'designated time period'.  If there is not an 'intentional plan in place that is part of a business model, company goals, human resource training, then results will come more fluidly and organically.  This is the best approach to building any effective and impactful culture of diversity and inclusion.

Diversity is being invited to the party.  Inclusion is being asked to dance at the party.  It's time to dance more!  And go!

Out On The Town: Rev. Jesse Jackson - Holiday Parties - MoAD, Diversity Council and more. It's Round-Up Time Again - Dec. 15th

Dec. 6th - Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) Re-opening.  After six months of construction and renovation, costing close to $1.3 million, patrons can now enjoy a refurbished entryway, which has been transformed into a multipurpose space with more natural light, as well as an L-shaped hallway that’s been reworked into an Emerging Artists Gallery. On the museum’s second floor, two previously permanent exhibitions have been replaced to make room for two new galleries, a performance space, and a small theater. There were speeches from Executive Director Linda Harrison, Harvard Professor Dr. Alejandro de la Fuente, Los Angeles artist Lava Thomas and City Administrator Naomi Kelley. There is no party without The Honorable Willie L. Brown Jr., who officially announced MoAD's status as a Smithsonian Affiliate which gives it access to the larger museum’s exhibitions and works. Visit MoAD and enjoy its two current exhibits: “Lava Thomas: Beyond,” which focuses on a local artist, and “Drapetomania,” a survey of the Afro-Cuban Grupo Antillano. {Photo Vanessa Mason (MoAD Vanguard), Brenda Wright (Wells Fargo and Former MoAD Board President) and Tyra Fennell (MoAD Vanguard)

Dec. 6th - Winter Wonderland Holiday Party - MoAD Vanguard - The MoAD Vanguard is a young professional organization dedicated to fostering a long-term commitment to the Museum of the African Diaspora.  The Vanguard advances MoAD’s mission by hosting a variety of distinctive social, educational, and philanthropic events. Every year the party is held at MoAD and this year was even more exciting given the newly renovated space.  The 'plushed-out' winter white entrance definitely gave guests the feeling of class and elegance and the greeting they received from the Vanguard Leadership Team was outstanding.

A SOLD OUT event with close to 300 party-people, you can rest assured the complimentary alcohol and food were draws to be in the house, while, from my observation, a nice handful were very interested in the exhibits and went through the treasure hunt and enjoyed the 3rd floor exhibit. 

It was endearing to see so many bringing toys to donate to those less fortunate.  Although these donations entered guests into a raffle to win some 'fan-tastic' gifts, I could tell the spirit of giving was much more important to them.

Don't dare show up without wearing  'show-stopping' attire.  The ladies and gentlemen came ready for the camera and for some it was a 'mini' photoshoot session.  You could tell who took hours 'to figure it out' and those who just have it like that 'effortlessly'.  I knowwwwwwwwwwww, you're asking where is a photo of me and my 'smashing pink to-die-for dress'. LOL.  Well as you can see I was the photographer on this particular night, as for just about all the events I attend.  But don't fret, I did not disappoint, hehehe.  And go!

{Photo: Ingrid Roseborough, MD - Rahel Marsie-Hazen - Meaghan Mitchell.  Vanguard MoAD Leadership Council Member}.  I serve on the Advisory Council of MoAD Vanguard.

Dec. 9th - CA Diversity Council - San Francisco Chapter - End of Year Mixer.  I am SUPER EXCITED to be appointed as the Board VP for the CA Diversity Council, San Francisco Chapter. Our end of year mixer was held at PG&E in San Francisco and the energy in the room was high and promising  Organized in 2009, the California Diversity Council (CADC) is committed to fostering a learning environment for organizations to grow and leverage their knowledge of diversity.  Our next meeting is January 13th at Golden Gate University and whether you're a member or not, please feel free to attend and get to know us.  Upcoming Events: March 10 - Women in Leadership Symposium.   June 2nd - CA Diversity & Leadership Conference.  To join our email list and get updates on all events, just send me an email - yanad@glasshousepr.com.  Done and Done!

Dec. 10th - Intel Hosts Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Push Coalition.  Rev. Jesse Jackson has been demanding higher employment for blacks, Latinos and women in tech companies and Intel stepped up to the plate to host an honest conversation around the work they've been doing in this space for more than 10 years.  Rosalind L. Hudnell, Intel, VP Human Resources - Chief Diversity Officer - Video.  Tech companies have been targeted by the Rainbow Push Coalition, founded by Rev. Jackson, for not employing enough people of color at their companies.  Following pressure from the group, some companies like Google, Twitter and Facebook released employee diversity data which showed that their employees in the U.S. were predominantly white followed by Asians.  For many, as you can imagine, this was not a surprise, but rather just a larger disappointment of the reality.  We are far beyond the excuse of 'the talent among these diverse groups cannot be found' or 'these diverse groups are not applying for the jobs'.  When you have intentional targeted recruitment at, for instance non-HBCU colleges and/or predominately European population high schools, then yes your workforce would exhibit the same. 

Many of my colleagues who attended and several new friends I made at the event, are very anxious to 'see' the steps that are being taken to bridge this disparity, moving the dial beyond the 'conversation' to action, implementation and reported numbers that prove the same.  So many are hiding behind the 'it takes time' to develop the culture, get those at the top on board, and you can fill in the blanks on the rest.  However, I am very optimistic, and the results are already showing, that Rev. Jesse Jackson's efforts and passion behind this movement will hold those accountable to make the changes happen, not just for a time, but for the culture of these tech companies - Having Diversity and Inclusion is Having Good Business Sense.  Author: Y'Anad Burrell

{Photo #1: Rev. Joseph Bryant, Jr., West Coast Rainbow PUSH Tech Director.  Rev. Jesse Jackson, Founder.  Janice Mathis, Esq., VP Rainbow Push/Director, Atlanta Regional Office.  Martin King, Esq., Chairman, Rainbow PUSH Coalition}

{Photo #2: Linda Parker Pennington,  Talent & HR Advisor, Tech Futures Group

 

 


 

 

Out On THe town - Fashion, Museum, Music and Fancy Cars - December 8, 2014

Nov. 15th (Vallejo, CA) - Sara Anders, owner of Lifestyle by Sara hosted her first fashion show for her non-profit My Light Shines.  The event was hosted by comedian extraordinaire J-Red and he absolutely added 'funnies' to the evening. Some of the designers featured were La Belle Moi, Heavenly Lines, AllAttractive and others.  Sara rocked the runway with very smashing looks by La Belle Moi who is one of the Bay Area darlings in fashion as an emerging designer.  See photos and more information at Lifestyle By Sara.

Nov. 22nd - Moscone Center, San Francisco.  It's the most anticipated CAR SHOW in town and beyond and the SF Chronicle Newspaper VIP Reception never disappoints.  More than 3,000 people enjoyed a first look at the 2015 models of cars, everything from a Bentley to a Prius.  The experience and dream of owning some of these cars seems to be the motivation and excitement of the guests so you saw the adrenaline and happiness of most faces of simply touching those vehicles that sometimes require a 'credit check' just to test drive.

For many attendees the bites were refreshing and indeed the 'all you an drink spirits' (none for me, just saying), were the highlights of the evening.  However, for me it was all about sitting in as many cars as I could and thinking of driving off the lot one day with the best of the best.  The Academy of Art University, of course, had their own private showing of the classic vehicles that one would hardly see strolling down the highway (photo above).  More about the car show here.

Nov. 13th - 7x7 Magazine Hosts KEITH HARING, The Political Line Opening Exhibit Party at the de Young Museum.  American artist Keith Haring was best known for his graffiti-inspired drawings, which he first made in subway stations and later exhibited in museums. Haring began using the city as his canvas, making chalk drawings in subway stations and his art was eventually seen everywhere from public murals and nightclubs to galleries and museums around the world. He was also known for his activism in promoting AIDS awareness and he died of AIDS-related complications on February 16, 1990, at age 31. This exhibit is one of my favs for 2014 and you will be in awe when you see his work.  Harrings' exhibit is everything from electic to modern to educating which is rarely seen in one showing.  The exhibit ends in February 2015 but don't wait that long before you experience a masterpiece. See de Young Museum

Nov. 13th - Brisbane, CA Monster Fall Product and Technology Preview.  Video - Monster Product Launch - November 2014. Monster demonstrated several new category-defining products and we also had an opportunity to get a first look at products The U.S. debut of the Monster® SoundStage™ wireless music system is poised to redefine the multi-room audio category and set a new goalpost in the wireless home speaker market. My fav, Workouts Gone Wireless!  Monster debuted the first wireless in-ear headphones for its critically-acclaimed iSport®  fitness headphones with the iSport®  Bluetooth Wireless Super Slim  and iSPORT® Bluetooth Wireless. Check out the video clip. Video - Monster Product Launch - November 2014

Looking for more? Check out THE BUZZ at theREGISTRYBayArea.com