How to Ensure a Diverse Tech Event

#diverseeventsErica Mauter

SXSW InteractiveMarch 12, 2011

Hi, I’m Erica

http://swirlspice.com@swirlspice

I have under- and over-represented identities

What is Diversity?

Diversity = awareness/appreciation of othersCultural Competency = skills to relate across cultural linesSocial Justice = structural barriers to different groups’ participation (aka 'isms')

Oppression and Structural Barriers

Dominant vs Marginalized GroupsRace, gender, sexual orientation, ability, class, gender ID, ecosystem-specific categories

Oppression (isms) = Prejudice (Atti tudes/Behaviors, conscious/unconscious)

+Power (Individual, Cultural, Insti tuti onal)

Privilege

An unearned advantage that a dominant group has over marginalized groups

Invisible Knapsack

Privilege

The ability of one group to control the cultural norms

Prejudices of dominant groups creating and otherwise participating in an event + Cultural/Institutional Power of being the dominant group = Structural Barriers to the participation of marginalized groups

Help! Help! I'm being repressed!

What’s Your Goal?

Same content, more diverse audienceOR

Same audience, more diverse content

FALSE DICHOTOMY!

How To Diversify

• Awareness around issues• Skills to talk about them• Plan of action

Attendees

Underrepresented/Marginalized GroupsShow upSpeak upObserveCommunicate

Overrepresented/Dominant GroupsObserveCommunicate

Sponsors

Awareness– Do your homework! Be aware of the issues attendees and

organizers face

Skills– Develop an action plan – communicate/collaborate with

organizers/attendees/presenters/etc to meet their needs

Actions– Make broad-based diversity a component of your sponsorship

– Scholarships– Featured content

Presenters

Seek diverse content for your presentation• SXSW’s V.O.W.E.L. guideline – Variety, Opinion,

Women, Ethnicities, Location

Lift as you climb• Give your friends ideas, help, courage

Don’t tokenize• Make the underrepresented talk about issues

related to their underrepresented status

Organizers

Many points in the process– Concept– Marketi ng– Content– Audience

Iterative process

Organizers

Concept– Have a diversity policy

– htt p://conferences.oreil lynet.com/diversity.csp– Tells you what their goal is and how you can help

– Have diverse voices at the organizing table– Integrate the policy with the event concept, place broad-

based diversity at the center of the event

Marketing– Communicate the policy everywhere– Broaden outreach and adverti sing channels

Organizers

Content– Crowdsource– Curate– Support presenters

– Guidelines– Help fi nd other parti cipants

– htt p://j.mp/diverseevents

Audience– Event locati on– Ticket distributi on

Why bother? IMPACT!

$$$– Image + Quality > Marketi ng > Sales

Intellectual– Mono-dimensional is boring– Broaden reach of tech

Social– Use your powers for good not for evil

In Summary

Diversity = awareness/appreciation of othersCultural competency = skills to relate across cultural linesSocial justice = Actions to remove structural barriers to marginalized groups’ participation

InclusionRepresentation

Structural Barriers to Participation

Follow Up

Rate this panelSXSW Go app

Follow the topichtt p://j.mp/diverseevents#diverseevents

Contact meErica Mauterhtt p://swirlspice.com@swirlspice