1) The document is a call to action given by Denise Jacobs at a GitHub workshop encouraging underrepresented groups like women and people of color to become more visible in the tech industry by speaking at conferences and publishing content online.
2) Jacobs argues that a lack of diversity discourages potential contributors and limits innovation, and provides advice on how to gain visibility including promoting yourself, finding mentors, volunteering, and collaborating with others.
3) She urges attendees to "rawk the web" by sharing their voices and expertise in order to make the tech industry more inclusive and shift conference lineups towards greater diversity.
38. Roots: How to Rawk SXSW 2010
http://www.flickr.com/photos/adactio/4428737167/
39.
40. Why?
• Lament in the industry
• Lack of role models discourages
potentials
• Diversity of voices encourages
innovation
41. Lament on-going for years
“I go to only a small fraction of conferences
and what do I see? The same handful of
speakers….few new faces, fewer new ideas,
rarely anything new to learn.”
- Nick Finck
Beyond the A-List, Diversity in the Web
Community, February 2007
42. Need to encourage potentials
http://www.flickr.com/photos/barretthall/3036598475/
44. Well said.
“Diversity and opportunity…in our
industry…leads to the best, most
innovative, and most successful new
creations.”
- Anil Dash, “Tomorrow’s Adas”, 2010
45.
46. Where to start?
• Get clear
• Get inspired
• Get a plan/set some goals
• Get support
77. Put fear in its place
“Fear is not real. It is a product of the
thoughts you create. Do not
misunderstand me. Danger is very real.
But fear is a choice.”
- character of Cypher Raige (played by Will
Smith), After Earth
100. It’s good for EVERYONE
“I also wanted to thank you for your presence as a
speaker at [Interlink] conference, because I often
find that the speaker lists are, like many things,
too often crowded with white men. And as a
white man, I really appreciated your perspective
as a woman of color, and I'm hoping that it
continues to clear the way for a multiplicity of
voices in our industry, which is greatly needed.”
- Nick Cox, @everydaytype, 9 June 2011
101. What I’m shooting for
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bhenak/2663858493/
118. How to find me
DeniseJacobs.com
Sign up on my mailing list here!
denise@denisejacobs.com
twitter.com/denisejacobs
facebook.com/denisejacobsdotcom
slideshare.net/denisejacobs