This is a guest post by Elen Awalom, founder of The Ola Initiative, a nonprofit organization focused on the advancement of Black, Latina and/or Indigenous women in STEM. A full stack developer, serial technology entrepreneur and native of the D.C. area, Awalom is a passionate advocate for technology inclusion, having been involved in organizing around such issues since 2011.
Over the last five years, there’s been an incredible amount of press coverage regarding the topic of diversity in the technology industry -- or the lack thereof. High profile cases like Ellen Pao’s lawsuit against prominent venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins captured headlines across the nation. This week, John Greathouse, an investor, serial entrepreneur and professor at UC Santa Barbara incurred the wrath of those who advocate for the diversification of the industry and policies which encourage the retention and inclusion of underrepresented people in technology. In a Wall Street Journal article entitled, “Why Women in Tech Might Consider Just Using Their Initials Online” he argued that playing into the inequities of the industry by presenting ourselves as (presumptive) male is the solution to hacking gender bias.
While well-intentioned, Greathouse’s suggestion that women obscure their gender on social media through the use of gender neutral names and initials misses the mark. Mr. Greathouse is frank and forthright in his assessment of dynamics in the industry, stating “many people in the business community are intellectually dishonest. They say that they believe in diversity of thought, but their pattern matching habits cause them to prematurely narrow their aperture before giving certain entrepreneurs a chance to prove themselves.” Instead of leveraging his privilege as someone who has achieved prominence, no doubt in part due to institutional biases in his favor, Greathouse places the burden of correcting an unjust system on the marginalized.
A better strategy would be to organize colleagues and friends in the venture capital & startup industry and academia to contribute their enormous financial resources, time and social capital to organizations working to increase access & opportunity for underrepresented people in the technology industry. Organizations like The Ola Initiative, CODE2040, Trans*H4CK, Black Girls Code, Lesbians Who Tech, Kapor Center for Social Impact, and Project Include are working hard to transform the landscape of the industry and level the playing field for everyone, regardless of gender, socioeconomic background, race, ethnicity, or any of the myriad barriers to inclusion & retention.
Allies are a critical component in the fight for a more equitable industry. White men have often played a role in my advancement by acting as mentors and champions as I navigate the corridors of Silicon Valley. However, listening to the voices of the most marginalized and those engaged in leadership positions on behalf of the aforementioned populations is essential to getting it right --something in which I believe Mr. Greathouse is genuinely invested.
