We Hosted Diversity Chats and You Should Too— What We Learned

There’s something about diversity that brings everyone together. Whether you’re interested in developing a more inclusive team or you already live and breathe it, discussions about equality can spark opportunities and build communities.

Some of the Angular community’s most talented speakers came together to discuss diversity and inclusion at January’s This Dot Fireside Chats during the ngAtlanta conference, in partnership with the Paved Road Foundation.

The consensus was clear: Changing the gender ratio in the tech workplace is paramount. Together, speakers and attendees were able to dive deep and get personal, while remaining judgment-free, on all things diversity and inclusion.

One of the liveliest hot-button topics we discussed was, “What does it mean to stand up for yourself?”

Speakers and audience members chimed in with their thoughts on what it means to value yourself and expect dignity and respect.

The biggest takeaway? “No matter your level, you still have valuable input.”

It’s more important than ever to encourage everyone to get involved at every level. Developers coming from various non-traditional backgrounds are learning to code and hungry to participate in the growing tech market.

But without mentorship and guidance, new developers will never be able to ramp up to their full potential. Everyone has something to offer the tech world. But first, we must set an example by creating a level playing field.

We strongly encourage all organizers to host Diversity Chats at their conferences! Create conversations around inclusion and the new workforce that’s starting to enter the tech world.

Have questions? Email us about our experiences! hi@thisdot.co.

This post was written by Kaelyn St James, a team member at This Dot Labs.