Seat @ the Table 5: Annette, Kerry, Sameer, and Taurean
UPDATE 3/16/20: Given the unprecedented global health situation and the ongoing uncertainty of its impact on people, communities, and businesses, we are postponing the May 6th Seat @ the Table. We hope to continue to have this important conversation with all of you soon but for now will wait until later this year.
With all the news about COVID-19, economic, and political change, it’s still worth taking time to reflect on the good in our lives during International Women’s Week…like the power of women in our workplaces.
I had never heard of International Women’s Day (March 8th, 2020) until I was in my mid-20’s, traveling in South Africa. There were posters and celebrations planned all over. Every museum and tourist attraction offered discounts to women that day. Strangers I encountered made a notable effort to express gratitude or acknowledgement to me. I was stunned and felt how powerful it was to feel seen and appreciated for just being a woman. How can we make feelings like that last for everyone who struggles to be seen for all that they are at work?
Many people ask me what they can do to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce in tech, and my answer is always a variation of “Talk about the facts and choose what actions you want to take.” The path is different for each person and company, and every step takes courage. Sometimes, we just need a little inspiration from others.
That’s why Seat @ the Table brings together notable voices at different stages of their career journeys to share stories and actions they’ve taken that work. The conversation is about what’s hard, what to do, and how to keep faith that we will get there. This year’s rock stars are:
- Annette Felton, Senior Team Manager at Charles Schwab
- Kerry Whorton Cooper, Former President & COO at Rothy’s
- Sameer Dholakia, CEO of SendGrid
- Taurean Dyer, Technical Product Manager at NVIDIA
We’re also thrilled to have Rachel Thomas, CoFounder and CEO of LeanIn.Org, back to share the latest data from the annual Women in the Workplace report from McKinsey and LeanIn.Org so we can act from a place of knowledge. Get ready for exercises to discuss and create action plans for everyone in the audience.
We are grateful to the team at Charles Schwab who generously agreed to host our fifth Seat @ the Table so that more people could participate in the conversation.
FOR YOUR HEALTH: We will continually monitor the public health situation as May 6th approaches and adjust whether or not this event will be in person or live-streamed via video. Please RSVP assuming it is in person and to reserve your ability to see the event live-streamed should we do so. Expect an update on format within a few weeks of the event. We will make the decision based on what’s in the best interest of everyone’s health.
As always, we don’t charge for attendance at Seat @ the Table, but this is a BAM (Bring a Man) event. So please bring a willing co-worker, advocate, or mentee to join in the discussion so it can have that much more impact.
Seat @ the Table has been postponed for later in 2020.
