The SaaS-E[quality] Unconference Experience
Last month we collaborated with SAAS-E[quality] to give away a pair of tickets to this day full of solution development and collaboration. There was a mix of lightning talks, a solveathon, and facilitated discussions to come up with solutions for a more equitable SAAS industry.
We are happy to announce our contest winners were Marlies Farrill, Technical Talent Specialist at Ritual, and Paige Sopik, Marketing Specialist at Hubdoc!
After the conference we spoke to both of them about their experience at the event. They covered topics like:
- Getting men involved with D&I efforts
- Reflecting on privileges you have
- How to avoid tokenising people
- Getting senior leaders on board
Interview with Marlies and Paige
EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHTS
Stefan: What was the highlight of the SaaS-E[quality] experience for you?
Marlies: For me it was really the mix of the room. I liked that there were all sorts of people there with differing roles. I could see that the effort was made to have provocative speakers that really pushed you to think about things in a different way. It was apparent that this talk was about something different and it stood apart from other conferences.
Paige: Being newer to the diversity and inclusion discussion, it was rewarding for me to be around people who are so knowledgeable in the field. With such a diverse group of people, it was beneficial for me to see the different ways we can take action in this field.
This was actually my first diversity and inclusion event. At Hubdoc we formed a diversity and inclusion committee, just a few months ago. I am on that committee and I want to learn more about how I can contribute. After this event I brought the takeaways back to our team so we can improve our efforts.
Key Takeaways
Stefan: Can you share a couple takeaways that really got you thinking?
Marlies: Dzhambazova’s premise was about how event organizers are putting in very minimal inclusive efforts — like just giving free tickets to conferences — and that more needs to be done. She wasn’t telling them to take away the tickets, but highlighting that this was only one small step and one dimension of diversity.
Dzhambazova talked about how this does not lead to meaningful dialogue or long-term positive change for underrepresented groups in the tech ecosystem, and that such small efforts can actually be damaging to diversity and inclusion.
Throughout Dzhambazova and Stika’s talks they dig into tokenism, problematic practices in tech, and mentorship:
- Tokenism
We should be wary of the appearance of diversity and inclusion efforts versus actual improvements in these areas. Dzhambazova stated that these free tickets can actually further perpetuate the shortcomings in the tech ecosystem.
As an example of why this is not enough to address barriers, those who are not open to considering these issues might assume people are at particular events because of free tickets, rather than on the basis of their merits. It can damage self-perception of the individuals who make use of free tickets.
2. Further legitimization of problematic practices in the tech ecosystem
Another issue that comes with this practice is treating diversity and inclusion as if it is a mere quota to be fulfilled rather than working to meaningfully challenge existing exclusionary practices. In tech generally, we value and want to find quick fixes to problems but diversity and inclusion cannot be viewed or addressed in this manner.
Efforts like this also do little to change the thinking of those who are unwilling to consider these issues, and perpetuates the idea that nothing else needs to be done.
Further, we should consider how accessible the conferences are themselves. Who is excluded? For instance, many of the after-hours networking events involve alcohol. What about nursing mothers or those who do not drink?
3. Mentorship
One step in the right direction is to offer mentoring. This helps to make members of underrepresented groups feel more comfortable, and promotes inclusion. The process of mentorship drives change and self-reflection for the parties involved, and in the workplace generally.
As for Stika’s talk, he considers diversity and inclusion in the tech ecosystem as “do or die.” We don’t often think about the male in tech in relation to diversity and inclusion. Largely, men have been in these conversations only in limited means: to say they are part of the problem so to speak. They have been confined to a limited role in these discussions for that reason.
Stika really emphasized that men need to be called in as a part of this dialogue and included in order to foster a fully collaborative effort.
Paige: One thing that was impressed upon me is how important it is to have open, honest, and free dialogue with people in your organization. This means creating a safe space for this to be able to happen.
The conference itself was one big open space. The atmosphere that was cultivated was one of inclusivity and it was safe even with so many different opinions. If you create that kind of space in your organization and encourage that kind of discussion, you can impact how people are learning about diversity and inclusion, and developing understanding around these topics.
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