Welcome to B The Way Forward: Interludes - a mini series of special episodes and conversations that stand apart from our regular season, but are just too good not to share.

Dr. Rebecca Anderson, Kendall Holbrook, and Supriya Gupta. All three are leaders within the technology, business and career development spaces. They are all working on truly innovative products, research, and technological solutions to pressing problems. We could do entire episodes with each of them individually about their work - and we just might! But in this episode, recorded live at Grace Hopper Celebration 2024, we’ve invited all three to talk about an important common thread, a shared passion they all have, and that we knowI know you do too if you’re listening. How do we drive innovation while also promoting inclusivity and equity?  

Because we all know that those values contribute to more innovation, better outcomes, and thriving workforces… and that isn’t just vibes, there’s data that backs that up. A study by McKinsey and Company found that Tech companies with diverse workforces are 35% more likely to outperform their non-diverse counterparts. And yet, according to another study by Deloitte, women make up only 29% of senior management positions globally and the numbers are similar for historically minoritized individuals.  

So can we change that? And how do their fields - human-centric AI, STEM career development, financial technology, and leadership, create opportunities for underrepresented groups and support sustainable, purpose-driven solutions in today’s rapidly evolving industries? 

Listen in and find out!

"Stop asking women and non-binary folks to conform to a male gender ideal of leadership. And yet when then we conform to those male ideals, we are punished for acting in ways that are incongruent with our female presenting stereotypes. We're asked to be strong, confident, decisive, but if we do, then we're looked at as aggressive, leading beyond our competence, insensitive. This double bind of having to be both confident and decisive and yet warm and friendly is something we need to get rid of. And I think a lot of that does come from stepping into our acceptance and being really transparent with it." -- Dr. Rebecca Anderson

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At AnitaB.org, we envision a future where the people who imagine and build technology mirror the people and societies for whom they build it. Find out more about how we support women, non-binary individuals, and other underrepresented groups in computing, as well as the organizations that employ them and the academic institutions training the next generations.

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Our guests contribute to this podcast in their personal capacity. The views expressed in this interview are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology or its employees (“AnitaB.org”). AnitaB.org is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of the information provided in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute legal or other professional advice or services.

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B The Way Forward Is…

Hosted and Executive Produced by Brenda Darden Wilkerson.

Produced by Avi Glijansky

Associate Produced by Kelli Kyle

Sound design and editing by Ryan Hammond 

Mixing and mastering by Julian Kwasneski 

Additional Producing help from Faith Krogulecki

Operations Coordination for AnitaB.org by Quinton Sprull.

Creative Director for AnitaB.org is Deandra Coleman

Executive Produced by Dominique Ferrari, Stacey Book, and Avi Glijansky for Frequency Machine 

Podcast Marketing from Lauren Passell with Tink Media in partnership with Coley Bouschet at AnitaB.org

Photo of Brenda Darden Wilkerson by Mandisa Media Productions

For more ways to be the way forward, visit AnitaB.org