Columbus Women in Tech: How Men Can Effectively Help Bring Gender Balance

Update!!!  Lauren will not be able to present tonight, so we will have a facilitated discussion.  Look forward to seeing you tonight.

About our Org:

Columbus Women in Tech is a new organization formed to support women in technology at all stages of their career.  This will be our first event.  Our second event will be the Columbus Women in Tech conference scheduled for 9/15.  Details and sign up at: http://www.yawitc.org/

Gender Balance Champion:How Men Can Effectively Help Bring Gender Balance to Tech:

Men in tech play an important role in helping to bring gender balance to the industry. Once a man is deeply grounded in why gender balance matters and has the tools to be an effective male ally, his daily actions have a positive ripple effect. How do you achieve this state of being?

Lauren will discuss: 

• Why gender balance is a win-win for everyone 

• Core concepts that lead to being an effective change agent

• How to skillfully manage unconscious bias and create a truly inclusive environment  

• How to gamify your learning process with a tool that Lauren is creating called, “Gender Balance Champion.”

Bio: 
In 2014 Lauren Kinsey became obsessed with how the tech industry is shaping our world. She began using her talents for storytelling, connecting, questioning, and communicating to amplify key messages on the topic of gender and tech. When she gave a talk at TEDx Columbus Women in 2015, on how Women Can Hack into Tech, she created a website to accompany it. Every day, women continue to use the site to find alternative pathways into tech. The TEDx talk opened up ongoing conversations with people in the tech industry and Lauren noticed a demand for male allies skills building. In 2016 she was invited to give a talk for men in tech. The hunger for the information she shared was obvious from the responses she got locally. In addition, a conference organizer from MIT saw a video of the talk and invited her to come speak at MIT Media Lab’s Women in Tech Conference. In a flash of inspiration, Lauren began the development of an educational game called “Gender Balance Champion.” 

You can connect with Lauren on Twitter @LaurenMKinsey and read her blog about gender and tech at https://laurenkinseyblog.wordpress.com.

Agenda:

6:00-6:30- Food and networking

(Free food and beverage provided)

6:30-7:45- Presentation

7:45- ?? – Q and A and more networking