The technology industry has been a major source of innovation and economic growth, but its ability to encourage diversity among its ranks lags. In 2016, women and underrepresented minorities accounted for 30% of the larger tech industry, while comprising 11% and nearly 10% of the OpenStack and Linux communities, respectively. On the upside, data suggests that this same population accounted for 9% of all OpenStack activity, as compared to 6.8% of all Linux activity. To harness the full power of technology to tackle a broader set of societal challenges will depend, in part, on our ability to encourage a diversity of ideas, experiences and talent. Join us for an interactive panel discussion as we explore the numbers and what they mean, and in turn, discuss concrete, actionable steps that we can collectively take to foster a diverse, inclusive environment within the OpenStack community.
Attendees should expect to gain:
1. Clear insight into the data that indicates that the technology industry continues to languish in its ability to encourage diversity among its ranks.
2. An understanding of the numbers, specifically in relation to diversity & inclusion in the OpenStack community, as compared to the Linux community. For example, where is diversity flourishing vs. lagging in the OpenStack community, along with some potential causes.
3. An interactive discussion of concrete, actionable steps that we can collectively take to foster a diverse, inclusive environment within the OpenStack community.
