Category: DEI

CFS: DEI Recorded Edition!

Introducing the CFS: DEI Recorded Edition for the (Virtual) KCSSUG.

When you run a user group, conference, etc.. you sometimes are faced with the issue of not getting enough diversity in your submissions. I think about this a lot and try to figure out levers I can pull to make changes, even if they are small. Time seems to be a big factor for many in underrepresented groups, and I’m certainly no stranger to that dilemma myself.

So I’m trying something new with my user group: a recorded option that isn’t bound by a specific date/time. The idea came after realizing that there are important voices that need to be heard in the community, but having availability that coincides with a static schedule can be sometimes difficult for underrepresented speakers. I want to introduce another way for all voices to be heard: the #KCSSUG YouTube channel. In addition to providing a space for speakers to be heard, it also provides a great benefit for our members to see more content from people they can either relate to and/or get new perspectives from. Diversity of perspective and experience brings more knowledge to others.

Speakers will submit their topics as normal (please feel free to submit multiple), which will go through a normal selection process. Here are the formats options available for sessions:

  1. Have a one-on-one talk with the organizer about a specific topic. 
  2. Submit with multiple speakers to have a round table discussion with organizer.
  3. Record at home at a time convenient to you. 

If you have an idea of another option, throw it in the notes section of your submission. You can submit any length, including lightning. Let’s go crazy and not restrict ourselves.

Well – actually – there is a restriction. Technically 2: it has to be approved and can’t contain sponsor content. Obviously we want to make sure that we serve quality content, but rarely have I seen that as an issue and I can give suggestions to get you polished if you are feeling you need it. Cough cough: New Stars of Data Speaker Improvement library. Oh oh! Speaking of which, I see a couple there I need to look/relook at myself.

This will only work if people know about it, so please share far and wide. In fact, after sharing, steal the idea for your own group. I won’t tell. I’d also LOVE to hear your ideas on other things I could be doing.

WHAT ABOUT YOUR REGULAR SCHEDULED SESSIONS?

No worries, we will still have those. Our call for speakers on our regular schedule will go out in April-ish. We currently have a Evening option (6PM CDT) and a lunch&learn option (12 PM CDT). We will be sending out additional information to see if the day of week works for everyone so stay tuned.

I wasn’t selected for PASS, and that’s as it should be.

This year I wasn’t select for PASS Data Community Summit and that’s a good thing. WAIT WHAT?

Meme with the text "whoa what the what?"

That doesn’t even make sense! Aren’t I supposed to be all “More Women Speaking”?!? Well yes. Here’s the thing – after reading a lot of the abstracts, seeing how many people submitted, and knowing mine was kinda niche AND that I had rushed my general session submission- I realized it shouldn’t have made the cut.

There I said it.

At some point I even did some back of the napkin math and realized purely from an odds standpoint (all other things being equal), I had about an 8%-11% chance of being selected. After reading a lot of abstracts I realized that if I HAD been selected, then that would have meant I was selected more because I was a woman, and not because it was a submission that rose to the top. And that is DEFINATELY not what I would want. Yea, yea, I realize that some of this is arbitrary because it’s based on different volunteers’ opinions, but I still would have felt a bit sad if mine had made it after reading others, and I would have thought my gender played a role.

You see, a lot of my younger years I was sometimes told I was selected for things because I was a woman. Often by people not even in my field. In one case, by a [male] friend of mine! People that had never worked with me and didn’t have my bosses handy to tell them different. And I have no qualms telling you that my bosses would. Case in point: my last boss CC’d me on an email he sent to another person touting me as “The Purple Unicorn they were looking for”, without telling me beforehand. (This was after I left the company and ironically, I wasn’t even looking for a new position.)

Being a Woman In Technology doesn’t mean I want my voice risen above others. That would imply that we care about gender over quality. Even worse – it would imply that there isn’t enough quality women voices, and that simply is not true. (I’d argue that it is often the opposite problem with more average men in the industry – simply based on numbers.) Plainly put, I want our industry to figure out WHY it’s difficult to get more women speakers and address it from that problem. Heck, lets tackle why so many of us leave IT and how to put more women in the pipeline while we are at it. Wait, I have a whole list of things if you really want to get me going…

But back to the main topic: I wasn’t selected for PASS and that’s how it should be. Remember how I said I rushed my general submission and it was kinda niche? Turns out there are 2 similar sessions that made it and though they are not the exact same as mine, they are with same core technologies and are less niche then my submission. And with better abstracts. One is being presented by a woman and one by another under-represented group. I’ll be sure to attend.

Open Invitation for Women and other underrepresented groups to speak

Let me start this post saying I 100% empathize with the difficulties women and other underrepresented groups face with speaking. I won’t go into a dissertation on the multitude of whys in this post – except to say for me, a big part really boils down to time. And how little I often have.

But… I also know the importance of being represented. And as a neurodiverse woman that has grown up with interests where I was often the minority – I have a lifetime of frustration with having to learn things mostly from a man’s POV. That’s not to say that it doesn’t have value – it does! Tons! But lots of examples used in training things DO. NOT. EXCITE. ME. And my very unscientific polling of people shows that many do not even understand why having diversity and things that excite others, is important; even just from the perspective of getting a diverse pipeline in the IT industry.

All this to say: I run a Microsoft Data Platform user group and I want to hear your voice. I want you to know your voice is important to hear. I want you to know your voice is needed. It’s important for other women, other underrepresented groups, and yes, even for men.

That’s the easy part: saying tech needs you to speak. Across the board from my user group and with other user groups/conferences, we are seeing a serious drop in women speakers. The hard part is figuring out the logistics. Because as much as I can spout my stories all day of why it is difficult for me, I’ll bet there are 100s of reasons I haven’t considered for others. If we don’t know all the reasons, then it’s difficult to come up with solutions. So first – I invite you to tell me your reason.

Second, I realize that sometimes it has to do with confidence or inexperience. Women in tech in particular, tend to be perfectionists IME, so to speak can be a bit daunting. If that’s the case, then please please please consider applying to New Stars of Data. Why would you apply to speak if you have confidence issues or inexperience??? Because the NSoD program will assign you a mentor that will help you as much or as little as you want to overcome any real or perceived issue you may have with your abilities. (Hint: women tend to underestimate their capabilities, while men overestimate.)

Third: Reach out to me on how I can best get you an opportunity speak. This includes all people that fall into underrepresented groups. (I realize I often refer to women specifically, but this applies to all that fit in this category.)

    • Want to find an in-person group? I will assist to help you find one.
    • Want to speak virtually? I’ve got you covered.
    • Don’t have the schedule to do either live? We can get you up on YouTube with something you record on your time.
    • Want to blog about something, but don’t want to do the whole “set up a blog thing?” I got you covered on that as well.
    • Want to have a group of women in tech to ping ideas off of? Yep. You guessed it. I know some people.
    • Want help with grammar? Ok. You’ve got me on that one. It’s not my strength.

HAVE I INTERESTED YOU EVEN A LITTLE??? Maybe just to start a conversation? Or maybe you want to join me in coming up with ways to help get more diversity in speaking? Ping me!

How do you contact me? That’s an easy one too: hit me up on linkedIn or X with a quick note. And if it takes me a little bit to get back to you, then know I’m in the same boat too, but I WILL get back to you.