{"id":14049,"date":"2016-03-15T14:20:50","date_gmt":"2016-03-15T19:20:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/?p=14049"},"modified":"2024-06-06T09:07:44","modified_gmt":"2024-06-06T14:07:44","slug":"sxsw-panel-shines-light-gender-disparity-tech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/resources\/sxsw-panel-shines-light-gender-disparity-tech\/","title":{"rendered":"SXSW Panel Shines Light On Gender Disparity In Tech"},"content":{"rendered":"

The panel\u2019s title said it all: \u201cBe Bold & Take No Sh*t: Thrive as an XX in an XY World.\u201d<\/p>\n

The SXSW Interactive session featured (left to right above)\u00a0Julie Huls, CEO and President of\u00a0the Austin Technology Council; Sara Spivey, CMO of\u00a0Bazaarvoice; Aaron Burcell,\u00a0Vice President of Growth and Product Marketing of\u00a0Vevo; and Heather Brunner, CEO of\u00a0WP Engine, and highlighted gender disparity in technology, along with other industries, and discussed what\u2019s needed to solve it.<\/p>\n

One way tech companies can hire and keep more female employees and leaders is by making diversity part of their DNA from the beginning, Brunner said. Want to build diversity in your company? \u201cStart early,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what WP Engine did, and now 60 percent of WP Engine\u2019s executives are women, and\u00a031 percent of non-executive managers are women, Brunner said. And WP Engine works to ensure that its employees receive equal pay for equal work.<\/p>\n

\"WP<\/a>
WP Engine CEO Heather Brunner speaks during a panel on gender disparity in tech.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s time for us all\u2014men and women\u2014to be paid equally. At WP Engine, we pay everyone equally. Equal work. Equal pay,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

According to Huls, woman comprise 26 percent of the technology workforce nationwide, and 21 percent in Austin. Meanwhile, women are paid 87 percent of what their male colleagues are paid nationwide, while in Austin that number is 79 percent.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the number of women pursuing computer science degrees has fallen 40 percent in the last 20 years, Spivey noted.<\/p>\n

Having a diverse workforce improves a business\u2019 bottom line, Huls said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMen and women, and the bottom line, thrive in an environment with gender diversity and gender parity,\u201d said Huls.<\/p>\n

Spivey agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a business issue. It has real economic consequence,\u201d she said, adding, \u201cMore diverse teams equal better outcomes. Homogenous teams don\u2019t lead to good innovation.”<\/p>\n

Another way to help increase the number of women in technology leadership roles, Brunner said, is through better educational and mentorship programs. It\u2019s also important for women to note that not all careers in the tech industry are technological in nature. There are leadership roles in all departments where women can thrive.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re interested in the tech industry as a woman, you don\u2019t have to be an engineer,\u201d Brunner said, adding that woman can find fulfilling careers in tech in marketing, finance, strategic, and other roles that don\u2019t necessarily require coding. \u201cWomen can advance in tech across all functions.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The panel\u2019s title said it all: \u201cBe Bold & Take No Sh*t: Thrive as an XX in an XY World.\u201d The SXSW Interactive session featured (left to right above)\u00a0Julie Huls, CEO and President of\u00a0the Austin Technology Council; Sara Spivey, CMO of\u00a0Bazaarvoice; Aaron Burcell,\u00a0Vice President of Growth and Product Marketing of\u00a0Vevo; and Heather Brunner, CEO of\u00a0WP…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":70,"featured_media":14052,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,122,79],"tags":[387,239],"class_list":["post-14049","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-company","category-culture","category-event","tag-sxsw-interactive","tag-women-in-tech"],"yoast_head":"\nSXSW Panel Shines Light On Gender Disparity In Tech | WP Engine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore insights from the SXSW panel on gender disparity in tech. 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