Global Mobile Internet Conference (GMIC) Sparks a Conversation About Women in Tech with the Disrupting Diversity in Tech Summit

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The tech industry has come under fire for its lack of diversity and inequity for women, blacks and Latinos, and LGBTQ in the workforce and as entrepreneurs. CEOs and hiring managers are being openly challenged to build companies that reflect the full diversity of the world in which they operate. Similarly, the venture capital industry is also being challenged to equalize access to funding for venture-backed companies started by women and minorities. 

The Disrupting Diversity in Tech Summit at GMIC will examine the disparity gaps in underrepresented groups that persist despite the economic power that these groups wield. Tech leaders will share and discuss the strides being made today, the work that lies ahead tomorrow, and the rewards for those companies that are facing the challenge of diversity head on.

While women drive key areas of the economy, they are often underrepresented in Silicon Valley technology teams. "Women are making 85% of the purchasing decisions in both businesses and households," pointed out MotherCoders CEO Tina Lee. "We are the economic engines and a huge set of our interests are unaddressed: Those who are designing are missing a part of the empathy set. A huge part of the population is not part of the creation."

The Disrupting Diversity in Tech will include sessions on the economic power of moms and the role of women in Silicon Valley as members of the workforce, company founders, and investors.

Session Title: Why Tech Needs Moms -- An Economic Force That Drives Innovation
Moderator: Tina Lee – Founder & CEO, MotherCoders

The world needs more mothers developing products and services in the mobile space. American women drive 85% of consumer and business purchasing decisions totaling $7 trillion annually. And since 81% of these women become mothers, moms alone alone represent a $2.4 trillion market. There is tremendous opportunity to drive economic growth through innovations targeted at women in general and moms specifically. Yet women represent only 29.1% of the workforce at technology companies and hold merely 15.6% of technical positions, with many leaving the industry, if not the workforce altogether, before they reach leadership ranks, where representation is stalled at 22.5%. In this panel, we've gathered a group of women leaders in tech -- all of them mothers -- to discuss how increasing the representation of women in leadership and product development teams can help companies grow new markets and create competitive advantage in a globalized world.

Session Title: Silicon Valley Women in Technology
Moderator: Meera Kaul – Managing Partner, Germanium Ventures

You've used Houzz to get remodeling ideas for your home. You've Tweeted breaking news, checked financial data on Yahoo, used a HP product, kicked your boyfriend's butt at Assassin's Creed? Then you need to thank a woman. These juggernauts were built and are operated by some seriously smart women. But what is it like to be a woman inside the tech revolution in Silicon Valley? Unfortunately, too few of us know. Women make up only 26 percent of the technology workforce, and only 18 percent of undergraduate computer science degree recipients today are women—a number that's dropped from a high of 37 percent in 1985. This staggering imbalance has perpetuated a "brogrammer" culture. There are not enough women on boards, not enough women in high positions, not enough women in schools, not enough women investors in venture capital and not enough women being invested in. In this Silicon Valley ecosystem, not many people are proactively doing something about it. We are busy solving the problems of the world without solving a basic humanity problem of giving an equal opportunity to women.

But here's the good news: a growing number of women in tech aren't giving up—they're speaking out and making changes. Meet some such women of Silicon Valley and hear them speak about how they are making things happen in a panel led by Germanium Ventures.

Early registration for VIP, Main, and Expo Plus passes ends August 11. Passes include access to the opening party, all summits, expo tracks, and the exhibition floor. Media registration is open now for all press and industry analysts (register here). To register and learn more about GMIC Silicon Valley, visit sv.thegmic.com.

About GMIC

Global Mobile Internet Conference (GMIC) is an international conference that explores the global impact of mobile technology. Taking place in Beijing, New York, Tokyo, Jakarta, Bangalore, Sao Paulo, Taipei, and Silicon Valley, these conferences provide an opportunity for industry leaders to build relationships, share insights, and develop international growth strategy.

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SOURCE Global Mobile Internet Conference

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