NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2015 Light Reading is proud to announce it is building on the success of its popular Women in Comms networking breakfast series by launching a non-profit organization in 2016 to create a bigger impact online and through live events.
Together with founding partner Intel and the support of service providers, vendors and organizations from across the global industry, Light Reading is creating a not-for-profit, independent initiative providing information, networking, mentorship, access to jobs and support for women in the next-gen communications industry.
"Intel has committed considerable investment to diversity because it has a proven correlation to business success. The journey to achieving gender parity will require action in multiple areas – pipeline, retention, advancement and overall workforce inclusivity," said Sandra Rivera, vice president of the Data Center Group and general manager of the Network Platforms Group at Intel. "Intel and Women in Comms share this common focus, and we look forward to partnering with this new organization to promote diversity and inclusion in the communications industry."
As a non-profit, Light Reading and its partners will tackle head-on the well-documented gender imbalance in the communications industry, working to connect women, build up the pipeline of qualified female candidates, provide mentorships for women in the workplace and scholarship for college-level women. WiC will strive to empower women currently in the industry and, ultimately, create a work environment that's better and more equitable for women.
"Redressing the gender imbalance in the comms industry is a cause that's near to my heart," said Sarah Thomas, Light Reading's editorial operations director and the director of Women in Comms. "While it's great to see the issue receiving more attention, there isn't yet an organization that unifies all our voices around a common platform and turns words into action. Women in Comms will be that destination, both online and through live events."
Women in Comms will continue to hold its networking breakfast series throughout the year with four quarterly events, including a one-day conference and jobs fair dedicated to women at Light Reading's BIG Communications Event in the spring. The group will also hold regional meetings, connect women that are early in their career with mentors from the industry, provide a scholarship to a young woman pursuing a degree in the STEM field, honor leading women with industry awards and much more.
"We are thrilled to be launching such an important not-for-profit initiative at a time when the industry needs it the most," said Light Reading CEO and Founder Steve Saunders. "Light Reading is proud to be a leading protagonist in the mission to redress the gender imbalance and to join forces with the industry's top companies that share our goal."
For more information and to join Women in Comms, please contact WiC Director Sarah Thomas at [email protected] or 913-486-9358.
About Women in Comms
Light Reading's Women in Comms is an independent, 501(c) not-for-profit organization with support from the largest comms companies across the globe. The organization will focus on providing information, networking, mentorship, access to jobs and support for women in the next-gen communications industry with the ultimate goals of empowering women, championing change and redressing the industry's gender balance.
About Light Reading
Light Reading (www.lightreading.com) helps the global communications industry make informed decisions. The Lightreading.com site is the definitive source for next-generation communications analysis for more than 450,000 users each month, leading the media sector in terms of traffic, content, and reputation. Light Reading also produces live events for executives charged with monetizing cable, New IP, optical, Ethernet, mobile, gigabit cities, security, virtualization, components, communications drones, next-gen analytics, Internet of Things, and wireline networks.
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SOURCE Light Reading
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