TeleSummit to Focus on Women in Technology; New Infographic Details Business Benefits of Women Tech Leaders

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May 02, 2012, 09:00 ET

WASHINGTON, May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Women dominate technology and social media, and tech companies that recognize this fact are better positioned to innovate, adapt, and succeed. That is one of the themes of the 4th Annual Women Who Tech TeleSummit to be held Wednesday, May 23, 2012.

The daylong summit, held by Internet audio and web from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT, will feature more than two dozen high-profile tech experts speaking on subjects as diverse as funding start-ups, open source software, agile development, digital rights, online privacy, social media and social movements, and women in international tech. But one overriding theme will be the challenges women face in turning their powerful position as tech consumers into positions of power at tech companies.

"Like our last three sold-out TeleSummits, this one will be packed with some of the most thought-provoking discussions led by the most passionate and talented women and men in tech," said Allyson Kapin, founder of Women Who Tech. "But one thing is very clear - the tech sector no longer belongs to pocket-protector toting guys hooked on sci-fi and video games. The companies that recognize that will be the ones that succeed."

An infographic released through the organization's website in advance of the TeleSummit shows that women represent 55 percent of Facebook and Twitter users, and the average social gamer on sites like Zynga is a 43-year-old woman. Yet female tech entrepreneurs begin with about one-eighth of the funding of male-owned ventures. "Diverse tech and start-up teams are critical for innovation," said Kapin. "We need gender-balanced perspectives in order to create technology and products that are innovative, useful, and meaningful to everyone."

Kapin also pointed out the male/female imbalance is not restricted to start-ups. It extends to the C Suite as well. Companies like Facebook and software leader Adobe currently have no female board members. Neither do many recent IPOs like Pandora, Zillow, Zynga, and Splunk. And major players like Apple, LinkedIn, and Groupon have only one female board member. "With the majority of their customers being women, let's hope they listen to her," said Kapin.

Several Microsoft stores nationwide, including the San Jose store in Silicon Valley and University Village in Washington, among others, will stream the TeleSummit as part of their Microsoft Retail Group program for women. The showings will be held in their theater spaces that each seat 125 people and have large touch screens. The event is also being recognized as an educational opportunity by several colleges in San Jose, which are offering students extra credit for attending and writing essays on the subjects discussed.

Panelists participating in the TeleSummit include:

Sarah Allen, Blazing Cloud
Cathy Brooks, Moderator
Shaherose Charania, Founder Labs and Women 2.0
Jen Consalvo, Tech Cocktail
Amy Errett, Maveron
Jill Foster, Live Your Talk
Sarah Granger, Consultant
Kaliya Hamlin, She's Geeky
Liz Henry, BlogHer
Tara Hunt, Buyosphere
Lynne Johnson, Whispr Group, Inc.
Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg, Ph.D, Akili Dada
Beth Kanter, Author and Trainer
Susan Mernit, Oakland Local
Shireen Mitchell, Digital Sistas
Sarah Novotny, O'Reilly Media
Claire Diaz Ortiz, Twitter
Elisa Camahort Page, BlogHer
April Pedersen, Salsa Labs
Jon Pincus, Qweries
Heather Ramsey, Women's Leadership Program, IIE and TechWomen Program
Corvida Raven, Shegeeks.net
Adria Richards, SendGrid
Arthur Richards, Wikimedia Foundation
Laurel Ruma, O'Reily Media
Liza Sabater, Culture Kitchen
Michael Silberman, Greenpeace International
Amanda Steinberg, DailyWorth
Pemo Theodore, Startup Coach
Amy Sample Ward, NTEN
Jane Well, Automattic
Joanne Wilson, Investor

The cost to attend the TeleSummit is $20. Sponsorships are available through the Women Who Tech website. "Access is very important to us," said Kapin. "We don't like to turn away anyone due to a lack of funds."

The 4th Annual Women Who Tech TeleSummit is sponsored by Rad Campaign, Blackbaud, NTEN, Salsa Labs, Singlebrook Technology, Women 2.0, and BlogHer. For additional information visit http://www.womenwhotech.com.

Media Contact/Interviews with Speakers:

Bruce Bonafede, [email protected], 760-831-5080

SOURCE Women Who Tech