Reflecting on AfroTech 2019
Anderson students at “The Kick Back” hosted by Google on Day 1. From left to right Luis Preciado, Lesley Gwam, DaJuan Bennett, Vanessa Carvajal and Rhian Rogan.
Reflecting on AfroTech 2019
Written by Vanessa Carvajal, President of AnderTech
Attending AfroTech 2019 with nine of my peers was truly an inspiring and memorable experience. I’ve spent the majority of my career working in the tech industry in the Bay Area, which allowed me to witness first-hand the lack of diversity that exists in tech. It is exactly because of this lack of diversity that networking within these small communities is extremely important for underrepresented minorities in tech. The connections I’ve made and career advice I’ve received through my involvement in employee resource groups and through attending diversity-focused conferences have been immensely valuable for my career. For this reason, I was ecstatic after learning that the Easton Technology Center and the center for Equity Diversity and Inclusion at Anderson agreed to sponsor ten students to attend AfroTech in Oakland this year, with tickets and travel fully paid. I’m so proud of the work that made this possible and very thankful to be at a school that values diverse people and thoughts.
Throughout the conference, I was able to connect and reconnect with other diverse members of the tech community, helping to build and strengthen my professional network. As an MBA candidate preparing to become a leader in the tech industry, I also learned many valuable lessons from the sessions I attended at AfroTech that I will carry forward with me throughout my career.
I’d like to share a few of my key takeaways:
1. During the Healthcare Technology and Equity Fireside Chat, the late Bernard J. Tyson, former Chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente, spoke about the importance of having mentors and sponsors throughout your career. This is even more important for minorities and for women. A mentor is someone who can advise you on your career because they have general expertise that is can be beneficial to you. They do not need to work at your same company and therefore they can serve as a sounding board without any fear of repercussions. A sponsor is someone who is in your organization and can advocate for you when you are not in the room. Through their influence, connections and guidance, sponsors can help you earn raises, secure promotions and generally advance your career.
2. Don’t accept the status quo. Erika Alexander (Co-founder of Color Farm Media) and Tracy Oliver (film and television writer, producer and actor) hosted a session around representation in media and how minorities can leverage their collective power. Tracy told the audience that early in her career, when she was writing and producing the web series The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl with Issa Rae, she was told by the networks that there was not an audience for shows starring black female leads. Despite this, she continued to write shows starring black female leads that became wildly successful, proving these industry “experts” completely wrong. Tracy’s experience of being marginalized as a minority is not unique. However, she did not change her vision to fit the status quo; instead she chose to challenge and helped change it.
3. If I had to pick one overall takeaway from the conference, it’s that diversity in tech already exists, we’re just not looking in the right places. With over 10,000 (mostly black) attendees this year, AfroTech is living proof that there is a diverse pipeline for tech. Many businesses today blame a lack of diverse talent pools for making it difficult to find and hire people of color and women. AfroTech and similar conferences make it hard to substantiate this excuse and instead highlight the real issue: businesses need to change how they hire if they want to change who gets hired. Current candidate sourcing and hiring practices need to be challenged if any real progress is to be made.
Overall, I had an incredible two days learning from and connecting with some truly amazing professionals. I’d like to give a huge thanks and congratulations to Blavity and the entire team who puts on AfroTech! It is truly an inspiring experience for all who attend, regardless of race, gender, or ethnicity. I hope that each year brings a larger audience and that Anderson continues to show up in strong numbers!
-Vanessa Carvajal