Abstract
We cannot solve systemic inequities in tech by asking individuals to behave differently. Despite years of well-intentioned effort, traditional DEIB strategies, like unconscious bias training, mentorship programs, and diversity hiring targets, have failed to meaningfully shift outcomes for underrepresented groups in tech. These approaches focus on changing individual behavior, rather than redesigning the systems that perpetuate inequity in the first place. This session challenges the status quo of DEIB programming and offers a practical, systems-oriented alternative. We’ll explore how performative efforts often create the illusion of progress while reinforcing existing power structures, and unpack why relying on personal “aha moments” or good intentions isn’t enough. Drawing from lived experience in tech and years of hands-on DEIB strategy work, I’ll share specific, actionable ways to embed equity into the core processes of your organization—from rethinking hiring and promotion practices to building structural accountability into decision-making. We’ll also discuss what to do when your DEIB efforts are deprioritized or under political scrutiny. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of why past efforts haven’t worked, a roadmap for what to try instead, and renewed energy to build inclusive workplaces that actually work—for everyone. Whether you’re in HR, engineering, leadership, or community governance, this session will help you shift from checkbox inclusion to transformative change rooted in process, power, and people.
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
KEYWORDS
DEIB, Equity, Inclusion, Tech, Systems Change, Structural Inequity, Organizational Design
