I’m constantly speaking with or reading articles by women advocating for gender diversity in the workplace. It seems to me that certain business sectors are more open to the concept than others. Today’s STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) industries, for instance, are picking up the pace in the move toward bringing women into leadership positions.

Maybe it’s because more women are getting STEM degrees (but, there are still only 23% of tech jobs being done by women), or maybe it’s the relative youth in the tech workplace, or maybe there is a culture change in tech that is providing more role models for women. Or maybe it’s because of the work the late Anita Borg did in focusing attention on the need for greater female participation in the STEM arena.

Anita Borg combined technical expertise with a fearless vision to inspire, motivate and move women in technology. She touched and changed the lives of countless women in the fields of computing and beyond. Her example and advocacy caused many women to join the technical revolution – not just as bystanders but also as active participants and leaders.

The organization that now bears her name is carrying on her work and making strides in combatting the current leadership perspective that men make better executives in STEM companies. One company at a time, The Anita Borg Institute is helping to change corporate cultures and adding to the number of women in the leadership pipeline.

I recently had the opportunity to see Telle Whitney, CEO of the Anita Borg Institute, in a Bloomberg TV interview. The Institute’s views on gender diversity in the workplace and why it matters, the landscape is changing (or not changing, depending on your perspective) are certainly views Aspire Ascend’s members can understand. 

Telle’s interview made an impact on me and I’d like to share it, and you can by clicking on this link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2016-05-10/promoting-workplace-diversity-in-silicon-valley

Video courtesy of Bloomberg

Jan Molino is the CEO & Managing Partner of Aspire Ascend, a service provider and member-based organization that helps women advance toward leadership. She is an experienced speaker and facilitated numerous forums and panel discussions on this subject.  Jan can be reached at: jan@aspire-ascend.com.