There are many reasons to get pumped about attending Dreamforce. Who can resist the chance to learn so much, the amazing speakers, the networking opportunities, women in tech, and the bands and parties? And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
We at Glance are really looking forward to seeing some amazing folks at our booth, our Wednesday night party, our Salesforce Community Cloud cobrowse demo, and more.
Read: Top 5 Essentials for Preparing for Dreamforce
Women in technology today
In the midst of all this excitement, it would be easy to lose track of the fact that not everything in the world of technology is perfect. In particular, there is still a distinct lack of equality between genders and in terms of diversity in general.
The lack of women in technology companies is an issue that I’ve seen myself in many of the businesses I’ve worked with and it’s backed up by research. In fact, the percentage of computing jobs held by women has actually fallen over the past 23 years:
- Only 26% of computing jobs in the US were held by women in 2014
- Even worse, only 3% of the computing workforce were African American women and a paltry 1% Hispanic women
- A mere 6% of CIO positions were held by women in 2014
The National Center for Women and Information Technology put together a great infographic on the subject of women in technology. Well, I say “great,” but the facts themselves are challenging to swallow.
Read: Women in Technology: The Mothers of Online Communication
Dreamforce provides a voice for women
The Dreamforce team is tackling these issues head on. They are working to go beyond mere awareness and move into talking about real-life solutions.
Salesforce often takes advantage of the fact that there are so many people attending Dreamforce to encourage people give back to the community. The focus on diversity in the workplace is a logical extension of that sentiment.
While there are many insightful female speakers who will participate throughout the event, the Women’s Leadership Summit is of particular interest. It provides attendees with the opportunity to learn from inspirational women leaders and gain guidance on things that can be done (as Salesforce says, create a “playbook”) to encourage equality in the workplace.
Please note that this is not a track for women only. In order to truly achieve equality in the workplace, it is critical that both women and men are part of the conversation.
Speakers at the Dreamforce Women’s Leadership Summit
The speakers included in the Women’s Leadership Summit run the gamut. A sampling of the speakers includes:
- Susan Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube
- Jessica Alba, actress and founder/CEO of The Honest Company
- Patricia Arquette, actress and women’s equality leader
- Mary Molony, CEO of CoderDojo
- Lyndsey Scott, actress, model and app developer
- Julia Hartz, CEO of Eventbrite
For sessions throughout Dreamforce that focus on workplace equality, check out this wonderful list that Michelle Chaplin put together.
Looking to attend the Women’s Leadership Summit? It starts at 9:00AM Thursday, September 17, and goes until around 6:00PM that day. I’ll be there. Will you?
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About Glance Networks
Glance helps enterprise organizations create the ultimate customer experience with smart, omni-channel visual engagement solutions based around integrated cobrowse, screen share, and one-way agent video. We are one of the world’s simplest, most reliable and secure platforms that enable companies to see, show and share anything online, creating a frictionless path to great experiences in sales, support and customer service. The result is improved customer satisfaction and loyalty, increased revenue growth and operational savings. From financial services and healthcare to retail and travel and leisure, even the most advanced technology and SaaS organizations – we transform the customer experience for today’s business. Learn More »
