Women in Tech: A Symposium on Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Demonstrated benefits of a diverse leadership team and workforce include more robust market insights, improved strategic decisions and increased financial success. Yet from tech accelerators and startup companies to venture capital firms and established industries, female technologists, founders, and investors often struggle to marshal support for their ideas. In 2016, companies led by men received 16 times the funding of those run by women, a statistic perhaps influenced by the fact that only 7% of partners at top VC firms are women. How can recent research and inspiring role models contribute to positive momentum for women in technical fields, startup companies, and venture firms?

This public half-day symposium will highlight the experience of women in the tech industry–from established companies to startups and the venture capital firms that support them. The event will also recognize those who have championed the advancement of women in technology through the WITI@UC Athena Awards. Attendees will come away with actionable suggestions for overcoming gender-based challenges and improving the workplace climate for all. The agenda will offer time for presentations as well as informal discussion to build networks for mentoring and peer support.

Who should attend? Entrepreneurs, investors, students, and leaders from academia or the public and private sectors interested in supporting a more diverse ecosystem for innovation and creating a welcoming environment for new ideas across the spectrum. We welcome the participation of women and their allies.

Agenda

11:15 Registration, Lunch

12:00 Welcome – Camille Crittenden, Deputy Director, CITRIS and the Banatao Institute

12:15 Keynote: Be the Token and Be Proud of It, Poornima Vijayashanker, Founder, Femgineer; Founding engineer, Mint.com

• Introduced by Betsy Cooper, Executive Director, Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity

12:45 Panel 1: Making Strides

Highlights successes that have contributed to positive momentum for women in technology startup companies and venture firms.

• Catherine Berman, Co-Founder and CEO, CNote
• Sue Carter, Professor, Physics Department, UC Santa Cruz
• Shayna Modaressi, Co-Founder & General Partner, Lodestar Ventures
• Laura Teclemariam, Lead Senior Product Manager, Electronic Arts
• Sophia Velastegui, Executive in Technology
• Caroline Winnett, Executive Director, SkyDeck (Moderator)

1:50 Facilitated conversation regarding workplace climate challenges

• Kara Sammet, Inclusion & Leadership Strategist, Gender Lenz

2:30 Break

2:50 Panel 2: Overcoming Challenges

Explores the current state of research and presents innovative strategies for creating inclusive environments, promoting accountability, and reducing discrimination in the workplace.

• Jessica Ladd, Founder and CEO, Callisto
• Michelle Leahy, Senior Manager, Analytic Programs, AnitaB.org
• Nathalie Mathé, VR Creative Director and Founder, NativeVR
• Heather Metcalf, Director of Research & Analysis, Association for Women in Science
• Kara Sammet, Inclusion & Leadership Strategist, Gender Lenz (Moderator)
• Rebecca Stuart, Attorney, Employment Law Practice, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich Rosati

4:00 Keynote: Women Do Ask: Debunking Gender Myths That Maintain Inequality, Laura Kray, Professor, UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business

• Introduced by Tsu-Jae King Liu, Vice Provost for Academic and Space Planning, UC Berkeley

4:30 WITI@UC Athena Awards Presentations

5:15 Closing remarks

5:30 Networking reception

6:00 Adjourn

Presented by the Women in Technology Initiative at the University of California, CITRIS and the Banatao Institute, UC Berkeley College of Engineering, and the Center for Long-term Cybersecurity.

Sponsored by Facebook, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich Rosati, CITRIS Foundry, The Coleman Fung Institute for Engineering Leadership, UC Berkeley School of Information, Berkeley Center for New Media (BCNM), Haas Women in Leadership, Startup@BerkeleyLaw, SkyDeck, UC Berkeley Extension, The International Society of Service Innovation Professionals (ISSIP) and the UC Berkeley Bakar Fellows Program.