The New Zealand Tech Alliance is a group of independent technology associations from across New Zealand that work together to ensure a strong voice for technology.
Visit Tech Alliance
NZTech Update – Change the way you see the world!
Hi Readers
Technology has connected nations, dissolved borders, encouraged empathy across great divides, and yet, the technology industry itself is still sorely lacking in diversity. Our industry is built on data. Yet the data of diversity tells a sad story.
Even though one in three IT graduates are women, only 21% of IT employees are women. Only 1% of Maori are studying IT and only 2.5% are working in the IT industry. Only 11% of women occupy executive positions in Silicon Valley. Locally, and anecdotally, we need only glance around our offices to see the lack of diversity.
Diversity and inclusion are an integral element of Microsoft’s culture. We’re immensely proud of the work we do, such as ShadowTech and DigiGirlz. At the recent Enterprise In Action challenge we had two incredible students in our team, CJ Dobbs and Abbey Herbison, founders and inventors of iBrite, an innovative LED light that helps children with dyslexia read and write. It’s also gratifying that Microsoft NZ has been awarded the Rainbow Tick from the LGBTTI community.
However, before we pat ourselves on the back, we must consider the complexity of the issue too profound to be reformed by a few campaigns. The blunt fact is that to make an impact we need to do the hardest thing – change our thinking. This means interrogating our assumptions, from considering how to integrate technology into early education, to being aware of our own unconscious bias. This even extends to sensitivity in how we word our job ads to ensure we don’t exclude anyone. Every day I’m reminded of Dr Wayne Dyer’s maxim, ‘When you change the way you see the world you change the world you see.’
Diversity is not just a moral issue, it’s a business imperative. Diversity enhances business. Few things are as powerful as a fresh perspective and diversity offers new points of view. It’s easy to live in an echo chamber, convinced that the way I think is the way everyone thinks. In an industry fuelled by constant change, to thrive you must feel comfortable with uncertainty and be open to having your point of view continually challenged.
We’re living through a time of tribalism, when fear has encouraged some to look inwards, defining themselves in opposition to the other. This makes it even more important for us to lead by example and foster inclusion and diversity. More than ever before technology is woven into the fabric of our existence, touching almost every race, age, gender, and nation. Following this thread of logic: the people creating, making and selling technology should reflect the users and consumers of that same technology. Ideas are the fuel of innovation and great ideas are born of diverse thinkers from all spectrums of life.
Barrie Sheers
NZTech Board
Register to attend
Accelerating a connected NZCONNECT
Join @AIForumNZ at their inaugural Connect Event in Auckland on 16 August. Learn about the AI Forum’s plans and hear kiwi success FaceMe’s story.
BANZ meet on 20 July in Auckland for Blockchain Networking. The next Blockchain Gathering is on 27 July, also in Auckland.
Join NZTech’s Rachel Kelly at the first Women in Tech and Telco Leadership Summit 25-28 July in Auckland. This year’s theme is Leading through Turbulence.
PROMOTE
FinTechNZ and NZTech Chair Mitchell Pham was on the judging panel for the national #MYOBITChallenge. Meet the boundary pushing team from Wellington who took out the award.
Tech Futures Lab is hosting an IoT Business Development workshop on 4 August in Auckland. Register by 21 July for a 10% discount using the promo code: IoTearlybird.
New Zealand’s Game Developers Conference returns 6-8 September in Auckland. #NZGDC17 is for professional and indie game developers.
ADVANCE
As we approach the 2017 General Election, read our goals and recommendations in our Tech Manifesto, New Zealand’s Digital Future.
Emerging software, SaaS or mobile app company and looking for investment? Entries for NZSA’s annual An Angel at my Table competition close today. Finalists will pitch on 8 August.
Nominations for the Spatial Excellence Awards close on 25 August. Submissions on the Digital Technology Curriculum close on 31 August.
Want to know more? Sign up for the NZTech weekly update, it’s free and will take less than a minute!
