There is only one Dave. In the process of meeting new people and becoming familiar with my new work environment here at Techstars, I met Dave. Dave told me, “Remember I am the only Dave. There are two or more Davids, but I am the only Dave.” At Techstars, everyone seems to know there are several Davids but one Dave. Why is this important? It isn’t unless your name is Dave (or David). This seems complicated when I write it out, but I have found that everyone knows the Davids
AI ethics: Diverse teams are a great start but we need a wider cultural change in tech AI ethics is a hot topic in the tech industry. As a result of work by pioneering researchers like Joy Buolamwini we’re learning more about how algorithms can discriminate against underrepresented groups, most alarmingly ethnic and gender minorities. While AI and machine learning hold great promise, many are concerned about the impact new technology will have on society. Giants of the tech industry like Google and Facebook, government and academia are all trying
Being the only black face in the room is difficult. Here’s why I sought out spaces where I felt at home. I’ve always been aware that I’m black. I’ve also always been aware from a young age, that being black meant I was different, and incidents told me this wasn’t a “good” thing. My parents never sat down and explained to me what being black and female meant, but as a child, I knew. I knew it when kids would make fun of my name in primary school. I knew
One of my favorite aspects of social media is coming across amazing work by activists, creatives, and academics. I get especially excited to see work by fellow women of color, whose perspectives are often left out of mainstream media and activism. So naturally, when I discover that posts by women of color are being filtered out of my feed, I am skeptical and upset but not surprised. This recently happened as I was using Gobo, a social media aggregator and filtering platform created by my colleagues at the MIT Center
It was summer 2009 and I was a fresh economics graduate from the London School of Economics working at the Financial Times as an editorial intern. My final degree score averaged 69, one mark shy of a distinction. But after all the trials and tribulations of a challenging undergraduate course I was ecstatic to have come out of it alive, let alone with a merit. As I stood in the offices of one of the most famous and respected newspapers in the world, all around me the foundations of capitalism
This piece was originally published on Join Interact, as part of a series spotlighting their community members. Interact is a community of mission-driven technologists. Applications for the 2019 cohort of fellows are open until January 31, 2019. Find more information at http://joininteract.com New York, New York — Ari Melenciano lives, breathes and thrives in the space where art, technology, and activism meet. A polymath in the truest and sincerest sense of the word, Melenciano is a Brooklyn-based and interdisciplinary artist, designer, creative technologist, researcher, educator, activist and DJ who explores the relationships between
I am indigenous. I am also white. My lineage is that of the colonized and the colonizer, both influencing my identity, beliefs, and voice. As an African American woman and C-level executive in Silicon Valley, I have spent the past 20 years of my life building teams and companies that have changed American culture. Technology companies occupy a position of cultural and economic influence—one that comes with a responsibility to ask yourself how to build a better world with what you’re building and how you’re building it. At Abstract, we see inclusive hiring as
Think about a time in your life when you felt most included. What was going on, and how did it feel? Now take a minute and think about a time in your life when you felt excluded. What was going on there, and how did that feel? Everyone wants to feel included. We all want to feel safe. We all want to have that power. Some of us have more power than others, but as individuals, we can take a number of thoughtful actions that add up to create a better, more inclusive
I finally made it to Blavity’s AfroTech conference in Silicon Valley last month thanks to Product Hunt & AngelList sponsoring me. Here’s what I learned while I was there: 1. Feeling included leads to high levels of self-belief and inspiration. Feeling like an outsider in the industry has been a common theme in my career. It’s what has led me to obsess over making the industry more representative of wider society and of course feel more inclusive. AfroTech represents something like a pilgrimage for me as a techie. It was the
Andy Ayim is the Managing Director of Backstage London. This is the first in a series of stories introducing the Backstage Accelerator team in London. Amplifying Voices Last year, through some chance, frustration, and a stroke of genius, I had arrived at an inflection point in my writing. I began to share stories about what I was learning in tech with a tone of voice that came from the streets I was raised in. It was sometimes assertive, always authentic, and very unapologetic. I wanted aspiring founders to have access
