Women of Color Bringing Diversity to Technology

At a coffee shop in New Jersey, a coincidental meeting brings together two emerging leaders and thinkers, both pushing for more inclusion in technological global arena. Kaia Niambi Shivers, an adjunct professor in Media Studies at Rutgers University, and Lindsey C. Holmes, a social-media marketer and tech-entrepreneur, just so happened to attend a poetry event in downtown Newark.

During the show, they found out they had similar interests when Shivers overheard Holmes mention her marketing agency. Excited to see another woman of color involved in digital media, Shivers exchanged information with Holmes in hopes that they could collaborate.

In 2001, while Holmes attended the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), she noticed a severe lack of diversity in industry analysts, exhibitors, press outlets, and especially tech executives.

Not only is CES the largest and most important tech trade show in the US, but it features the latest and upcoming consumer electronics from around the world that will shape the future of the globe. Though the trade show draws a crowd well over 150,000 Holmes recalls, “I could count the black and brown people on my fingers.”

Later on, Holmes asked a top level tech executive how could CES, and ultimately, the tech industry, include more minorities. She was floored when he expressed that he didn’t see the “case for minority initiatives [at conferences] like CES.”

Not only is CES the largest and most important tech trade show in the US, but it features the latest and upcoming consumer electronics from around the world that will shape the future of the globe. Though the trade show draws a crowd well over 150,000 Holmes recalls, “I could count the black and brown people on my fingers.”

Later on, Holmes asked a top level tech executive how could CES, and ultimately, the tech industry, include more minorities. She was floored when he expressed that he didn’t see the “case for minority initiatives [at conferences] like CES.”

Holmes was astonished and offended. “As a social media marketing professional, I know that we are spending a lot of money on consumer electronics” continued the industry veteran. Yet he neglected the fact that, non-white populations and those in developing countries are the biggest consumers. The Consumer Electronics Association estimates that China and India alone would spend over US $1 trillion in consumer electronic gadgets in 2012; and the Nielson Report listed African-Americans as having US $1 trillion in buying power in 2011 and US $1.1 trillion by 2015.
With ten years of experience in new media technology and being noted as one of the pioneers who pushed social media to the forefront, Holmes believes that all demographics of consumer spending should be respected.

“I wanted CES and the tech world to recognize the buying power of minorities, and the leadership and innovation that we bring to the industry as a whole.”

Nevertheless, Holmes points out that though “countless studies delineat[e] minorities as the largest consumers of tech”, the industry still results in “so few minority tech CEOs.”

Drowning in frustrations, Holmes reached out to Shivers, whose PhD research explores the consumption of African videos in the New York Metropolitan area. She asked her sister-friend in a matter of fact manner, “Why wait for them? Do it yourself.”

Holmes and Shivers thought that there partnership was perfect. One had extensive experience in the industry, while the other focused on the social and political aspects of technology.  For Shivers, studying how developing countries and minority communities are marginalized in technology was nothing new. At Rutgers, Shivers worked on projects that focused on female students learning how to develop digital portfolios, hone their social media etiquette, and participate in online news reporting. “The students were enthused,” she said. The biggest challenge, however, was keeping the funding to continue such an important task.

Shivers knew all too well the disappointment Holmes faced as she continued to research the consumption of Nollywood films in the New York area. “When I tell most people that Nollywood is the third largest film industry in the world they look at me crazy because most haven’t even heard of the industry,” Shivers points out.

“Then when I tell them that this film industry, an industry created from the old technology dumped into Africa by China, has in fact invigorated the informal economy, they do a double take and want to listen. I think we need to be tapping into those creative minds that can take one nation’s trash and turn it into a multi-billion dollar industry.”

After the pair agreed to coordinate a diversity mixer they had to tackle the issue of marketing the event and seeking funding with only a six week window. They soon discovered that private investors and sponsors were reluctant to offer financial support at the last minute, so they took a leap of faith and funded it with a small amount of their own resources. Holmes and Shivers used their social media background to reach out to as many attendees as possible.

“The event started off as an idea to host a simple mixer to assemble like-minded individuals who saw the need to bring diversity to the table,” explains Holmes. “We hoped that a dozen people would attend but once I put out a press release and created an online invitation through Event Brite, the RSVPs hit the roof.”

Holmes was astonished and offended. “As a social media marketing professional, I know that we are spending a lot of money on consumer electronics” continued the industry veteran.Yet he neglected the fact that, non-white populations and those in developing countries are the biggest consumers. The Consumer Electronics Association estimates that China and India alone would spend over US $1 trillion in consumer electronic gadgets in 2012; and the Nielson Report listed African-Americans as having US $1 trillion in buying power in 2011 and US $1.1 trillion by 2015.

With ten years of experience in new media technology and being noted as one of the pioneers who pushed social media to the forefront, Holmes believes that all demographics of consumer spending should be respected.

“I wanted CES and the tech world to recognize the buying power of minorities, and the leadership and innovation that we bring to the industry as a whole.”

Nevertheless, Holmes points out that though “countless studies delineat[e] minorities as the largest consumers of tech”, the industry still results in “so few minority tech CEOs.”

Drowning in frustrations, Holmes reached out to Shivers, whose PhD research explores the consumption of African videos in the New York Metropolitan area. She asked her sister-friend in a matter of fact manner, “Why wait for them? Do it yourself.” Holmes and Shivers thought that there partnership was perfect.

One had extensive experience in the industry, while the other focused on the social and political aspects of technology.  For Shivers, studying how developing countries and minority communities are marginalized in technology was nothing new.

At Rutgers, Shivers worked on projects that focused on female students learning how to develop digital portfolios, hone their social media etiquette, and participate in online news reporting. “The students were enthused,” she said. The biggest challenge, however, was keeping the funding to continue such an important task. Shivers knew all too well the disappointment Holmes faced as she continued to research the consumption of Nollywood films in the New York area.

“When I tell most people that Nollywood is the third largest film industry in the world they look at me crazy because most haven’t even heard of the industry,” Shivers points out.

“Then when I tell them that this film industry, an industry created from the old technology dumped into Africa by China, has in  fact invigorated the informal economy, they do a double take and want to listen

I think we need to be tapping into those creative minds that can take one nation’s trash and turn it into a multi-billion dollar industry.”

After the pair agreed to coordinate a diversity mixer they had to tackle the issue of marketing the event and seeking funding with only a six week window. They soon discovered that private investors and sponsors were reluctant to offer financial support at the last minute, so they took a leap of faith and funded it with a small amount of their own resources.
Holmes and Shivers used their social media background to reach out to as many attendees as possible.

“The event started off as an idea to host a simple mixer to assemble like-minded individuals who saw the need to bring diversity to the table,” explains Holmes. “We hoped that a dozen people would attend but once I put out a press release and created an online invitation through Event Brite, the RSVPs hit the roof.”

Almost 150 people confirmed attendance and left the pair scrambling to upgrade from a modest suite to three meeting rooms at the Palms Hotel. The women also canvassed the conference and passed out invites through Holmes’ marketing tool that places barcodes with event data on Mardi Gras beads. “When I would hand people a bead and explain its purpose, I would get a resounding response of support and replies like ‘Its about time,’” recalls Shivers.

The event included everyone from CNN correspondent Mario Armstrong, college professors, government officials, and tech inventors who were interested in employing more diversity and being the change that Holmes and Shivers hoped would happen.

“The response was phenomenal,” says Holmes. “People really do care about diversity and creating actionable plans to ensure that the tech industry is inclusive.”

“When we both came back we literally slept for two days. We were exhausted, but we were happy that we used our resources to make a mark that there will be a significant increase of diversity in technology,” says Shivers reminiscing in jubilee.

Since their diversity forum on January 12, 2012 the dynamic duo are still sorting out the hundreds of connections they made from CES.

• Pin It
• Share
• Tweet