Let’s Rawk The Web

A Call to Action

Denise Jacobs GitHub’s Public Speaking

Workshop for Women 22 February 2014

Rawk The Tweets The Sista Gettin’ her Speak on:

@denisejacobs

Where we at? @github #passionprojects

What I’m rawkin’ about:

@rawktheweb #rawktheweb

O hai!

Photo: Derek Kearney

Today: Creativity

http://www.flickr.com/photos/massimobarbieri/3998455558/

Have you noticed…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/frozencapybara/1376454002/

An imbalance?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/julia_manzerova/4748112382/

Typical dev conference line-up

UX conferences

Typography conferences

Tech company startup crews

http://www.techxav.com/2009/07/10/lets-activate-the-way-back-machine-the-history-of-twitter-in-pictures/

Tech book authors

Is the tech industry just white dudes?

***

There is plenty of diversity…

***

There is some diversity…

***

There is diversity…

***

There are diverse web experts

So…what gives?

FOWA Miami 2009

http://www.flickr.com/photos/judxapp/3308023998/

And at present…

Much like Kristina…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/judxapp/3307193183/

And just so you’re not confused…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/judxapp/3307193183/

(white) ^

Honest!

Photos: Denise Jacobs

Potatoes & the tech industry

http://www.flickr.com/photos/benmillett/281344513/

Lack of biodiversity

Exponential growth & influence

Newspaper http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:African_American_boy_selling_The_Washington_Daily_News.png

Radio http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:StateLibQld_1_105248_Group_of_friends_gathered_around_a_radio_in_Brisbane,_ca._1942.jpg

Television

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Family_watching_television_1958.jpg

Globally pervasive

1) http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcmetroblogger/4731961032/, 2) http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcmetroblogger/3861295403/, 3) http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosipaw/5308977361/, 4) http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwanja/3169449999/

There are a LOT of different potatoes

http://www.flickr.com/photos/flatbushgardener/2105741902/

Approximately 4500!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/benmillett/241673100/

More voices to be heard

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lynneluvah/3365184823/

(and diversity!) http://www.flickr.com/photos/fynes/1726530589/

The Web

The problem: we’re hiding

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kenzzz_14/7031233649/

My call to action:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thivierr/1177775772/

Let’s Rawk The Web!

Let’s Tawk

1.  Why 2.  Where (to start) 3.  How (to get started & become visible) 4.  What (to do to up-level) 5.  When

Roots: How to Rawk SXSW 2010

http://www.flickr.com/photos/adactio/4428737167/

Why?

• Lament in the industry • Lack of role models discourages

potentials • Diversity of voices encourages

innovation

Lament on-going for years “I go to only a small fraction of conferences and what do I see? The same handful of speakers….few new faces, fewer new ideas, rarely anything new to learn.”

- Nick Finck Beyond the A-List, Diversity in the Web Community, February 2007

Need to encourage potentials

http://www.flickr.com/photos/barretthall/3036598475/

Innovation FTW!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shirinwiniger/3680885289/

Well said.

“Diversity and opportunity…in our industry…leads to the best, most innovative, and most successful new creations.”

-  Anil Dash, “Tomorrow’s Adas”, 2010

Where to start?

• Get clear • Get inspired • Get a plan/set some goals • Get support

Get inspired

http://royhoes.deviantart.com/art/Out-of-Inspiration-85588391

WebVisions 2005

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kk/26147599/

Get clear

From this

Photo: Denise Jacobs

To this

To maybe even this!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tedxrheinmain/8621197881/

Get support

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kara_allyson/5358611092/

SXSW 2006

http://www.flickr.com/photos/janbrasna/112338913/

Create goals & make a plan

http://www.flickr.com/photos/angietorres/4564765098/

How to start & become visible?

• Promote yourself • Propose yourself • Reach out & ask • Value yourself • Get mentors

Promote

Reach out

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nogood/211873647/

Be BOLD

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sakocreative/3894673274/

Propose yourself

http://www.flickr.com/photos/orinrobertjohn/2506156264/

Bam!

Ask

Photo: Denise Jacobs

FOWD site March 26, 2010

FOWD site April 15, 2010

Get a mentor/mentors

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wrote/2646295354/

Find those who have done it

Value yourself

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pocait/2847866615/

WWWGD?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dlaughland/3475448568/

Learn from them!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/grothaug/3634720217/

Beware!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/glimeend/2661332153/

Your inner critic will be ready!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/epsos/4887528060/

“They’ll find out I’m an impostor”

“I don’t know enough”

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Einstein_1921_by_F_Schmutzer.jpg

“I’m skurred”

Photo: Denise Jacobs

Put fear in its place “Fear is not real. It is a product of the

thoughts you create. Do not misunderstand me. Danger is very real. But fear is a choice.”

- character of Cypher Raige (played by Will

Smith), After Earth

*WHATEVER*

http://cdn.makeagif.com/media/1-23-2013/quhKj3.gif

Try a Power Pose!

People will start to seek you out http://www.flickr.com/photos/bcymet/3559319887/

What to do to up-level?

• Volunteer • Be a mentor • Be a Maven • Collaborate •  Initiate & Launch

Volunteer

CodeFeverMiami.com

Be a mentor

Photo: Denise Jacobs

Be a Maven http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/7496803638/

Senongo + FOWD = AWESOME

http://www.flickr.com/photos/placenamehere/8212282613/

Collaborate http://www.flickr.com/photos/argonne/4436484250/

Power-Push Writing Group

Initiate & Launch http://passion-projects.github.com/

Make your ideas manifest

http://ladiesintech.com/

(Are you surprised?) http://www.flickr.com/photos/zen/3446600695/

Neither mad nor petulant

http://www.flickr.com/photos/admiretime/3062187514/

Not about “Viva La Raza” ̀

Photo: Carlos Miller

Not about “Viva La Gender”` Photo: Denise Jacobs

Nor is it about ego http://www.flickr.com/photos/44085287@N05/4055807492/

Visible presence has effects

Case Study : Media Evolution, The Conference MUST READ: http://blog.mediaevolution.se/2012/11/05/gender-equality-at-media-and-tech-conferences/

This is all about Love, y’all

It’s good for EVERYONE “I also wanted to thank you for your presence as a

speaker at [Interlink] conference, because I often find that the speaker lists are, like many things, too often crowded with white men. And as a white man, I really appreciated your perspective as a woman of color, and I'm hoping that it continues to clear the way for a multiplicity of voices in our industry, which is greatly needed.”

- Nick Cox, @everydaytype, 9 June 2011

What I’m shooting for

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bhenak/2663858493/

Conference lineups more like this:

From this version of reality…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kentbrew/113013880/

Shifting to this one…

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150276276554203&set=t.652726529&type=1&theater

And this!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/loggedhours/7932892142/

And this!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cheryl/3356560366/

Right?! http://www.flickr.com/photos/hellquist/4669645994/

Your mission…

and

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8286330@N03/4322042366/

Give the tech industry your voice and your face

Yes, YOU

http://www.flickr.com/photos/siutou_amy/2306794554/

Bringing out your inner rawkstar

http://www.flickr.com/photos/torley/2761300969/

Is a way of showing up in the world

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dougbelshaw/4168593521/

Starts with you & ripples outward

http://behance.vo.llnwd.net/profiles19/1330505/projects/5455539/30cbf8c45952cdcf360ef545b1dcaba9.jpg

We can change the world for the better – together! http://www.flickr.com/photos/sepblog/3527804859/

So, are you ready to Rawk? http://www.flickr.com/photos/cindyli/5525695760/

Let’s Do This! RawkTheWeb.com

Twitter.com/rawktheweb

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How to find me

Photo used with permission: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarronwalter/4629078087/