Utah’s Women Tech Council (WTC) and Silicon Slopes announced last week that they are working together to create an industry model to attract and retain more women in technology. This model, designed to change tech cultures, will leverage and expand successful diversity and inclusion programs created by WTC while also engaging male executives and boards to help support, encourage and drive initiatives that help accelerate the number of women working for and staying in technology companies, the group said in a press statement.
“Among tech companies, culture is a consistent problem that drives women out of the industry in an average of seven years,” said Cydni Tetro, president of WTC. “We are committed to helping organizations work together to change cultures, starting here in Silicon Slopes, and build around inclusion and values that leverage the talents of everyone involved, ultimately creating a model for all technology communities.”
Over the past decade, WTC has built a community, led by women and men in top technology companies, that focuses on the economic impact of women in technology, the organization said. Its programs drive visibility, networking, mentoring and opportunities for tens of thousands of women working in technology. Working among many of the same organizations, Silicon Slopes works to empower Utah’s tech community of more than 5,000 companies to learn, connect and serve in order to make entrepreneurship open and accessible to all. By coming together, WTC and Silicon Slopes hope to expand their reach and resources to help achieve this initiative and transform technology cultures.
“Attracting and retaining talent is essential to the growth and success of Silicon Slopes,” said Josh James, Domo founder and CEO, and board member of Silicon Slopes. “Diversity in leadership creates stronger organizations and ecosystems. This effort is one way to keep our industry moving forward together.”
To launch this effort, WTC and Silicon Slopes will hold joint events with senior executives in technology companies, launch programs focused on attracting and retaining talent and begin a podcast series to continue this dialogue within organizations. These efforts will continue expanding across existing WTC and Silicon Slopes platforms and into new areas.
“Technology companies need support as they work to make diversity and inclusion a successful part of their organization,” said Clint Betts, executive director of Silicon Slopes. “Through these efforts, we will give them the tools and resources to help them successfully make this important change and serve as a catalyst for technology areas beyond Silicon Slopes.”
