How We Encourage Diversity and Inclusion

January 21, 2020

7 Things We Do To Encourage Diversity & Inclusion

5 minute read 

We’ve hosted open source events for more than 10 years now – more like 13 – and we’re consistently asked about diversity and inclusion.

“How do you ensure it?” and “What do you do to encourage it?” are common questions.

While we’ve got a long way to go and a lot to learn (we learn more every day), we have taken a few steps over the years to ensure participants – both attendees and speakers – are diverse and that the environment is an inclusive one.

Here are seven of those steps…

*Please note this is not an exhaustive list.  We’ll write more about this topic in the future.*

  1. We have a code of conduct, we update the code of conduct, and we feature it front and centerOur code of conduct has evolved over the years, and it’s far from final or complete.  We include vital components like reporting processes and points of contact, as well as assurances of confidentiality, on-site security details and emergency points of contact and harassment definitions.And while the code has evolved and changed, one thing that hasn’t is that we’ve always featured it front and center.  It is the first/foremost item in the email we send to attendees before arriving, we include and feature it on the website for all events (both pre and post-event), and we remind attendees of it at all of our live events.

    It is worth repeating that our code of conduct is far from perfect, and because of this we continue to make an honest effort to improve and to reach out to individuals and organizations for guidance and ideas.  There is much wisdom to be gained from people with more varied experience than us, which we fully realize, and we are constantly seeking input.  Contact us directly with input at info@allthingsopen.org.

    Here is the code of conduct in place for the All Things Open conference back in October.

  2. We solicit participation from historically underrepresented organizations and community leaders.We consistently approach and ask historically underrepresented organizations to participate in everything we do, and this includes the call-for-papers process.We also invite as many groups as possible to attend events throughout the year (including meetups), and we give exhibit tables and make free passes available whenever possible.

    If an organization, we advise them to use the opportunity to be front-and-center and really promote what they do, and as important, what they need, which often includes internships, mentors, instructors, financial support, and more.  We honestly try to leverage our position and what exposure/influence we have to enhance their exposure.

    If an individual, we offer to facilitate introductions and generally help wherever and however possible.  We want their experience to be a good one so they’ll come back not only to our future events but to others as well.

  3. We work with sponsors to create scholarships specifically for underrepresented organizations and individuals.We’ve done this since day one, and it’s been incredibly successful.  In 2019 we made 100-150+ scholarships available and we worked with 15+ organizations from all over the southeast and the U.S.  We find companies and sponsors are proud and more than eager to assist to make this possible, and we do everything we can to work closely with them to maximize impact and reach.  In 2019 Google Cloud made scholarships available to more than 10 organizations, and we could not be more thankful and appreciative.
  4. We feature speakers from minority and underserved populations consistently.Contacting and asking organizations and individuals to submit a talk and/or speak is great, but it doesn’t do much good if they don’t actually do it.  We make it a priority to feature a diverse lineup of first-time and experienced speakers, and we do everything possible to make them feel at home once on-site.  More than 80 female and non-binary / transgender speakers were featured at All Things Open in 2019.  We hope for more in 2020 and beyond.
  5. We host an event dedicated to the topic, as a lead-in to the All Things Open conference in October.For the first time ever in 2018 we hosted a stand-alone one-day event preceding the All Things Open conference focusing solely on diversity and inclusion.  While we had wanted to do it for many years before and we weren’t sure what would happen (with it being the first time) we were blown away by the response.  More than 400 attended from all over the U.S and the world and the crowd was enthusiastic and wonderful.  In 2019 the event grew to nearly 600 people registered and it is now one of the most anticipated and well-liked aspects of the conference.  By featuring something stand-alone we feel we’re “setting a tone” and hopefully establishing expectations in the process.  And even more, we hope we’re setting an example others will follow.
  6. We cultivate relationships throughout the year in user groups, individually and at other events Reaching out once a year isn’t really enough to form a relationship, and we have found people and organizations are somewhat hesitant to work with us without one, which makes perfect sense and is entirely logical.Over the course of the year we try to meet new people and cultivate relationships at other technology conferences, we meet in-person for coffee and lunch, and we host individuals and groups at meetups we host.  We’re also working now to feature these groups to our community in the form of podcasts and video interviews and profiles.  If you’re fortunate enough to build a community why not help others along the way?
  7. We make an honest effort to encourage our community to support underrepresented organizations and individualsExpanding on the final item mentioned in #6 above, we use our platform to encourage others to provide support in any way possible, whether it be internships, instructors, financial assistance, etc.  We do this at conferences and meetups, and in digital communication.And starting in 2020 we’ll be featuring multiple groups and individuals at meetups and on podcasts and in video interviews.  We’ll make the raw files and finished products available to each group to use in any way they wish, which we hope helps their ability to spread the word and heighten awareness.

We mention these 7 items not to “toot our own horn” in any way, but instead, to perhaps offer a few ideas to anyone reading this.  There are many variations of the above and much more that can be done that we haven’t attempted or even thought of, and we fully realize it.