Welcome to the Diversity and Tech community!
Published Jan 16 2018 03:42 PM 3,374 Views
Microsoft

Today, I am thrilled to announce the launch of the new Diversity and Tech community, and I am excited to make it part of the broader Microsoft Tech Community. I’m Shona, community lead for this awesome new community focused on diversity and inclusion within the tech industry, and my team and I look forward to partnering with all of you to run impactful programs that will help you to not only get to know like-minded peers who are passionate about diversity and inclusion, but also to benefit from a host of inspirational panel sessions, tech role model features, an upcoming Community Mentors Program and more.

 

Diversity and inclusion are not merely hot topics of the moment but have been issues the industry has been facing for some time. The current “Me Too” movement and #TimesUp campaign serve as a reminder that we all have a voice, and collectively we are more powerful in not only challenging existing norms but in making great social and cultural impact. 

 

As part of the team behind the Tech Community, I challenge you to embark on a journey here in the Tech Community to develop not only a strong network of business contacts in tech but also to come together to offer ideas and support within this community. I personally believe we can help one another to achieve skills for success, and together we can take on the world stage. 

 

Spread the word, invite your friends and sow the seeds that will reap rewards of a lifetime. Invest in not only your technical skills but in the people in this community - our community - so that we can celebrate the richness of diversity in our world!

 

Best,

Shona

8 Comments
Bronze Contributor

This is great! Thanks for setting up a space for us diverse IT Pros. 

Microsoft

Thank you for setting this up

Iron Contributor

This is a great start of the year having this community for diverse IT professional!

Silver Contributor

Great to have this new community!

 

I’m a firm believer in inclusion, accessibility and openness in relation to tech and opportunities, embracing our differences and valuing everyone’s contributions.  With talk of digital skills shortages common, in the UK alone the digital skills gap back in 2016 is estimated to be costing the UK economy £63 billion a year, there is plenty to be done.

 

It’s important everyone can explore tech and what it can offer as a career or vocation, as well as being able to adapt to a changing workforce with things like AI impacting roles.  I look forward to seeing the initiatives and discussions here.

Awesome @ShonaBang. What a great idea!

Microsoft

Thanks everyone for your support - all of you are the ones who help make this community possible! :) We think that there is such a collective wealth of knowledge and tech expertise here that everyone should be able to benefit and help make the tech industry a level-playing field for all, regardless of our social and cultural backgrounds!

 

@Cian Allner- glad you mentioned about the UK, because that's where we are headed to next! Hope to see you at the Birmingham Tech Summit on Jan 24 where we'll have our next Diversity and Tech panel featuring MVP Lesley Crook, Microsoft )365 Service Engineer Heather McLeish and Microsoft Azure Solution Architect Manager Jane Lewis! 

Copper Contributor
It was a pleasure to meet you Shona and thanks for setting this up. Diversity and inclusivity are one of the best parts I love about being in the MVP community and Microsoft is doing a phenomenal job in bringing us all together. Am glad to be a part of mentor program! Thanks for being so welcoming and generous.
Thank you for setting up a space and having this community! It was pleased to meet you.
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