Sessions at SXSW Interactive 2011 about Gender

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Saturday 12th March 2011

• Bridging the Geo-Gap to Empower Women in Technology

  by Adriana Gascoigne

  In the past several years, more organizations supporting women in technology have popped up than we can count and keep track of, each addressing the under-representation of women in the fields of science and technology in their own way, and working to improve that situation.

  If you’re a woman in a developed country, groups and organizations for women in tech are everywhere. We’ve highlighted them at SXSW for years. We’ve experienced the improvements, and we see progress towards more.

  However, in many parts of the world, these types of initiatives are either just starting – with varying levels of organization and support - or they’re non-existent…but they’re just as important as they are here.

  Luckily, another increase that’s occurred in the past several years is the number of global connections around the world. Duh, so what?

  It means the influence of these types of organizations can have global involvement, global support and thus global effects.

  By connecting women in tech at a global level, the same progress we’re seeing in the US can be leveraged for the purpose of empowerment, building relationships, shared resources and crowdsourcing, and ultimately the elevation of all women in science and technology.

  LEVEL: Beginner

  • Gender
  • Women in Tech

  At 3:30pm to 4:30pm, Saturday 12th March

  In Rio Grande A, Marriott Courtyard Austin Downtown/Convention Center

• Sausagefest: Getting More Women Into New Media & Tech

  by Alexia Tsotsis and Rachel Sklar

  This industry has a ratio problem. Still. It's getting better, but panels, conferences, magazine articles, VC funding - it's all dominated by men. In a big way. Is this because women are lame and uncreative? No. Is it because men are evil and sexist? No. (Sheesh, no.) But - where there is such an obvious and unrelenting gender disparity, there is a problem waiting to be solved. How can women do more to make their ideas happen? (And get money for them?) What do men do differently than women? Is industry coverage lopsided - and if so, how can we change that? What can we blame on the people running all-dude conferences - and what can we take responsibility for ourselves? How can we work together as an industry to encourage the kind of diversity that will free up the very best of our collective talent to rise to the top?

  Women are great. Men are great. But the ratio in this industry - not great. This panel will address that, and how to change it.

  LEVEL: Beginner

  • Gender
  • Women in Tech

  At 5:00pm to 6:00pm, Saturday 12th March

  In Brazos 2/3, Marriott Courtyard Austin Downtown/Convention Center

• Unpacking Gender: Men, Women, Technology and More

  by Debbie Chachra

  Describe someone, friend or stranger. The very first thing you say reveals whether they are a man or a woman. But there's so much packed into these simple designations. Gender affects how we perceive everyone around us and how we express ourselves, often in ways we don't realize. Why do your son and daughter behave differently? Why is technology dominated by men? Why are women so often caregivers? This interactive workshop will use ideas from psychology to investigate these and other gender assumptions. We'll give you tools to understand how you think about gender, along with information that puts that in greater social context. While exploring your own perceptions of men and women, you'll learn about gender schemas and identity threat. We'll discuss how we use micromessaging to communicate our thoughts about gender to other people. Whether you're a hiring manager, a parent, a technologist, or just curious, you'll learn concepts and vocabulary to help understand yourself and our society. Bring a friend, your brain, a notepad (paper or digital), and a willingness to share your experiences with the people around you.

  LEVEL: Intermediate

  • Gender
  • Psychology

  At 5:15pm to 5:30pm, Saturday 12th March

  In Ballroom E, Austin Convention Center

Sunday 13th March 2011

• Whither the Female Tech Founder

  by Alexa von Tobel, Dina Kaplan, Ethan Kurzweil and Jessica Vascellaro

  Is the boys club of Internet founders by coincidence or design? This panel will discuss the *real* reasons why there are so few female founders of scalable Internet start-ups. We'll also talk about what can be done to skyrocket this number. No PC talk permitted.

  LEVEL: Beginner

  • Gender
  • Women in Tech

  At 3:30pm to 4:30pm, Sunday 13th March

  In Salon AB, Hilton Austin Downtown

• Breaking Glass Ceiling - Fearless Women Entrepreneur

  by Amita Paul and Marylene Delbourg-Delphis

  You don't want to simply break glass ceilings and start in a negative fashion that has yielded mixed results in the business world as there are only 13 women CEO's in the USA's 500 most publicly traded companies.

  Despite gains, women business owners still have many barriers to overcome before obtaining truly equal opportunity in the marketplace. So, What are these barriers?

  These questions and many more like this, mark every step of the path these fearless women in business take, every day. This panel will share the stories of joy and pain and habits of these wonder women.

  So shoot for the sky and be innovative. This panel addresses inspired women who want to inspire other women.

  LEVEL: Intermediate

  • Entrepreneurship
  • Gender

  At 5:00pm to 6:00pm, Sunday 13th March

  In Rio Grande A, Marriott Courtyard Austin Downtown/Convention Center