Speaker

Ronda Bergman

Ronda Bergman

Founder / Lead Consultant

Detroit, Michigan, United States

Ronda has been working as a software developer for 18+ years, primarily in the .NET stack. She has worked for large multi-national organizations and small startups. She is the Founder and Lead Consultant of EllaVatec, a diversity and inclusion consultancy. The Co-founder and Chapter Leader of Girl Develop It Ann Arbor. A Software Artisan at Pillar Technologies, and the Vice President of Ann Arbor .NET Developers. As a female developer and the mother of 2 female developers Ronda is working hard to help level the playing field for everyone in the industry.

Area of Expertise

  • Information & Communications Technology

Topics

  • diversity

You Will F**k up & that's Ok (How to be a Male Ally in Tech)

Men, you have it easier than women when it comes to working in tech.

If this statement makes you angry good! Hopefully it makes you angry because you want to be a part of an industry that works for everyone. Do you read all the news reports about the diversity problems in tech and think someone should do something about that? Maybe that someone should be you!

You might be thinking how can I help fix this problem as a guy? Will the women around me think I'm sincere? Yes, you can be a big part of the solution. And, yes they might question your sincerity at first, but with time and effort you can show everyone that diversity is important to you too!

There will be mistakes along the way and that’s ok. We make mistakes too. But by learning from those mistakes and continuing to try, we can make tech a better place for everyone.

Some of the topics we'll cover are:

* Why diversity should be important to everyone
* The difference between being an ally and being a knight in shining armor
* What to do if you see inappropriate behavior
* How to make your workplace more inclusive
* Actions matter even when it’s just the guys

I'd Hire more Women if they Would Apply!

Maybe you’re the one that’s not really trying? Are you sending signals that say “Dudes Only”?

As a Chapter Leader of Girl Develop It (GDI) I have had numerous companies ask me why can’t they get women to apply to their openings. They want to diversify but have a “pipeline” problem. My experience as a woman in tech and helping women enter the tech field through GDI tells me otherwise.

In this discussion we’ll consider the some of the common reasons women might not apply to certain companies and or job postings, examine some of the “red flags” you might not realize you are waving and explore ways to make the hiring process more inclusive.

RevolutionConf 2018 Sessionize Event

May 2018 Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States

Stir Trek 2018 Sessionize Event

May 2018 Columbus, Ohio, United States

Codemash 2018

You Will F**k Up and that's Ok (How to be a Male Ally in Tech)
I'd Hire More Women if they'd Apply

January 2018 Sandusky, Ohio, United States

Ronda Bergman

Founder / Lead Consultant

Detroit, Michigan, United States