📣🚨 Action Alert | A Tale Of Two Conferences: One That Is Trying for Gender Balance And One That Is Definitely Not

For the second time, the Startup Grind Global Conference is within 2% of being awarded a Bronze GA Stamp of Approval. Last year, the speaker lineup for Startup Grind consisted of 56% men and 44% women, 28% of whom were women of color (just shy of the 30% women of color Bronze requirement). Their 2021 lineup consists of 61% men and 39% women, 32% of whom are women of color (just shy of the 40% women requirement). Clearly they’re trying to achieve gender parity and making sure to include women of color while they’re at it. It would be great if they could do a bit more recruiting this year; otherwise, we really hope 2022 will be the year they achieve their so far elusive Bronze Stamp.

MIT, however? Not so much. They are clearly not trying as hard, or possibly at all. Last year, the speaker lineup for their FinTech Conference was made up of 79% men and 21% women, 50% of whom were women of color (well away from the 40% women Stamp requirement). This year’s MIT FinTech Conference is even worse! It only includes 18% women! Thankfully, 60% of those women are women of color, but when there are only 5 women total, that’s not really an achievement.

For the second year in a row, it’s clear that @StartupGrind’s #SGGlobal2021 is trying to achieve gender parity amongst their speakers while @MITFinTech is not, again. Perhaps it’s time for @MIT to give it the ol’ college try. #GenderAvenger https://www.genderavenger.com/blog/action-alert-tale-of-two-conferences