London Book Fair 2018: Meet the World’s First No. 1 Bestselling ‘Blockchain’ Author
Blockchain for books: It's a match that could be seen more and more, as the first "blockchain bestseller" was revealed earlier this month at the London Book Fair when Publica—a new publishing platform that uses blockchain technology in the funding, distribution, sale, and promotion of books—announced the release of its first book on Google Play. The move came at the same time—also at the London Book Fair—when a white paper was releasd detailing the blockchain for authors and creators.
Read on and click through to read the entire article from Publishers Weekly, which gives a primer on blockchain for publishers and authors who might be new to the field, and also discusses the promise blockchain holds for creators, especially self-published authors—perhaps further opening a field once dominated by white men to women and other underrepresented authors, like Sukhi Jutla, the first "blockchain author."
History was made at the 2018 London Book Fair—at a Tuesday afternoon session, Josef Marc, CEO of upstart blockchain publisher Publica, announced that the company had just gone live in the Google Play Store with author Sukhi Jutla’s Escape The Cubicle: Quit The Job You Hate—in effect, Marc said, creating the world’s first #1 title on the “blockchain bestseller” list.
Of course, there isn’t really a blockchain bestseller list—at least not yet. But the burgeoning technology—best known in the finance industry for powering cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin—holds promise for publishing, supporters say. And at a panel packed with curious authors and publishers at the 2018 London Book Fair, The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) handed out its just-released white paper "Authors and the Blockchain: Towards a Creator Centered Business Model," and heard from a panel of experts and early adopters.
For many in the audience, the most obvious questions was: what exactly is blockchain? Essentially, as the ALLi white paper explains, the blockchain is a public ledger system that enables people to transfer "unique pieces of digital property,” known as blocks, in a way that is totally secure, transparent, time-stamped, decentralized and irreversible. Essentially, all necessary details are coded into the blocks, and once accepted, the blocks become an unalterable part of the blockchain.
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The State of Women in Crypto and Blockchain: Rachel Cook
Today we hear from Rachel Cook, the founder and CEO of Seeds, which allows you to ask the internet for help—and receive it a gift—with no strings attached. Rachel discusses how she entered the crypto and blockchain space, and where she saw a great need and opportunity: in leveraging blockchain technology to transcend the zero-sum parts of our economy, so that together we can move into “a true economic system of abundance.”
How did you first become involved with cryptocurrency and blockchain technology?
I started paying attention to Bitcoin after it came up in a few conversations back in early to mid-2013, I think. I specifically remember an econ professor I had had at Duke, whom I had kept in touch with, mentioning it. I used to be a futures and equities trader, and when the Fed seized all of Silk Road's Bitcoin in September or October of 2013 the price dropped, and the trader in me recognized that it was probably a good time to buy, so I started then. I began purchasing it at around $90, and was really excited about what it could mean in terms of reshaping what was dysfunctional about the financial system.
In 2014, the startup I founded, Seeds, went through a Bitcoin-focused startup accelerator program called Boost VC. At the time, we were moving capital to help people in need in Kenya and it seemed like doing so on the blockchain would make a lot of sense at the right time, so I was interested in exploring more about how that would work within the context of our product. It also seemed clear that the big opportunity for mass adoption was in the developing world.
How has your background in areas like economics and studying how lending and finance impact women informed your insights in this space?
I minored in economics at Duke because I thought that I should do so to make myself look more employable. I remember sitting in some of those classes and just thinking, like, this entire field of study presumes that people are rational and act in their own best interest, and that is often not the case. The founding presumption seemed to me to be very obviously flawed. But it wasn't until I became a futures and equities trader a couple years out of college that I really began to think critically about how bogus the system was for women. I was always the only female trader, or one of the only female traders, and at one trading firm I learned that I was paid a 15 percent lower base salary than the eight men who started at the same time I did—despite my having a better educational background than all of them, and experience as a profitable trader that only one other guy had. And I had tried to negotiate the starting salary, so it's possible that that contributed, but gender discrimination certainly seemed to be the big contributing variable.
After that, I really started to try and think through how and why systemic misogyny operated within the financial sphere, and what I could do to change that.
I've noticed women—especially in the absence of a system that recognizes their expertise and authority—often tend to reach out and collaborate with one another. Have you noticed this as well, and do you think it blends well with the newer, decentralized blockchain/crypto system, by taking out intermediaries like financial institutions and letting us interact more directly?
I agree, and I think this is a profound insight. I love that you're seeing this as well. I've been reflecting often about the concepts of masculine and feminine energy, yin and yang, and how all humans have both. I feel certain that the reason for many of the problems we're seeing in the world today has to do with patriarchal societies overvaluing masculine energy and undervaluing feminine energy. Women and men get taught to overvalue the masculine—the "doing" energy, the "active" and "productive," even if what you're doing isn't the right thing. And we get taught to undervalue the feminine "being" energy, and I think that listening, receptivity, reflection, and emotional connection all fall into this category.
Because we live in a patriarchal system, I think this energy imbalance has infused our institutions. So with regard to your question, it's a powerful thing when we can go around that energy block and find new, more balanced ways to interact without having to kind of hit that patriarchal wall. I think that women are instinctively finding ways to do so, and have throughout history, but with the advent of blockchain technologies, we can now do so in a way that has the potential to allow us to self-actualize like nothing else has.
Since this field lies at the intersection of two areas in which women are still often underrepresented—finance and technology—it can often still be an environment dominated by men. What are some good ways to support women in this space?
Even though this is my own project—or, maybe more accurately, this is my project precisely for this reason—I believe that Seeds tokens are the best means of supporting women in finance and tech right now, at least to my knowledge. So I'd say to buy Seeds tokens, and try redeeming one to ask our system for help with something you need, to get a sense of how it works. Gift them to your friends or other folks who are in need. Share them with other women so that they can redeem them to make requests for help as well. Seeds tokens allow you to get the resources you need so that you're not wasting energy worrying about having resources, and you're working on what you love—what you were meant to do on this planet—instead.
What are you working on right now that you're most excited about?
Seeds tokens. I believe I've landed upon a way that can help us shift up from the current extractive economic system, to a true economic system of abundance. I talked about this when we competed in TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield here, as you can see in my pitch in the video toward the bottom, if you'd like. If you want to get a hold of some Seeds tokens to give them a try, you can do so at www.seedstokens.com.
What else would you love women to know about this growing field? How can women best make their mark in this industry?
Again, I don't want this to sound like some forced, weird self-promotion, but truly, I think that women can get a Seeds token, ask our system for what they need to get the resources necessary, and then just go out and build those things. They can use a token to ask our system for literally any help that they need, so long as it's legal. It can be for startup resourcing, to cover old debt, to get the support needed to quit a job that they hate so that they can explore doing the thing that they love.
This way, once we have this support in place, then we're not wasting any additional time fighting the current system to try and make it give us what we need. Instead, we can channel our energy into creating.
Find out more about Seeds tokens or try them out at www.seedstokens.com.
The State of Women in Crypto and Blockchain: Arianna Simpson
Arianna Simpson has spent her career in tech; as a product manager, investor, and in marketing and sales. So the San Francisco Bay Area-based cryptocurrency enthusiast knows what it's like to work in both technology and finance. In our ongoing series getting to know women in cryptocurrency and blockchain Simpson discusses her career, what first got her into Bitcoin, and what she anticipates as she looks ahead to what blockchain technology and crypto might offer in the years to come.
How did you first become involved with cryptocurrency and blockchain technology?
I first became interested in Bitcoin in 2013, following a trip to southern Africa. I spent time in a few countries including Zimbabwe, which was just starting to recover from the extreme hyperinflation that had plagued it in the years prior. When I came back to the US, I was thinking a lot about how things might have unfolded differently for the citizens of Zimbabwe if they'd had access to an alternative financial system outside of their government's control. When I stumbled upon the Bitcoin white paper a few weeks later, everything clicked. I started spending a lot of time researching the technology and writing and speaking about it, and eventually joined BitGo—the first company to commercialize multi-signature wallets—in mid-2014.
What is your background, and what do you do now in the crypto world?
I studied international politics, Spanish, and history in college, but my career has been largely focused on the tech sector—first as an operator, and now as an investor. I currently run a fund I founded in 2017 called Autonomous Partners, which focuses on cryptocurrencies, digital assets, and blockchain-based companies.
Payment transactions are only one of the more obvious applications of blockchain technology. As an investor as well as someone who has focused on digital assets and privacy, what do you see as some new developments to look for in crypto and blockchain, and do they present possibilities for women to enter and thrive in the crypto world?
We are still in the phase in which it’s hard to even imagine how we’ll be using blockchain technology in a few years. Most major technologies are eventually used in ways their creators could never have imagined, and I think this will be the same. We are currently in a period of infrastructure building, which has to precede widespread consumer adoption, but women can thrive here or in any environment they choose.
Since this field lies at the intersection of two areas in which women are still often underrepresented—finance and technology—it can often still be an environment dominated by men. What are some good ways to support women in this space?
I personally make a point of recommending women when asked to suggest other speakers or experts in the field. This isn't meant to exclude men in any way—merely to give additional visibility to the many highly accomplished women who are doing great work in the industry.
What are you working on right now that you're most excited about?
I’m excited about finding great entrepreneurs who will help solve some of the biggest challenges facing the industry right now—security, scalability, and so on. This is hard work but necessary, because without those foundations the industry cannot flourish.
What else would you love women to know about this growing field? How can women best make their mark in this industry?
I would encourage women to get started before they feel ready. A big part of the process is learning as you go, and getting involved as soon as possible is the best way to go about it.
Learn more about Arianna Simpson on her website or follow her on Twitter.
The State of Women in Crypto and Blockchain: Lauren Slade
Today in our ongoing series about women in blockchain and cryptocurrency, we caught up with Lauren Slade. A leader in the global tech industry and an advocate of decentralizing, Slade organizes events, providing women with networking opportunities with others involved in blockchain. She educates others on distributed systems and transacting with cryptocurrencies, and brings her background in peer-to-peer service providing apps to the blockchain world, which she believes can solve problems in a way that maintains the self-goverance of P2P communities and transactions.
Slade's latest project is promoting Decentralized Art Shows, where she is project lead and co-founder. The shows aim to be unofficial afterparties to several leading crypto and blockchain conferences—the next show is tomorrow, at the Bitcoin, Ethereum and Blockchain SuperConference in Dallas—and provide "an interactive experience where artists of all mediums can accept cryptocurrencies for their creations," according to Slade.
Slade shares her insights on inclusion, education, blockchain applications, art, and opportunities for women.
What is your background, and what do you do now in the crypto and blockchain world?
I have been a community organizer and come from a startup operations background. I am an advocate for the right to privacy and personal self governance.
Current contributing efforts go toward educating peers on the benefits of distributed systems and how to use them. I have a strong background in P2P applications and I believe that blockchain technology is the humble disruptor of our time. Solving social problems, such as trust or reputation, without any third party—truly supporting P2P self-governed communities.
With inclusive urgency, I am driven to support all peers from any background to adopt revolutionary technologies through ways that anyone can relate and understand.
My current full-time initiative is to see Decentralized Art Shows have 20 events in 20 cities. We strategically align our art shows to be the unofficial after parties to top crypto, Bitcoin, and blockchain conferences around the world. We host pop-up micro economies where artists accept cryptocurrencies for their creations.
What do you think are some of the most interesting developments in blockchain, and what do you think are some opportunities for growth or things to watch today?
From popular demand it is exciting to see how decentralized exchanges progress. Atomic swaps and cross chain transactions are also needed and quite interesting.
So far Litecoin, Decred, and VertCoin have had success with atomic swaps.
(I'm looking forward) to seeing Web 3 come together. DApps (decentralized apps) will have to have much better forward-facing designs than an application look from the Oregon Trail times. Not only are more smart contract developers needed, but programmers with great understanding of UX/UI (user interface and user experience) is a huge demand as well. Keep an eye out for Blockgeeks if you want to learn more on building smart contracts.
Is there an opportunity for women to get into this industry in ways that they haven’t in the past in these areas? Is there still work that needs to be done to get more women involved, and if so, what?
There are many opportunities in blockchain for applied focus and committed determination. I think women can undoubtedly pioneer new areas of innovation.
Men can be in alliance with women in tech by supporting inclusiveness, choosing to only sit on panels with a balance of expert women professionals on the panel as well.
Women who are actively seeking opportunities should make time (in the already 75-hour workweek) for allowing visibility on themselves and the value they are creating. To get more ladies involved, women want to see a relatable example. We need to take time to be mentors and role models.
Is it an equal playing field? Do women have access to the same opportunities and information, and how can they best make their mark in blockchain?
Today at large, women have greater access to resources and opportunities in technology than generations previous.
Cypherpunks pioneered inclusiveness in championing privacy for everyone. This movement of building open communities with anonymous systems absolutely broke barriers to entry points for women into tech.
To learn more about Lauren Slade's current project, visit www.decentralizedartshows.com.
The State of Women in Crypto and Blockchain: Lisa Brincat
We continue to learn from women leaders in blockchain and cryptocurrency. Lisa Brincat is an accountant, consultant, and mentor and an organizer at the Futurist Collective, a business focused on helping people build future skills by learning from a network of experts and mentors and bringing together investors in ways that help them access greater opportunities. Brincat talks about mentoring, teaching, the importance of creating and seizing opportunities, and the importance of learning in the new and growing space of blockchain. While in the past, women have often trailed their male colleagues in delving into the applications of new technology, Brincat sees this as one of the biggest areas to realize success in this space. She stresses the importance of learning the uses of the blockchain—then recognizing opportunities and possibilities to reach out, work together, and put the blockchain and our networks to use for everyone.
Futurist Collective is holding an ICO accelerator this year March 1 to 4 in Bali, where attendees will learn from highly qualified mentors and advisers. Learn more about the event here, and read on for Brincat's insights about entering and thriving in blockchain and the crypto world.
How did you first become involved with cryptocurrency and blockchain technology?
My business partner and I run an investor education group and are syndicate leads of the Futurist Collective. The Futurist Collective is for strategic thinkers—executives, consultants, and business people who see the future trends and want to take action. You are either being disrupted or doing the disrupting. Our investor group gives us guidance on where to “Go Seek” opportunities, which is how I become involved in cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.
What is your background, and what do you do now in the crypto world?
I am a chartered accountant, management consultant, and business mentor. I started my career in a Big 4 accounting practice. I love to have fun, learn, teach, and see change happen. I am currently running education programs that highlight and teach future skills and bring investment opportunities to our group for syndication. Our next event is an ICO accelerator from March 1 to 4 in Bali.
What do you see as some of the most promising aspects of this space—in terms of new developments and opportunities, things to watch for, and potential for women to enter and thrive in the crypto world?
The understated area, I believe, is in aligning incentives and behaviors. Understanding where the applications are is still relatively new for the female entrepreneur community.
The number women in cryptocurrency is still quite small, and it lies at the intersection of finance and technology—two areas in which women are still underrepresented. How can women enter and thrive in this industry?
Women need to not be intimidated by the tech language associated with blockchain businesses. Focusing on where value can be created is the key takeaway.
Asking questions such as:
In my current industry are there intermediaries? And is this the most efficient way of delivering the product or service? If the answer is "Yes" and then "No," here is likely a blockchain application.
In my current industry, would we solve a big problem that adds a lot of value if we had a common incentive that was easily administered? If yes, there is likely a blockchain application.
If I provided capital or equipment to a group who wouldn’t otherwise be able to access that, would they be able to provide an economic benefit?
In my current industry, is information collected but not optimised to create more value? Blockchain application.
I am also relatively new to the space. However, business fundamentals still remain the same: Does my product or service provide value to my customers? Can I reach more customers? Am I making it easy to do business with me? Is there a pathway for multiple transactions with me? Will there be a return for my efforts and those that invest in me?
Do women face the same challenges in cryptocurrency and blockchain that they often have in these and similar industries in the past; such as different expectations personally and professional than men experience, a confidence gap, and a lack of representation or role models in the field?
There is certainly a confidence gap and a language gap. Don’t be afraid to ask questions that help you “translate” back into your own language. If in doubt – take action.
What else would you like women to know about this growing field? How can women best make their mark in this industry?
Women are particularly well placed to cast off any hype and link the technology to where value can be created in the world—and then be resourceful and take action.
Lisa Brincat invites anyone interested in the ICO Accelerator program to get in touch at info@tippingpointconsultant.com.au, and to check out details and sign up for the event at www.futuristcollective.com/futurist-ico-accelerator.
Building Gender Equality From the Inside Out and the Outside In
As part of a Forbes ongoing series about women leaders in technology, Amy Blankson shares insights from Jayne Groll, CEO of the DevOps Institute and tech expert, as she discusses moving beyond stereotypes and assumptions if we want to attract more girls and women to technology. Instead of seeing women as less capable in tech fields and in need of special accommodations, we need to work on giving women a voice and many seats at the table; eliminating gender bias in the workplace; and truly making the field inviting, safe, and navigable for women. It's an approach that will help women, men, and workplaces in general, as more opportunities for women mean a better balance for everyone—and the opportunity to make the most of women's talents and ideas.
By Amy Blankson
This is the sixth article in the "Women Execs in Tech Series," an ongoing conversation about current challenges in the industry and best practices for increasing gender parity in the workplace.
Jayne Groll is co-founder and CEO of the DevOps Institute and has accumulated a wealth of IT credentials throughout her career. Her 25 years in senior IT management have positioned her as a sounding board for individuals hoping to delve deeper into the many issues in tech. Recently, she was asked how to recruit more girls for a robotics team. A male participant in the conversation suggested they should “make the robots pink or something?”
Despite over two decades in the tech sector, Jayne is still dumbfounded by these types of suggestion. In her mind, it’s not about making the tech industry more appealing to women by “pinkifying it,” but rather it's about making the sector a fair and safe place for women.
Data doesn't lie: Tech firms need to hire more women to succeed
By SARAH LACY, Wired
The year 2017 put gender bias in focus again. Firms must study the numbers if they want to thrive, writes entrepreneur and author Sarah Lacy. In this extract from her new book, Lacy makes the case that hiring women isn't just the right thing to do - it makes business sense too
Silicon Valley prides itself on being a place that breaks the mold, embracing misfits, disrupting business as usual. We're so radical that we fund college dropouts who've never held down jobs before to build companies. That is pretty radical. Or it was. The first time it was done. Once it becomes the new template for the only thing you fund, you aren't disrupting anything.
The industry's top VCs have actually copped to this. During a 2008 keynote at the National Venture Capital Association, John Doerr (one of the top VCs in the history of Silicon Valley) said to Mike Moritz (another one), "If you look at [Amazon founder Jeff] Bezos, or [Netscape founder Marc] Andreessen, [Yahoo! co-founder] David Filo, the founders of Google, they all seem to be white, male nerds who've dropped out of Harvard or Stanford, and they absolutely have no social life." Doerr took it further, saying, "That correlates more with any other success factor that I've seen in the world's greatest entrepreneurs."
Startup Accelerators Hold The Keys To Gender Equity In Tech
When I quit my job on Wall Street to launch Invibed, I heard every reason why my idea wasn't going to work. Millennials don't care about money. Really smart people have already tried to solve this problem and failed. And of course, only 3 percent of venture capital goes to female founders.
A few months ago, my co-founder and I were on a business trip when we received a call. We were one of 12 startups accepted into the NYU Steinhardt EdTech Accelerator powered by StartEd. Being accepted meant we would participate in a three-month immersive program in New York City and that we were eligible for up to $170,000 in investment, funded by Rethink Education. We had just become part of the 3 percent.
An Accelerator That Is The Exception Not The Norm
Knowing "what is," we were prepared to be the only female founders in our cohort. But walking into the first day at StartEd, we forgot ‘what is’ and were reminded of "what could be."
Three FinTech CEOS Share Keys To Startup Success For Women Leaders
Within the first few minutes, you must establish your credibility.
That is keen advice from Krista Morgan, CEO of P2Binvestor since 2012 and co-host of “Women Who Startup” radio podcasts.
“I often just emphasize my degree, my portfolio growth and put my expertise in context,” says Morgan, whose company deals in access to lines of credit from $250,000 to $10 million.
“I walk into a room of people in finance and they don’t expect you to be a CEO of a finance company. So I overcome that bias.” She adds, “I also try to be a slightly more serious and less friendly version of myself.”
Morgan’s company, P2Binvestor (that stands for People to Business), “is a financial technology company providing large lines of credit to growing companies who are too big for small business loans but cannot yet access a traditional bank line of credit. We partner with private investors and banks to provide our clients with competitively priced, flexible, and scalable capital. We also build amazing technology that makes it easy to manage large, asset-based lines of credit,” according to the company site.
Morgan is a leader in FinTech, the growing field merging finance and technology with a startling lack of gender diversity.
Laurene Powell Jobs' Emerson Collective backs edtech startup
By: Kelly J. O'Brien
(Photo: Patrick T. Fallon | Bloomberg)
Emerson Collective, an organization started by billionaire Laurene Powell Jobs, has led a $16 million investment into Boston edtech startup Panorama Education.
Jobs isn't the only tech luminary to take an interest in Panorama, which went through the West Coast startup accelerator Y Combinator in 2013 before moving to Boston. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg contributed to a $4 million round via his Startup:Education fund. The startup tacked on a $12 million Series A round in 2015.
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative participated in the latest round, as did other previous investors Spark Capital, Owl Ventures, and SoftTechVC.
Lego launching set featuring women stars of NASA
Representation matters in all forms -- even when that form is less than two inches tall. Women's history in STEM professions has long gone underappreciated, but with a newly unveiled Lego minifigure set and more, that is starting to change. The new set sheds light on women's contributions to the U.S. space program. Read more, and keep an eye out for celebrations of women who have led the way in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. cnet.com - Lego fans want to see brick versions of women in the sciences, and the toy company has heard them.
In 2016, 10,000 supporters on the Lego Ideas fan-created projects site backed a Women of NASA set. Lego announced on Tuesday it will produce the set, which was proposed by Lego fan and science writer and editor Maia Weinstock.
The approval of the set comes on the heels of popular 2016 movie "Hidden Figures," which explores the contributions of black women to the space agency and the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit in the early 1960s. Katherine Johnson, one of the scientists featured in the film, appears in the Lego minifig set.
The project also includes computer scientist Margaret Hamilton, astronaut Sally Ride, astronomer Nancy Grace Roman and astronaut Mae Jemison.
Weinstock's vision for the set includes minifig representations of each woman and a group of vignettes that feature mini versions of the space shuttle and the Hubble Space Telescope.
Lego previously delved into the world of NASA with the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover set, which is now retired.
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Africa must bust the myth that girls aren't good at maths and science
In Africa, as throughout the world, societies are recognizing that girls and women have just as much to offer scientific and mathematical fields as boys and men. Still, the stigma and the mindset that "girls just aren't that good at science and math" persists. If we want to see more women in careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics; we have to start at the beginning of the pipeline -- when those women are girls, being influenced by the representations they see and the ideas that surround them. This article from CNBC Africa explores how education and communication play a part, as well as specific obstacles faces by black women, the role of history, how to address the gender imbalance, and how to encourage exploration of math and science by girls, opening minds -- and expanding horizons. cnbcafrica.com - Africa must bust the myth that girls aren't good at maths and science
Children’s ideas about what their gender means for their intellectual capacity are formed before they have even turned six. One idea that’s particularly pervasive and dangerous is that, only boys are good at maths and science.
Popular media only exacerbates the problem. Research has shown that girls hardly ever see adult women doing jobs that involve science, technology, engineering and maths on television programmes. Children’s programmes also rarely feature women doing anything scientific.
These early stereotypes may lead to young girls developing a “fear” of these subjects throughout their schooling. This ultimately limits their career aspirations. They become afraid to enter into fields that are based on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Statistics compiled by UNESCO reveal that, globally, women make up less than 30% of the people working in STEM careers. The situation is worse in some countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
In South Africa, where I live and work, the problem is worsened by the country’s apartheid history. Today, black women are still struggling to access scientific careers at all. Those who do may fall victim to the “leaky pipeline” syndrome: they start degrees in science, but don’t continue to postgraduate level or go on to work in STEM fields. There are many reasons for this, including gender bias.
by Nox Makunga, Stellenbosch University
India’s rocket women
Women really are making their mark around the world -- and even out of it. We were so excited to see "India's rocket women" celebrating the country putting a satellite in orbit around Mars. Not only were the women involved with and leading the Mars orbiter mission, the Indian Space Research Organization has several women scientists in key positions helping the country explore space. The Deccan Chronicle got to know a few of these remarkable women. deccanchronicle.com - The overwhelming success of India’s space missions has highlighted the role of the country’s women scientists.
Think Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), think Vikram Sarabhai, Satish Dhawan, G. Madhavan Nair, Rodham Narsimha and a host of geniuses. They build on an earlier generation of scientists who worked to push India’s space frontiers, men who came to define the contours of the country’s scientific rediscovery — C.V. Raman and Meghnad Saha. But times are changing.
Two years ago, as Indian scientists successfully put a satellite Mangalyaan into orbit around Mars, history was scripted. Away from the dour image of spectacled and formally suited nerds working on complex diagrams and theories, this snapshot of Indian scientists, who achieved the feat in a record 15 months, was warmly refreshing — women dressed in resplendent saris, chatting gaily as they went about their work. Given that they have to work hard at home as well, faced as they are with societal discrimination, the Isro story remains a landmark not just for Indian science, but the women behind it.
Ritu Karidhal — from sky watcher to scientist
Ritu Karidhal is the Lucknow-born deputy operations director of the Mars Orbiter Mission. As a little girl growing up in Lucknow, Ritu was an avid sky watcher who “used to wonder about the size of the moon, why it increases and decreases. I wanted to know what lay behind the dark spaces,” she says.
A student of science, she scoured newspapers for information about NASA and ISRO projects, collected news clippings and read every detail about anything related to space science. After getting her PG degree, “I applied for a job at ISRO and that’s how I became a space scientist,” she says.
Eighteen years later, she has worked on several projects at ISRO, including the prestigious Mars mission, which thrust her and her colleagues into the limelight. She told a news portal in 2015 that she had to conceptualise and ensure the execution of the craft’s autonomous brain so that it could function on its own and even overcome malfunctions.
Manoj Joshi and B. R. Srikanth, Deccan Chronicle
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Adjusting the frequency: Women on the airwaves
unwomen.org - Adjusting the frequency: Women on the airwaves As World Radio Day is observed globally, we highlight how UN Women and the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters are raising awareness of critical issues through a series of co-productions for the Beijing+20 anniversary.
An intruder breaks into a mechanical engineering class at Montreal’s École Polytechnique…
He orders the men to leave the room and asks the women if they know why they are here…
These women are future engineers…
But to the killer, these are feminists who need to be fought…
He pulls out his rifle and kills 14 women...”
This mournful and gruesome scene pulls the audience into the radio podcast Feminisme d’hier, égalité d’aujourd’hui? (Yesterday’s feminism, today’s equality?), aired in French on Montreal radio station CIBL 101.5. Three high-ranking professional women in construction, politics and the business secto) discuss that question and assess Quebec’s societal progress 25 years after the massacre. The discussion revolves around key questions: how has the women’s causes changed; are women accessing decision-making roles; are they more equal today?
Fighting the STEM gender gap with stories of trailblazing female scientists
pri.org - For writer and illustrator Rachel Ignotofsky, the idea to profile 50 pioneering female scientists in her recent book, “Women in Science,” was spurred by conversations with educator friends. As they talked about the gender gap in science, technology, engineering and math fields, Ignotofsky realized women aren’t just underrepresented in STEM, itself — the stories about their contributions don't get much play, either. This story is based on a radio interview. Listen to the full interview.
“I just kept saying over and over again, we ... only talk about female scientists during women's history month,” she says. “We're not taught about them in school. We're not taught about them in history class, and the only one that we do talk about is Marie Curie.”
“So, what happens to young girls and boys when you're not introduced to these strong female role models, who all throughout history have made an immense impact on the sciences?”
The answer to that question is evident by the numbers: There’s a 22 percent gender gap among science and engineering grads, and a 52 percent gender gap among the entire STEM workforce, according to 2011 data from the United States Census Bureau. “I think when people close their eyes and think of who a scientist is, they don't see a woman,” Ignotofsky says.
6 ways to include more women of color in tech - TechRepublic
techrepublic.com - Tech company efforts to diversify by hiring more women are falling short in a key way: Leaving out women of color. "You see this in most large-scale initiatives built to create equality," said Aubrey Blanche, global head of diversity and inclusion at software company Atlassian. "When you focus on the larger group we call women, which is itself very diverse, you end up in a program that serves the needs of the majority in that group, which are white women."
Affirmative action programs have primarily benefited white women, a number of studies have shown. "We see that replicated in the tech industry, which is problematic, because we end up leaving women who don't fall into that camp behind," Blanche said. "You don't get as much diversity as you'd like."
Research shows that diverse teams are more innovative and creative, and that employees are happier. "As America becomes more diverse and globalized, it is smart to understand how to support greater diversity of your own workforce and of customers," Blanche said. "It's smart from a business perspective, and it has social impact."
From Nigeria to Kenya, TechInPink bridges digital divide - Vanguard News
vanguardngr.com - AT face value, Yetunde Sanni and Gertrude Nyenyeshi have nothing in common. Sanni is from Nigeria, Nyeyenshi from Kenya. They haven’t even met in person. At a deeper level however, their love for technology unites them. Both ladies founded, and now run TechInPink, an organisation that teaches women and girls coding and software development regardless of their background. According to Sanni, who is also a full time stack developer at Andela: “We started with blogging which involves teaching other people the craft of software development, we decided to do this because we found out we have very few tech based blogs that are run by women and we took the challenge upon ourselves to transform the false that women can’t write great code tutorials.”
Although the organisation is barely a year old, success stories abound from the ‘pink techies’ efforts. There are two students that readily come to mind when we’re asked about our success stories,” said Nyenyeshi, a full stack Javascript developer.
“One is Salma, an Architecture student in Kenya, and the other is Ruth a paramedical student in Nigeria who we mentored last year. They both had no prior experience but their transformation has been tremendous. We’d also list the two events that we held in both locations a success story as the ladies were introduced and taught about programming and it makes us smile to see some of them actively pursuing opportunities to learn more.”
Women, Minorities and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering report released
phys.org - The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) today announced the release of the 2017 Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering (WMPD) report, the federal government's most comprehensive look at the participation of these three demographic groups in science and engineering education and employment. The report shows the degree to which women, people with disabilities and minorities from three racial and ethnic groups—black, Hispanic and American Indian or Alaska Native—are underrepresented in science and engineering (S&E;). Women have reached parity with men in educational attainment but not in S&E; employment. Underrepresented minorities account for disproportionately smaller percentages in both S&E; education and employment
Congress mandated the biennial report in the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act as part of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) mission to encourage and strengthen the participation of underrepresented groups in S&E;.
Emirati girl hopes to be among the first astronauts to travel to Mars
thenational.ae - DUBAI // When Alia Al Mansouri grows up, she hopes to become one of the first Emirati astronauts of her generation to travel to Mars. The 14-year-old from Dubai was one of many pupils who attended the Project Space conference yesterday where female scientists and space experts discussed the need for more women in the industry.
Of the 537 people who have travelled into space so far, only 60 have been women. But the trend is changing, according to Dr Sara Al Maeeni, an expert in space communication and research at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, where 40 per cent of the employees are female.
"We’d like to increase that number," said Dr Al Maeeni, who joined the centre last year.
"The UAE has been very supportive of women. The leaders have always given tremendous support to women and established organisations to empower women, encouraging them to go into education in every possible way and we can see now that women are everywhere."
She said the country’s ministries were led by powerful female figures trying to empower youth to create their own future.
A Day With the Women Scientists Protesting Trump
theatlantic.com - “I’m so anti-protest, and so anti-demonstration,” she told me. “Growing up in the U.S.S.R., I always have that sense that protest is theater.” Even after she moved to the United States, she retained her suspicion of demonstrations large and small. They seemed to rarely achieve their goals, and they reminded her of the government-planned pageantry of her youth. As a graduate student at the University of Colorado Boulder, she attended a protest during the run-up to the Iraq War—only to leave before it ended out of personal unease. Since then, her research into community ecology has taken her to the tropical rainforests of Costa Rica and the high-elevation deserts of Utah. It let her spend months studying leafcutter ants, a colony-dwelling creature that grows fungus for its food; and it introduced her to Pseudobombax septenatum, a tree sheathed in photosynthetic bark that can store water in its trunk for months at a time. But her life as a scientist didn’t bring her to a mass protest until January 21, 2017, when she joined roughly 50 other female scientists—and hundreds of thousands of demonstrators—at the Women’s March on Washington. She marched as part of 500 Women Scientists, a new advocacy group for science and scientists that she and several of her friends established in the weeks after the election. Most of the women walked in white lab coats, on which they had written with Sharpie the names of their heroes, mentors, and friends who could not attend. They chanted “What do we want? Data! When do we want it? Forever!” and “When I say peer, you say review! Peer! Review! Peer! Review!” Someone held a sign saying, “MAR-A-LAGO (Trump’s Resort) WILL BE UNDER WATER BY 2045.” At the bottom, in tiny text, it cited a report from Coastal Risk Consulting, a private firm that uses climate data to project future sea-level rise. They marched together, but it was the first time many of the members had met each other in person. 500 Women Scientists first attracted attention in late November after its post-election pledge garnered more than more than 10,000 signatures in a week. Since then, its members have sat on panels together and plotted the group’s next steps. But many did not actually gather together until Saturday, when women scientists associated with the group marched in Denver, Seattle, Los Angeles, and D.C.