CompTIA CEO Describes Technology Industry’s Need for Diversity, Inclusivity
Todd Thibodeaux
During ChannelCon 2017 earlier this month, CompTIA CEO Todd Thibodeaux’s keynote made a compelling case for technology leaders — and everyday entrepreneurs — to address diversity and inclusivity in their businesses.
I nearly “live blogged” the keynote for ChannelE2E’s readers. But frankly, as the keynote unfolded I knew a live blog wouldn’t do the discussion justice. Instead of blogging during Thibodeaux’s talk, I sat back and listened. And learned. And then I vowed to get my hands on a video recording of the keynote.
The Keynote Encore: On Demand
Fast forward to present day, and CompTIA sent me a link to the keynote (see below). The actual keynote starts at the 1 minute and 58 second mark:
Take a look. Listen closely. And determine what role you and your company can play in solving the major diversity and inclusivity issues that ultimately hold us all back.
Pause. Reset. Listen
Thibodeaux’s words and perspectives are especially important amid the recent pain and horror that our nation witnessed in Charlottesville, Va. Admittedly, workplace bias and inclusivity issues aren’t quite the same as white supremacists marching in our streets and allegedly murdering an anti-protester.
But frankly, we all need to take a hard look in the mirror. We need to understand the unspoken biases each of us may carry. And we need to work on addressing and eliminating those biases — even the subtle ones that we think aren’t harmful.
Well said Joe. I was equally impressed with Thibodeaux’s keynote.
We recently received some feedback that our website gave off a “bro” vibe. In looking at it again with fresh eyes, we identified some things we could change to make it more representative of the company we are — and the company we want to be as we continue to grow our team.
Thibodeaux’s keynote kicked me in the butt and since ChannelCon, we’ve updated the careers page of our website to try to demonstrate the welcoming and respectful culture we nurture here at Auvik (https://www.auvik.com/careers/). Still lots of work to do but we’re trying to be more conscious the biases that we may not even realize we have.
Hey Jacqui,
Thanks for the note, and readership. I’d add more but I keep coming back to the same conclusion: It’s best to keep referring people directly to Todd’s keynote.
Best,
-jp