A Wider Net: Inclusion & Innovation in Tech

Presented in Partnership with The Paley Center for Media & NYC Tech Talent Pipeline

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Approximately 200 persons were in attendance at The Paley Center for Media in New York City on the evening of Thursday, October 22nd for “A Wider Net: Inclusion & Innovation in Tech.”

Presented by The Paley Center for Media, Digital Diversity Network and NYC Tech Talent Pipeline, the event included a cocktail reception, panel discussions with leading tech professionals, pitches from diverse start-ups and a dynamic showcase of emerging NYC tech talent.

The Executive panel, moderated by Mario Armstrong, Contributor NBC TODAY Show & Founder, #NeverSettle Club, featured Daisy Auger- Dominguez, Global Head of Diversity Staffing at Google; Matthew Burnett, Co-founder & CEO, Maker’s Row; Christina Lewis Halpern, Founder/CEO, All Star Code; and David Tisch, Managing Partner, Box Group in a conversation about successful approaches to broadening tech hiring and encouraging more inclusive participation in the digital community.

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Tanzina Vega, Digital Correspondent, CNN led the Media panel discussion about the impact of depicting diverse imagery in the tech industry on-screen and on-line. Panelists included: William D. Caballero, Filmmaker, Composer & Video Artist; Knatokie Ford, Senior Advisor, White House Office of Science & Technology Policy; Kay Madati, EVP & Chief Digital Officer, BET; and Alex Sepiol, SVP, Original Scripted Programming, USA Networks.

Inclusion in tech company ownership was emphasized with pitches from minority-led start-ups. Presenters included Adrian Grant, Founder & CEO, Senna; and Suma Reddy, Co-founder, Waddle. Sebastian King, who recently completed an NYC Tech Talent Pipeline program, shared how learning to code took him from being a truck driver to now becoming a Web Developer at Foursquare. Teams of emerging talent showcased their apps in The Paley Center Gallery during the evening.

For video highlights from the evening, please visit paley.me/digitaldiversity

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