Supporting women and girls in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) careers is a topic that is close to all of us at Market Street Talent. The statistics about diversity in the workplace, especially in technology, are compelling. The Harvard Business Review calculates that 41% of women in technology leave the field, compared to just 17% of men. It’s not only the workforce being affected by this lack of gender diversity – companies benefit from higher female participation as well. An analysis conducted by Credit Suisse Research Institute revealed that companies with women on their boards had higher return on equity, lower gearing, higher price/book value multiples, and better average growth than those with no female board members. As a woman-founded and certified WBNEC business, Market Street Talent is proud to sponsor and organize the WITNH series.
The third annual WITNH event will be held on April 10 at The One Hundred Club in Portsmouth and is sponsored by Market Street Talent, BDS Insight and Diversity Workforce Coalition. This year, the focus will be on the “leaky pipeline” – mid and later career women in tech leaving their fields at a much higher rate than men. Research suggests multi-faceted causes lead to this phenomenon, including barriers to advancement, general work environment, and a desire to make meaningful impact through work. This year’s event aims to address these and other issues throughout the evening.
Dr. Lauren Provost, Director of Science and Technology Outreach at Dartmouth College, will deliver the keynote address before joining a panel of technologists who will speak on developing a culture in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) where women can thrive. Discussion panel members will include Jenny Houston, Executive Vice President at Warwick Mills; Leslie Ann Buckley, Division Vice President of Northeast Division Engineering and NOC at Comcast; Mary Jane Horne, Division Vice President of Engineering Construction and Commercial Services at Comcast; and Becky McCullough, Director of North American Recruiting at Hubspot. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Loretta Brady, Professor at Saint Anselm College and President of BDS Insight.
The goal of the 2017 WITNH event is to continue shedding light on the importance of taking steps to attract and retain women in technology, thus expanding our region’s workforce and bettering our businesses. Our speakers and panelists can all speak to the power of implementing diversity initiatives and achieving positive results. “We are excited to highlight some great examples of local firms where women are recognized as valuable contributors, and where intention and community have come together to create environments where women are championed throughout their career development,” comments Jennifer Gray, founder and President of Market Street Talent.
The WITNH event is from 5 to 7:30pm at The One Hundred Club in Portsmouth. Light refreshments will be served. For more information about the Women in Technology event on April 10, contact us at (603)431-0070 or reach out on Facebook or Twitter. Our team will all be in attendance, and we hope to see you there!
Sources:
“Large-cap Companies with at Least One Woman on the Board Have Outperformed Their Peer Group with No Women on The-board by 26% over the Last Six Years, According to a Report by Credit Suisse Research Institute.” Credit Suisse. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2017.
Grant, David RockHeidi. “Why Diverse Teams Are Smarter.” Harvard Business Review. N.p., 04 Nov. 2016. Web. 16 Mar. 2017.