Tech Intersections

About

Why?

We created this conference to address the needs of women (cis and trans) of color, such as African-Americans and Latinas, who rarely see others like themselves in the workplace, especially in higher ranking positions. Existing tech conferences — even ones specifically designed for women — often have few underrepresented women in attendance and as speakers, especially on technical topics. Additionally, tech conferences are typically unaffordable, creating a financial barrier to those interested in breaking into the industry.

What?

Tech Intersections provides a space for the women of color most underrepresented in tech to come together and learn from each other’s successes, challenges, and experiences. While we value our allies and recognize that all women in tech and men of color also face discrimination, this is a unique opportunity for us to have our own space. We have sponsored ally skills workshops in the past and plan to do so again.

Specifically, this conference is exclusively for people who:

  • identify as women of color [read more],
  • are engineers, entrepreneurs, activists, teachers, or leaders in tech (or aspiring to be), and
  • belong to an ethnic group underrepresented in tech, including, but not limited to:
    • African-American
    • American Indian/Native American
    • Latinx
    • Middle Eastern
    • Pacific Islander
    • Southeast Asian

Speakers present talks, panels, and workshops on:

  • career skills
  • self-care
  • sharing the benefits
  • tech ecosystem building
  • tech entrepreneurship and VC
  • technical skills

Tickets are priced to keep cost from being a barrier to attendance, and speakers attend for free. We aim for a harassment-free environment and hold attendees and staff to a code of conduct.

Attendance is limited to 250 people. Free childcare will be provided.

We encourage you to read about the language we use.

Who?

The organizers are:

Mills is a trans-friendly Hispanic-serving women’s college in Oakland, California, which has offered computer science classes since 1960. In addition to offering a major and minor in computer science, Mills has unique graduate programs that enable people who have earned a bachelor’s degree in another field to study computer science and earn a Master of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Computer Science or post-baccalaureate certificate. Graduates of the program have gone on to work as engineers at Google, Apple, Salesforce, Splunk, Mozilla, Twitter, and other top companies; to teach at public and private K-12 schools and at City College of San Francisco; and to PhD programs at CMU, University of Washington, and University of California San Diego. Mills is proud to claim organizers Maira Benjamin and Idalin Bobé as alumnae.

Where?

Mills College is located at 5000 MacArthur Blvd. in Oakland, which is accessible by AC Transit and has free parking.

Talks will take place in Littlefield Concert Hall and the Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business, which are wheelchair accessible. Gender-neutral bathrooms will be available. We are committed to the full inclusion of people with disabilities, including providing ASL interpreters and CART services as needed.

When?

The conference will take place on Saturday, January 29, 2022. We plan for registration and breakfast to begin at 8 AM and for the morning session to start at 9 AM. We expect the conference to run until approximately 5 PM.

The first Tech Intersections conference was held on Saturday, January 27, 2018. 

How Can I Help?

You can ask your employer or other organizations to become a sponsor.

Credits

Our logo was designed by Mills undergraduate Deana Bui, vectorized by Mills graduate student Pirouz Mehmandoost, and updated by Owen Troy, Design des Troy, who has also helped in many other ways.

Two inspirations for this conference were Ana Diaz Hernandez’ Facebook group Women of Color in Tech – Bay Area, and the wonderfully diverse San Francisco Lesbians Who Tech Summit.