| Dear Friend, |
Last week, I had the privilege to speak on a panel at TechFlash's Women in Tech event. If you were there, you saw an amazing group of women from every segment of this city's high tech industry. Not only do they stand out as leaders in business, but they also serve as inspirations to the next generation of young women. I am humbled and honored to be counted among them.
Then this morning, two blog posts came across my screen that reminded me how much more work we still have to do in our efforts to create a culture of high expectations for students. Both have been added to TAF's MediaLab. I invite you to read them, think about them and share your thoughts with us and with your friends.
The first is an unfiltered review of the Women in Tech event. Mr. Calbucci is blunt, but his insight is right on. When divisions along gender lines still run deep, how can we hope to attract the best and brightest young women to STEM fields?
The other is a sobering call for a better STEM pipeline for African-American students. I don't think I thought about just how clearly advances in technology could lead to the displacement of whole classes of people, particularly minorities. Are we about to make the same mistake again in the digital age? I hope not. TAF's mission is to make sure that's not the case.
These things are hard to hear sometimes. I'd like to think we're making progress. And with events like Women in Tech and voices of these bloggers at Seattle 2.0 and STEM-ology, I know we're headed in the right direction.
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