Ellen Pao emphasizes the importance of building community and solidarity to combat isolation and promote diversity in the tech sector.
The podcast highlights the critical role women of color in tech leadership can play in reshaping culture and decision-making for inclusivity.
Deep dives
Anika Collier-Navaroli's Diverse Background
Anika Collier-Navaroli brings a unique combination of experience to her role as a reporting fellow in tech policy, drawing from her diverse background as a lawyer, writer, and researcher. Her work spans various sectors, including academia, civil society, and industry, with notable positions at platforms like Twitter and Twitch. Anika's noteworthy testimony to the U.S. Select Committee on the January 6th Capitol attack provided critical insights into the challenges faced by these platforms in handling extremism and incitement to violence. With a focus on technology's intersection with media and human rights, Anika aims to foster conversations about envisioning a more just and equitable tech landscape.
Navigating Obstacles in Tech Policy
Anika highlights a troubling stagnation in U.S. tech policy discussions, emphasizing a lack of forward momentum in addressing urgent issues like trust and safety. She emphasizes the need for an affirmative vision for technology, one that fosters justice, equity, and sustainability rather than merely surviving the current landscape. This introspection leads her to question how individuals and communities can channel their energy towards solutions that not only address contemporary challenges but also lay groundwork for a thriving future. Anika's exploration invites a deeper engagement with the pressing questions surrounding tech policy and societal implications.
The Importance of Community
During her fellowship, Anika aims to highlight the concept of community, which she believes is critical in navigating the tech landscape. Engaging with influential figures like Ellen Pao enriches the dialogue about building supportive relationships in a field marked by isolation and hostility. Ellen shares her experience of promoting diversity and inclusion in tech, further showcasing the positive impact that a strong community can have in countering systemic issues. Their discussions reveal how meaningful connections can foster resilience and motivate individuals to push for necessary changes in the tech world.
The Role of Women and Diversity in Tech Leadership
The podcast also delves into the need for more women of color in tech leadership roles, highlighting the positive change they can bring to company culture and decision-making. Ellen Pao discusses her experiences in Silicon Valley and how leaders from diverse backgrounds can empathize with the unique challenges faced by marginalized communities. Drawing from history, they express hope that future leaders will prioritize ethics and accountability over profit, ultimately creating a healthier tech ecosystem. Such changes will not only benefit marginalized groups but can also reshape the industry's landscape for the better, fostering a culture of inclusivity and support.
For a special series of episodes that will air throughout the year, Tech Policy Press fellow Anika Collier Navaroli is hosting a series of discussions intended to help us imagine possible futures—for tech and tech policy, for democracy, and society—beyond the moment we are in. Dubbed Through to Thriving, the first episode in the series features a discussion on how to build community and solidarity with Ellen Pao, currently the co-founder of a nonprofit called Project Include, which focuses on advancing diversity and inclusion in the tech sector. Previously, Pao was the interim CEO of Reddit and a venture capitalist.
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