The opening session (which is joint with the main conference) will include a keynote by Erica Baker, a Senior Engineering Manager at Patreon and advocate for diversity and inclusion in tech, and expanding access to tech education. Erica is on the Board of Directors for Girl Develop It, the advisory Boards for Atipica and Hack the Hood, and is a Tech Mentor for Black Girls Code. Erica is a founding member of Project Include, was the 2015 Level Playing Field Institute Lux Award winner, a nominee for the 2016 Crunchies Include Diversity Award, and was included in WIRED Magazine’s 2016 Next List.

Sometimes it can be hard to know how to react when we observe bias taking place, particularly when we may not be from the group affected. An ally is someone who uses their position in society to actively support members of marginalized groups when discrimination occurs. This workshop is designed as an introduction to ally skills, teaching participants how to use their privilege and influence to support others. We will cover the characteristics of healthy ally relationship, techniques for supporting those from marginalized groups in the workplace, and ways to leverage power to create positive change

Hate speech in the workplace is often justified as “free speech,” or “diversity of thought,” making it harder to challenge. In this talk, you will learn how to recognize, name, and combat hate speech in the workplace, using tools such as the Paradox of Tolerance, codes of conduct, and reframing.