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Katie McAuliffe, Federal Affairs Manager at Americans for Tax Reform and Executive Director of Digital Liberty, will be moderating a panel on diversity in the technology field at the music, film, and technology conference South by Southwest in Austin, Texas.

The panel is titled “Making Our Tech Look More Like Our Country” and will focus on the topic of diversity in the technology field and how to encourage more women and minorities to enter the field.

Kimberly Bryant, Founder and Executive Director of Black Girls CODE, an organization dedicated to teaching girls of color computer programming and entrepreneurial concepts. Since 2011, Bryant has grown Black Girls CODE into an international non-profit organization with chapters in multiple US cities and in Johannesburg, South Africa. In 2013 Black Girl CODE was selected on BusinessInsider.com’s list of The 25 Most Influential African- Americans in Technology. In 2013 the White House honored Bryant as a Champion of Change for her work in tech inclusion. Before starting Black Girls CODE Bryant enjoyed a successful career in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.   

Lisa Lee, Senior Diversity Manager at Pandora: Lee started her career in the technology industry as one of Facebook’s earliest employees. During Lee’s seven years working for Facebook, she founded and chaired Facebook’s Asian American Pacific Islander Employee Resource Group. After Facebook, Lee began working for Pandora as the Senior Diversity Manager. In her position, Lee works closely with the recruitment team forming relationships with historically black colleges and organizations that work to develop students for the job market.  Lee is also cofounder of the blog Thick Dumpling Skin, which addresses body image issues in the Asian American community. The blog was selected by Audrey Magazine as one of the best blogs of 2011. The blog also won an Embody Award by About-Face.

Adrissha Wimberly, Senior Advisor for the Mayor’s Office of Tech and Innovation for the city of New York: Wimberly formerly worked in the NYC Comptroller’s Office where she headed civic-engagement applications and polices and managed open-data projects. Wimberly is also the co-founder and COO of the startup Smarteys, a paycheck management and personal finance product for millennials. Before co-founding Smarteys, Wimberly worked in the finance industry and also earned her MBA from the University Of Chicago Booth School Of Business, where she was a Dale Anne Reiss scholar. Wimberly also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Howard University.

With the vast knowledge and experience of these four women working in the tech industry, the panel is sure to be highly informative and interesting.

 

The following is a flyer for the informative panels being held at SXSW:

 

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA)™ is hosting a series of policy panels and networking events at SXSW 2016 to promote innovation and the great work of our more than 2,200 member companies.

Sunday, March 13 
Join us at the CTA Meetup for tacos and margaritas, where you can network, connect, and refuel. Stop by Maggie Mae’s (323 E 6th St.) from 3-5 PM to learn about how CTA promotes technology innovation in America and supports our members through advocacy efforts in Washington, DC, and across the country. 

Monday, March 14 
Please join Google and CTA for “Up Next: The New Faces of Creativity,” a by-invitation event highlighting Web creators and musicians and their growing economic, political and cultural power. The event will take place at the Google Fiber Space (201 Colorado St.) from 5-8 PM and will include a panel discussion and cocktail reception with DJ set by Hank Shocklee of Public Enemy. Invitation to follow. 

Tuesday, March 15
CTA is sponsoring the third annual Innovation Policy Day, at Parkside (301 E 6th St.). Join us for a full day of policy panels that bring together leaders in the new economy, entrepreneurs and technology advocates. Full schedule:

·       10 AM – Networking Breakfast

·       11 AM – The Sharing Economy and the 21st Century Workforce

·       Noon – Networking Lunch

·       12:30 PM – Is Your Fridge Judging You? Tales From the IoT

·       2 PM – Making Our Tech Look More Like Our Country

·       3:30 PM – The Policies Impacting Drones and the Future of Flight

Interactive and Music Panels:
Discover the latest tech trends and policies impacting innovation at these SXSW Interactive and Music sessions featuring CTA’s senior executives:

·Saturday, March 12 at 11 AM – Smart Cars, Smarter Cities: New Transit Tech 

·Sunday, March 13 at 11 AM – Get Your Goods: Unmanned Systems and 3D Printing 

·         Tuesday, March 15 at 9:30 AM – Be the Next Tony Stark 

·         Thursday, March 17 at 12:30 PM – Hi-Res Audio in Every Earbud

·         Thursday, March 17 at 2 PM – Five Best Startup Ideas in VR/AR

Also visit CTA.tech/sxsw for this information.