She remembers starting out years ago and being the only woman in a room full of men. She wants other women to feel empowered to get into the industry and stay.

Computer engineering was Dr. Pancake’s second career; she started out in anthropology. The methods she developed for applying user-centered design to improve user interfaces can be seen in software products from companies like IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, and others.

Here she shares her insights on why and how more women can find success in computing.

Cherri M. Pancake

President, Association for Computing Machinery

What challenges do women in computer science face?

The first one is that computer engineers are geeks who want to spend their time alone, doing programming. I find that most of the young women I talked to want to do something where they’re going to work with others, where they’re going to be part of a team doing collaborative work. And this isolated geek image makes them not be attracted to computing.

The second thing is the stereotype of it being a machismo culture. Obviously, that turns off an awful lot of women too.

What kind of insights have you gleaned about attracting and retaining women in computer science?

Focus on teamwork and really make it clear that teamwork is sharing ideas and working together, not just splitting it up into parts.  The second one that I think is really important is reaching out to other disciplines. We started a post-baccalaureate program at Oregon State. It lets you get a second bachelor’s degree in computing, working online at your own pace, in as little as 12 months. From an employee’s perspective, it makes them much more attractive to employers. That program has a 100 percent hiring rate and is extremely popular with employers.

You’re president of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). What initiatives has ACM worked on to increase the participation of women in computing?

One that’s most visible is the ACM-W, the ACM’s community for women in computing. It started out originally to provide sort of some forums where women could interact with peers and get to know peers and feel more of a sense of being included in the community. But it has grown incredibly all over the world.

What are a few ways that computing professionals, universities, and companies can increase this participation of women in computing?

You need to emphasize collaboration. You need to emphasize opportunity for growing as a group; you need to emphasize the things that appeal to somebody who isn’t a geek and isn’t macho.

Managers and bosses need to take some responsibility for encouraging one-on-one and small group support network. They benefit the men, too, but they’re critical to retaining women. Otherwise, even if you hire the best woman in the world, you’re going to have trouble retaining her.

What would you love to see 10 years down the line for women in this industry? 

Women in computing definitely should be much more representative of the population at large, because computing is so integral to everybody’s lives. But where I see the biggest change needed in terms of numbers is that only 14 percent of leadership positions in the technology field are held by women.

When we have a free and respectful interchange of opinions, we end up with a much better product, regardless of whether we’re talking about designing a course or a product or how to use an application in a clinic somewhere.

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The tech industry has struggled and failed to bring those numbers back up for 30 years. Part of the problem is that the side business of diversity and inclusion is mired with misapprehensions and myths about how to solve, or even define, the challenge of women’s underrepresentation. Let social science shine some much needed light on the issue, replacing deceptive nonsense with research-based approaches and tips. This is how to set the stage for success, and sustain it, for years to come.

Not a minority issue

Minority groups are not broken. They do not need or want to be “fixed.” Women’s “confidence training,” “leaning in,” or having more “executive presence” is not the answer. Why? Because the problem is not women or other minorities in tech. The problem is the culture.

Pro-tip: Focus on cultural changes that foster diverse voices. For example, ensure the responsibility to intervene when someone is being interrupted, shut down, or not getting credit is shared by everyone during team meetings.  

End the blame-game

Majority groups (men) are not the enemy. In our society, we all share harmful unconscious biases that shape our culture. With culture being the problem, any solution demands participation from majority groups equal to, if not more than, minority groups.

Pro-tip: Increasing male advocacy can start with recreating “temporary” minority experiences for men, like having them attend majority female conferences or workshops. Then, follow up with targeted strategies to engage them back at the home office. 

It’s not about lowering standards

Meritocracy is a myth. Research shows that subtle biases strongly affect who we see as the best. Seeking diversity in hiring and promotions is actually about raising standards by mitigating those biases and unlocking overlooked talent.

Pro tip: To find and attract the best candidates, start by casting a wider net for sourcing, and then examine job ad language for bias, stereotypically masculine or feminine characteristics, and a dozen other research-based pitfalls. Follow up by likewise examining the rest of the hiring process and change the culture for hiring.

Changing environments and fixing systems, instead of people, implies redefining success in diversity and inclusion efforts — and it is where most D&I efforts fall down. It is not about providing more trainings or programs. Inclusive culture construction requires social science-savvy leaders employing multi-pronged strategic change efforts across the spectrum of workplace processes, norms, and values.

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The increasing focus on technology in the workplace goes far beyond that, however. Now, fields not previously considered in the traditional purview of tech professionals or engineers are evolving into multidisciplinary undertakings, reliant on algorithms, coding and a deeper understanding of the digital world.

Unexpected tech

Finance, for example, now often involves automated trading, determined by computers specifically programmed to take action in response to varying market data rather than by number-savvy humans. With artificial intelligence and data science growing in importance in that arena, anyone seeking a position on Wall Street would do well to consider sharpening their tech knowledge.

Similarly, in an age of digital media, the design world is becoming increasingly populated with those able to use CAD programs, create virtual and augmented reality experiences, launch gaming platforms and other skills at the intersection of art and technology.

Adapting to a changing landscape

While digital natives – those young people born well after the advent of personal computing – might take as self-evident the need to be technologically savvy, even they could find themselves surprised at the amount of study and skill required to make an impact in the burgeoning tech workforce. Many have come to realize that a master’s degree in computer science or a related area can advance their existing career or jumpstart an entirely new one. That’s a daunting prospect for those who majored in non-technical subjects as undergraduates, but luckily, some colleges are beginning to address that knowledge gap by offering intensive make-up or “bridge” programs that prepare non-computer scientists to succeed in competitive master’s programs.

With everyone from nonconforming artists to hard-driving market traders being inspired and driven by technology, it pays to remember that soon all jobs may be tech jobs and it might be worth it to educate yourself accordingly.

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A workforce with a strong STEM education is vital to our cities’ infrastructure, economy and advancements in medical research. STEM strengthens critical-thinking skills, fosters collaboration and, at its core, prioritizes problem-based learning. Taken together, these proficiencies have the power to give rise to a new generation of innovators. So how can we keep students enthusiastic about things like geometry theorems or Sir Isaac Newton’s Laws of Motion? 

Keep it in the real world

Students crave a connection between what they’ve learned in science and math to real-world issues. How can we improve our favorite social media network? How might a town expand its recycling program? How can we apply our class discussions to an important technological innovation or an environmental concern?  

“Pretty much anything around us [involves] technology,” Richfield, Minnesota–based teacher Carrie Allen told Scholastic Teacher magazine. “That’s one thing we’re teaching the kids, too: everything around us was created or engineered to solve a problem.”

Students are curious creatures. They benefit from knowing that there is a reason behind each lesson. When students understand that the STEM fundamentals they’re focusing on at school have a real-world application, we will have engendered robust enthusiasm for these disciplines — an enthusiasm that could serve them well for their academic careers and beyond.

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Creating such popular, powerful entertainment requires the contributions of many talented people who have unique skills, experiences and perspectives. For people thinking about game development as a hobby or career, perhaps the most important thing to learn is the power of teamwork.

A team of hundreds

Hit games like For Honor and Horizon Zero Dawn have development teams of hundreds or even thousands of creative professionals. Even the simpler mobile games require engineers, artists and designers to work successfully together and to be able to advocate for their ideas, problems and solutions with marketing and production staff. But if you aren’t able to effectively communicate with team members who have entirely different needs, opinions, and perspectives, you won’t be able to contribute as much as you could to a successful game.

Consider how a team might work together to create a new heroine in a video game. The creative director may ask a narrative designer to create a background for the character that helps tell an important story in the game. A character artist creates the character’s appearance based in part on the story but also on her understanding of the overall art style of the game and its world. The art director, in partnership with the creative director, provides feedback on the appearance of the character, and an animator helps bring the heroine to life with movements that are relevant to the game design, consistent with the character and interesting to the player.

Where business meets creative

Each person on the creative team plays a part in the development of the new heroine, but many more people provide important contributions before the process is complete. A producer makes sure the work is done on schedule, a marketing manager may test player response to the character, and a software engineer ensures that the art and animation can be integrated into the game. A sound designer might design a specific musical theme for the heroine, and her amazing sword could require new sound effects.

At any stage of the project, if someone can’t work well as part of the team, everyone has a more difficult time creating the excitement players feel when they play a video game. But when teams work together effectively, with each person contributing their ideas to a shared goal and vision, the result can be an unmatched entertainment experience.

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“I knew nothing about it,” Whitney said. But, on the basis of that test, she signed up for a COBOL class, and she was hooked. She eventually went on to get a PhD in computer science from Caltech in 1985 and then on to work with her friend Anita Borg at the Anita Borg Institute (ABI) where she is now President and CEO. 

It’s an example of how young women often don’t know what career opportunities are available, especially in technology. Colleges are doing more to encourage students to explore different options throughout their education and in particular to introduce them to tech careers.

Not Much Has Changed

Whitney’s first computer science professor was a woman. She had female classmates and colleagues, but they were vastly outnumbered by men. Today, there are more women in technology fields, but that’s largely because there are more technology-related jobs out there. However, the percentage of women in tech is about the same as it was 40 years ago. 

The goals today shouldn’t simply be attracting women into tech fields, but also retaining them in these jobs. “The problem isn’t just about entering or a pipeline issue. Women leave at twice the rate of men,” Whitney said.

Building a network

Along with research on how to make women feel more comfortable in tech classroom settings, Whitney encourages women to help each other in the workplace. Reach out to new female employees. Mentor high school students. Attend events like the Grace Hopper Celebration.

“Women belong at the table to create technology,” said Whitney. “It’s better for all of us when women are involved.”

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What do you believe is the biggest obstacle educators face when trying to introduce new technology in the classroom?

We hear from educators and parents all the time that they want their students and daughters to learn computer science, but they don’t know where to access it. Only about 1-in-4 high schools in the United States actually teach computer science and only 28 states (plus the District of Columbia) allow students to count computer science courses towards graduation. Girls Who Code is solving a problem a lot of parents and educators have an interest in solving by offering summer and after-school computer science education programs for middle school and high school girls across the country.

One of the biggest obstacles we hear from our instructors when it comes to teaching computer science is that girls in particular tend to lose interest early on because they are afraid of trying something they might not excel at right away. Learning how to code is a process of trial and error, and mistakes are unavoidable. I talk about this in my TED Talk, but one common scenario we hear is that a student would rather show her instructor a blank screen then show she’s tried and made a mistake. Perfection can be a barrier for sustaining girls’ interest in the field.

What is the most effective way you’ve seen technology implemented in schools to help engage students?

At Girls Who Code, we address the structural and cultural barriers that keep girls from entering the field. In both our Summer Immersion Program and our Clubs program, students work on a final project using technology to solve an issue that matters to them. That personal relevance is crucial in sparking and sustaining girls’ interest in the field and engaging students. It ensures we’re not making assumptions about a student’s unique experience. Whether it’s a game to illustrate the experience of an undocumented immigrant or a website to provide free college prep, our girls create technology that solves issues that matter to them and their communities.

What can be done in schools to get young women excited about a potential career in technology?

While girls interest declines over time, the greatest drop-off happens in middle school, when girls start to receive messages that technology isn’t for them. We call this period of time the “interest cliff,” and we need programs designed specifically to spark and sustain girls interest — starting in middle school.

Girls and boys have an equal ability to learn about and get interested in the subject — it’s not an aptitude issue. But I believe we hold boys and girls to different standards when it comes to success. Our girls are brilliant. They are talented. They are just as capable as the boys. But they are afraid. They are afraid of imperfection. They are afraid of critical feedback. They are not taught to be brave the way boys are. We need to start challenging our girls to step outside of their comfort zone and reward them for trying.

Both education and technology have transformed at a rapid pace in the past five years. What do you believe will be the biggest change in the educational technology industry five years down the road?

Automation is about to change everything about the way we live and work. According to McKinsey, 45 percent of the tasks that people do manually today have the potential to be automated using current technology alone. The pace of innovation has never been faster, and the future is going to look nothing like the present. We need to ensure that our girls are prepared for 21st-century jobs, and to do that we need to invest in programs that address the opportunity gaps in education. I think five years from now you’ll see a lot more investment in technology education in schools thanks to local government and school districts stepping up to the challenge.

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When I saw esports taking shape as the digitalized form of competition — potentially surpassing traditional sports as the entertainment of the future — I took the leap and found my own legal practice servicing the early stakeholders of this emerging industry. My assumptions were borne out: Lack of written contracts, overall fairness, and compliance with tax and labour law requirements were the norm in the nascent esports industry.

Making my mark

Being one of very few attorneys in the world providing the tools to build sustainable legal structures, I was rewarded with the opportunity of transforming esports players’ careers; I shepherd them from their desk at their parents’ house to the stage in front of thousands, forming good structures, developing best practices, and crafting innovative sponsorship and private equity deals in the market space along the way.

As many emerging markets in the digitalization space, esports offers a variety of opportunities for more female empowerment and equal female participation in labor markets, financial markets, and entrepreneurship. Unlike in already established industries, boys’ clubs almost don’t exist in the esports space, and the structural need for skilled indiviuals to steer this industry’s explosive growth seems insatiable. Even more so, esports is still figuring out how, as an entertainment-focused business, to reach female consumers for whom female leadership is crucial.

The great leap forward

Earlier this year, I decided to make the switch from a private legal practice to the managing director role of the Rogue esports franchise, and participated in the League of Legends European Championship. My decision was motivated in no small part by the unique vision of parent company ReKTGlobal’s leadership group founder and chairman Amish Shah and CEO Dave Bialek to build a global brand that connected music icons, esports superstars, and community outreach activists. We champion the idea that esports teams serve as role models in the digital space, and can make a real difference in online culture; these teams can take a stance against online toxicity and promote diversity through various community outreach programs, such as our Junior Rogue program in which girls and boys play side-by-side.  

Women should embrace the idea of working in the uncharted territory of esports. It provides you with the freedom to shape your career without conventional limitations, and, if should you want, lets you change society for the better — a little bit, every day.

Anna Baumann, Managing Director and General Legal Counsel, Rogue Europe, us.editorial@mediaplanet.com

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When I was growing up, my mother told me I could be anything I wanted to be as long as I did my best. I’ve always held onto that simple philosophy, and it has served me well. 

Becoming the first female president of the World Lottery Association was certainly not on my radar when graduating from college, nor was developing a career in the lottery industry. After I left television to become director of the Illinois Lottery, I quickly found the business to be exciting, fascinating and challenging — but I also realized I was a minority. There were two other female directors at the time, and few women in leadership positions. 

That was then, this is now

A lot has changed since then. Currently 20 percent of U.S. lotteries are led by females, which has opened the door for many more rising stars at a senior level. 

Today’s lottery world is fast-moving and ever-evolving. It’s a dynamic industry that provides fun for players and billions for good causes. However, when most people hear “lottery,” they think of mega-jackpots — not how games are designed, managed, and marketed. They might not realize the financial, legal, and technical disciplines necessary to run a lottery. Thus, there is a huge variety of professional opportunities. 

If you WILL it

That was one of the driving forces when I founded Women in Lottery Leadership (WILL). The program’s objective is to pave a path to leadership for talented women. WILL was designed as a mentor/mentee training program, allowing women to strengthen their leadership skills and reach their full potential by working closely with leaders — both male and female — in the industry.  This kind of collaboration is just one way change will continue to occur and women will continue to grow into leadership roles. That, and being the best they can be.

Rebecca Hargrove, President of the World Lottery Association, President and CEO, Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation, us.editorial@mediaplanet.com

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“I was five when I first played ‘Major Motion’ and I was obsessed with it from the first game,” she says. “I’m one of five kids, and as the second to the youngest, I distinctly remember the moment when I realized that this was a game, I could possibly beat my older three siblings at.”

She continues, “Even playing field, simple rules, the art of hand-eye coordination, being in the moment, yet watching and anticipating what’s just ahead. I loved everything about that game and spent all my extra time trying to master it.”

No stress

The actress, known for movies like “X-Men: Apocalypse” and “The Predator,” spent four years hosting the technology and gaming show “Attack of the Show!” on the G4 network. 

A regular at Comic Con, she’s proud to call herself a gamer and knows she’s not the only woman who’s content at a console. 

According to a Newzoo studyof over 3,330 people, commissioned by Google Play, 65 percent of women ages 10 to 65 in the United States play mobile games, and 49 percent of mobile gamers are women. Women say they play games for entertainment, to relieve stress, and for restful moments.

Munn feels the same.

“It’s pretty simple for me,” she says. “Gaming is a stress reliever and a way to connect with friends.”

Creative sandbox

Calling gaming a “creative sandbox,” Munn likes a lot of things about gaming, including how it connects people, relieves stress, and allows users to explore new worlds. But she acknowledges it’s tough being a woman in the industry, citing cons like toxicity and bullying online, and the sexualization of all characters, especially women. She says the sexualization is changing in North America but that’s it’s “pretty bad in other countries.”

She knows women’s interest in gaming isn’t new.

“Gaming has always had more female fans and developers than people realized,” she says. “One of the biggest changes is access to a platform to play on – having to buy a Nintendo or an Xbox is a conscious decision. Those platforms aren’t marketed towards girls or parents of girls.”

The gamechanger, as Munn sees it, is the smartphone, “because it’s a gaming console everyone owns.”

She says American society might change gaming habits the same way it has transformed gaming in Asia, where there are many hardcore women gamers in the industry. 

The Future

Munn says having women in the gaming industry creates a cycle to bring more women in. She thinks that will lead to more female players and ultimately a larger market. Plus, those women could be role models for girls.

She says it’s essential for young girls and women to have strong, confident, and empowering female role models in their lives, “because the way they view them [translates] to their own self-image.”

To kickstart industry change, Munn suggests tweaking the education system, teaching school kids game design, computer science, and 3D and 2D art, as well as more traditional classes. Most of all, she encourages young women to pursue their passions. “I want to encourage young girls to break the mold and do whatever makes them happy,” says Munn, who recommends young girls interested in gaming should read “Reality is Broken” by Jane McGonigal. “Don’t worry about what people might say or if you find yourself standing alone at times. Trust your gut and know that the world has been set up to make women doubt themselves — so don’t.”

Kristen Castillo, us.editorial@mediaplanet.com

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