TC Sessions: Justice, our second event dedicated to diversity, justice, inclusion and work in technology, will take place on March 3, 2021. This is a virtual one day conference with the best innovators, leaders, and labor activists in the industry.
We are delighted to welcome the Founder and Managing Partner of Backstage Capital, Arlan Hamilton, Vanessa Bain from Gig Workers Collective, the Chairman of the Alphabet Workers Union, Parul Koul, the President of Color of Change, Rashad Robinson, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League , Jonathan Greenblatt, and others.
In addition to the chimneys and panel discussions on the virtual stage, the event also includes networking, startup presentations and the opportunity to get in touch with participants from all over the world.
Below is the official agenda for TC Sessions: Justice. It’s a full day already, but we have some extra surprises in store. So keep an eye on the agenda over the coming weeks for more great speakers to add.
If you’d like to attend this event, you can purchase a ticket here for just $ 5.
If you’re interested in a sponsored speaking opportunity to get on stage with these amazing speakers, contact us here to speak to someone on our sales team!
Wednesday March 3rd
State of the Union with Parul Koul (Google), Grace Reckers (International Union for Office and Professional Workers) and Clarissa Redwine (NYU)
Unions were rather unusual in technology. That is finally starting to change in recent years as workers have scrambled to organize themselves into some of the biggest companies in the industry, from Alphabet to Kickstarter. Parul Koul (Google), Grace Reckers (Office and Professional Workers International Union) and Clarissa Redwine (NYU) will discuss the growing movement with us.
Find the next unicorn with Arlan Hamilton (Backstage Capital)
Arlan Hamilton, the founder and managing partner of Backstage Capital, has raised more than $ 12 million to support 150 companies led by underrepresented founders. In this session, Hamilton will discuss how to examine the greatest investment opportunities and how to positively disrupt.
Moving Forward for Essential Technicians with Vanessa Bain (Gig Workers’ Collective), Jessica E. Martinez (National Council for Safety and Health at Work) and Christian Smalls (Essential Workers Congress)
Gig and warehouse workers have become indispensable in a pandemic-ridden economy. A law went into effect in California earlier this year making gig workers independent contractors. Meanwhile, Amazon Alabama warehouse workers are actively seeking union formation to ensure better protection in the workplace. You will learn from workers and organizers what is next for gig workers and the tech contractor workforce, and what the struggles are for these important workers.
Identifying and reducing tech’s deep bias systems with haben Girma (disability advocate), Mutale Nkonde (AI for the people) and Safiya Umoja Noble (UCLA)
Almost every popular technology or service contains systems of prejudice or exclusion that are ignored by the privileged but obvious to the affected groups. How should these systems be made available and documented, and how can we get rid of them and prevent more from showing up in the future? AI for the Volksmutale Nkonde, lawyer for disability rights, Girma and author of Algorithms for Suppression Safiya Umoja Noble are discussing a broader future.
Focus on founder with Tracy Chou (Block Party)
We sit down with the founders who are ready to be the next big disruptive factors in this industry. Here we chat with Tracy Chou from Block Party, who protects people online from abuse and harassment.
The role of online hate and where to go social media from here with Naj Austin (Somewhere good and Ethels Club), Jesse Lehrich (Accountable Tech) and Rashad Robinson (Color of Change)
Poison culture, deadly conspiracies, and organized hatred have exploded online in recent years. We will discuss how much responsibility social networks have for the emergence of these phenomena and how healthy online communities can be built that make society better, not worse.
Network break
With our virtual platform, participants can network via video chat and thus have the opportunity to establish meaningful connections. CrunchMatch, our algorithmic matching product, will be available to ensure you meet the right people at the show, as well as random matching for attendees who are feeling more adventurous.
Demystification of the first-check fundraising with first-check investors with Brian Brackeen (Lightship Capital), Astrid Scholz (Zebras Unite) and Sydney Thomas (Precursor Ventures)
There are so many ways to fund your startup without a Y-combiner or a traditional fund. In this stacked panel, founders will learn from three decision makers how to leverage unconventional communities and resources to get the first dollars they need to run.
Meet the Ghosts with Wade Davis (Netflix) and Bo Young Lee (Uber)
Diversity and inclusion as an idea have been on the agenda of technology companies for years. Despite the efforts of the Diversity, Justice and Inclusion leaders in these companies, the industry still lacks true inclusion. We will try to better understand what stands in the way of progress and what it takes to achieve real change.
Access to all areas: Designing accessibility from day one with Cynthia Bennett (Carnegie Mellon University), Srin Madipalli (formerly Accomable and Airbnb) and Mara Mills (NYU)
The session examines the importance of ensuring that product design is accessible from the start. We will ask how the social and medical models of disability influence technological development. Incorporating the expertise of disabled technologists, manufacturers, investors, scientists and software engineers into your company’s DNA from the start is vital to the pursuit of a functioning and just society. And could mean that you are not leaving any money on the table.
With Jason Jones (The Last Mile), Deepti Rohatgi (Slack) and Aly Tamboura (Chan Zuckerberg Initiative) create new opportunities for people who have been in prison
Re-entering society after incarceration is a challenge few of us can understand. In this panel, we will examine the role technology can play in ensuring employment routes for returned citizens.