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Hello everyone! I'm Vince, and I've been using Rails since 2011. This is my first time at the conference and my first time giving this talk, so I'm a little nervous about that. However, I'm mostly nervous about this topic around diversity, inclusion, and equity, which can often feel uncomfortable at times. I want to acknowledge that you're all here to have this conversation, and I'm excited to share the lessons that I've learned about diversity, equity, and inclusion.
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I'm not nearly as funny as Julian Salk, and I don't have as many 'Queer Eye' gifts, so you'll have to forgive me for that. I want you to leave here in the next 40 minutes feeling equipped with knowledge and empowered by my personal story, emboldened to act. I am not an expert in diversity, equity, or inclusion; I do not conduct workshops or anything like that. I lead a team of engineers at Clockwork, a local agency here in the Twin Cities. I'm new to this journey, still learning, making mistakes, and being vulnerable. I don’t have the solution for solving diversity in technology—we're not going to solve that today. But I want everyone to be able to do something after this talk, to just act and take a step towards inclusion.
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That's why I've titled this talk 'Enter The Danger'. Let's equip you with some knowledge as we enter this space for learning. I want to establish a basic shared understanding of what diversity, inclusion, and equity mean. Diversity encompasses the range of human differences, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, physical abilities or attributes, religious beliefs, ethical values, systems, national origin, and political beliefs. It's about the presence of individuals from various backgrounds and identities.
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Inclusion is recognizing the inherent worth and dignity of all people. It represents an organization that promotes and sustains a sense of belonging while valuing and respecting the talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of living of its people. There are many metaphors for diversity and inclusion. One that resonates with me is the crayon box metaphor, where diversity is all the colors in the box, and inclusion is using all of those colors together. Another perspective is that diversity is measured while inclusion is felt.
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Many organizations measure their diversity metrics at scale. I had the chance to meet the outgoing CEO of Best Buy, Hubert Joly, who has effectively turned around the business to become more profitable. Their diversity metrics show an increase in women and people of color in leadership positions. However, something problematic about focusing too much on diversity metrics is that it can lead to the tokenization of people, making them feel like tokens instead of acknowledging their complex human identities with different backgrounds and communication styles. Asking someone to check a box for male or female is not inclusive of individuals who identify as non-binary.
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The discussion around diversity and inclusion often misses the critical component of equity. I'm not going to read through the verbose definition of equity, but I want to share a diagram that helps explain what equity means. There is a common misconception that equity and equality are the same. They're not. Equality is about giving everyone the same resources, which you can see in the graphic where everyone is given a box to see a baseball game. In equity, we recognize that not everyone is born into this world with the same privilege, opportunities, or access.
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Equity is the principle that provides individuals with what they need. The graphic illustrates that the person on the far right can see the baseball game, while the person in the middle still has visibility. In contrast, the person on the left is not awkwardly standing on the fence like in the first illustration. When we begin to dismantle the barriers of patriarchy and racism, we are essentially removing that 'fence'. This process is crucial for understanding liberation—one of the key concepts that I believe is foundational to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
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Although we often talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion, there can be a lack of shared understanding of what these terms mean. To provide context, I'll share my personal journey. I was born in Michigan to first-generation Filipino American parents who came to the United States from the Philippines. Throughout my life, I've been affected by the concept of the 'model minority,' where Asians are often stereotypically perceived as being smart, wealthy, hardworking, and docile. We're viewed as whiz kids or musical geniuses, often with 'Tiger Moms.'
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This stereotype oppresses not just others but ourselves as well. I have conformed to this stereotype, and I am aware that many Asian Americans have reinforced this notion within their communities. For instance, I excelled in karate and enjoyed it; I also have a talent for video games, and if you're behind me in a TSA PreCheck line, you’ll find I’m quite fast—trust me, you’ll want to be behind me. However, these stereotypes ignore the diversity present within Asian cultures. I have always identified more as Filipino American but often describe myself as Asian American, forgetting our differences.
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Despite this, we are all unique, and the stereotype of Asian Americans as perpetual foreigners still persists. I can't tell you how often people ask where I'm from. My response is always, 'I'm from Michigan,' specifically Kalamazoo. It's frustrating when it feels like racism is directed towards Asian Americans. When I finally saw 'Crazy Rich Asians,' I cried, feeling the same sense of representation that my mother experienced when she watched 'The Joy Luck Club.' It is incredibly powerful to see yourself represented on screen without being confined to typical stereotypes.
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All my life, I have been struggling against societal expectations. Most of my family members are doctors or nurses, which pressured me to pursue a career in medicine. Instead, I chose to venture into real estate. I spent seven years as a real estate broker in Chicago, renting apartments. I created advertisements for Craigslist instead of dealing with limited low-resolution photos, and I experimented with HTML and CSS. This led me to teach my colleagues in the office how to code and help develop applications, which ultimately motivated me to transition back into software development.
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In 2011, I co-founded Code Academy, the first coding school of its kind, before the term 'bootcamp' even existed. I, along with others, paid $8,000 each to these two entrepreneurs teaching us HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Rails. The experience was incredibly transformative and inclusive, thanks in large part to our amazing teacher, Jeff Cohen, who created a safe and welcoming learning environment. My significant takeaway from this journey is that students flourish in environments where they feel they can expose their ignorance and where they feel they belong. I later worked for a startup teaching Rails to about 2,000 people, helping them learn to code.
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We saw that our demo teams at Code Academy exhibited the traits of high-performing teams, as delineated in Google’s Project Aristotle research study. This study analyzed 180 teams to identify factors contributing to high performance. They found four common factors, but the fifth, psychological safety, stood out most. Psychological safety is the shared belief among team members that the environment is safe for interpersonal risk-taking. However, I guarantee that not everyone feels safe in their workplace. That is why conversations about inclusion are so essential.
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The lessons I learned from my experience at the Starter League have educated me as I moved to my next startup, Matter, which is a corporate accelerator and healthcare incubator in Chicago. My role involved supporting healthcare entrepreneurs by connecting them with strategic partners like Walgreens and Abbott Labs. Building a product in healthcare takes time, so I learned that divergent thinking is vital for innovation. Diversifying thinking leads to creating ecosystems where startups thrive. There is often a misconception that technology alone drives innovation. However, it is actually changing the mindset that enables diversity to nurture innovation.
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You might be wondering why I care so much about diversity, equity, and inclusion. My intrinsic motivation comes from the fact that I'm a parent to a 2-year-old named Lane, who was born during a time of significant polarization, and I want him to live in a world without these divisions. After my last company, I sought a values-driven organization where inclusivity was central. I only interviewed with one company when moving from Chicago and was fortunate to secure a job at Clockwork, a remarkable company driven by leaders who understand what leadership means. There, we've developed a culture that fosters racial equity and goes beyond surface-level initiatives.
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At Clockwork, we hold free community events, openly discuss mental health and self-care in staff meetings, and we maintain flexible work policies that empower parents. One of my projects at Clockwork focused on inclusive naming. Last year, we identified an issue in Rails version 3.3.667 concerning the terminology used—specifically replacing 'whitelist' and 'blacklist' with 'allow list' and 'deny list.' This initiative prompted mixed reactions, but many agreed that as software developers, we had the privilege and responsibility to change our naming conventions. In our team discussions, we committed to this change, and it was a rewarding experience.
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Through this change, we discovered that language shapes our perceptions of the world. As we worked on replacing terms in our repositories, we recognized that operational engineers sometimes mistakenly used outdated language, but we created a safe space that encouraged learning and discussions—reminding everyone that mistakes are okay, as long as we're learning. This parallels the conversation around diversity, equity, and inclusion: you will make mistakes, and it is crucial to own and learn from them.
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I have decided to be vulnerable and share some of the biases I have encountered in myself. Growing up, I was taught that girls are fragile and need to be protected, which stems from a patriarchal mindset. I was also influenced by my mother to associate lighter skin with social status—an attitude born from her upbringing in poverty in the Philippines, resulting in deeply ingrained colorism. My experiences allowed me to reflect on ingrained biases and highlight the importance of growth.
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I recently took an implicit bias test that revealed an automatic preference for white individuals over black individuals, which was enlightening. It's important for others to recognize their biases, whether they are positive or negative. For instance, I found that I held a bias believing that those without children were less responsible. While these biases are common, they require a conscious effort to dismantle and understand, leading to better inclusive practices.
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As an introvert, I find my behavior as an Asian American exacerbates my tendency to feel excluded, especially when I'm talked over in meetings. However, to counter this, I've implemented practices within my teams, such as using a 'talking stick' during stand-ups. This simple concept ensures that everyone has a turn to speak, thereby creating an inclusive environment where everyone is heard. I also frequently face assumptions about my competence based on my age, which is disheartening.
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Discrimination based on appearance can lead to awkward discussions. There is a notion known as 'white fragility,' wherein people might be defensive if a comment or statement is perceived as racist. This defensiveness hampers honest conversations about race. Exploring and discussing these issues is vital; otherwise, we risk creating an environment that feels unsafe for open dialogue.
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In discussing diversity, equity, and inclusion, we should ask ourselves why it matters. It is acceptable to have a self-interest, social drive, or business interest in these issues. However, the motivation to act should come from an intrinsic understanding of their importance rather than solely from a desire to meet diversity metrics.
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Here are seven actionable steps to promote inclusivity. First, have candid conversations about diversity and inclusion with your colleagues. It may sound simple, but these can be difficult conversations if your organization doesn’t have a safe space for them. Gauge whether you’re living your values and how committed your organization is to these ideals. Second, consider participating in a reverse mentoring program, which enables connections across different experiences within your organization, allowing you to learn directly from others.
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Leadership must be authentic, transparent, and vulnerable. Authenticity means genuinely caring for the individuals within your organization. Transparency fosters openness and understanding. Vulnerability might manifest as owning up to your own biases and understanding how they affect you and your relationships with others. At Clockwork, we have a flat organizational structure that encourages employee empowerment and decision-making among team members.
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Being an ally is a continuous journey of learning. We have adopted practices like including pronouns in email footers to foster inclusivity while being cautious not to compel individuals to disclose their identities. We've embraced policies, such as gender-neutral bathrooms, to ensure everyone feels welcome and acknowledged.
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Consider reexamining your workplace rituals. Not everyone consumes alcohol; hence, scheduling happy hours later in the day can be challenging for parents picking up children. Establish norms that ensure inclusivity, allowing everyone to engage and participate meaningfully. Initiatives focused on creating an equitable workplace structure and supporting small businesses owned by diverse communities can also help foster inclusivity.
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Additionally, actively engage in educating yourself on diversity, equity, and inclusion. There are many training resources available, including free online courses. This commitment to education can help you challenge and reshape your understanding of inclusive practices. Continuing the dialogue around inclusive terminology, understanding the implications of our language, and further evaluating terms that could be replaced are all crucial parts of this process.
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Finally, take action within your community. For example, my company founded the Minnesota Tech Diversity Pledge, where we mobilized local businesses in the tech industry to commit time, resources, and energy towards supporting marginalized groups. This included focusing our efforts on increasing hiring practices for underrepresented individuals. These initiatives can create impactful changes to support people of color, women, LGBTQ individuals, and people with disabilities.
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I hope the information and personal insights I’ve shared today inspire you to seek out and engage in difficult conversations surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion. Embrace the discomfort, and don't shy away from acting on the principles I've outlined. Thank you.
