The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology is an organization dedicated to changing the world for women and for technology. We have some amazing women involved in our organization. What isn’t so obvious is the significant and substantial number of men committed and involved at every level. The success of the Institute’s work depends on more than just committed women it depends also on men that recognize and are actively involved too.
From the earliest days of the Institute, men have played key roles, in support, in leadership, and in developing the Institute’s agenda and initiatives. These men have been equally active and passionate as the women in our community. And it makes sense. If you want to change the culture of technology men are an important part. As they are so entrenched within the culture only enlisting their help will make a new future possible. They recognize the need for cultural change.
Men’s involvement is one of aspects of our community that make the Institute truly unique. Some might see this as counter intuitive. I consider them a key to the success of our work. I’m not saying that we need men’s validation to justify our work, far from it. Rather, it is both gratifying and encouraging to know so many men have offered their service, time and commitment to the Institute’s important mission. Having outstanding, influential, and committed men involved distinguishes the Institute as unique among women’s organizations.
Men have been involved in all aspects of the development and articulation of the Institute’s purpose, including early Board of Trustee members Greg Papadopoulos from Sun, Bill Wulf from the National Academy of Engineering and lawyer Grant Spaeth. Eric Mason was the Institute’s first official employee in 1999 and is still with the Institute today serving as our Communications Director. Eric Roberts from Stanford University attends every Grace Hopper conference.
The members of our community, male and female actively contribute to develop the future together. They realize the importance of having women’s voices and how it is critical to their success, and their organizations success. The passion of many of the men I know to include more women in development of technology and to think about technology differently is impressive, and important.
Today, half of our Board of Trustees are men, including several recent additions; Justin Rattner from Intel, and Alan Eustace - a long time collaborator, advocate and friend of the Institute - from Google. There are others involved; Allan Fisher from I-Carnegie and co-author of “Unlocking the Clubhouse”, who recently became co-chair of the Institute Advisory board. Stanford President John Hennessy, was keynote of our inaugural Women of Vision, and Rick Rashid from Microsoft, and Wayne Johnson from HP are also board members.
There are also those, like my husband, Bill, who encourages my work, understands and believes in our goals and dreams. He is a partner of mine and by extension our community. There are others similar to him; brothers, uncles, fathers and friends who understand the impact of technology and realize women must be an equal player in defining the path of technology. To continue to succeed in our efforts and continue to transform the culture of organizations, industry, and society we need to embrace the ideas and energy of all people, including men.
What do men want? They want a better world and to change the world for women and for technology. Only together will we truly accomplish our goals. We need them just as much as they need us and our community. Their voices played an important role in the formation of the Institute and they continue to sound as we move forward. The men of our community are the “early adopters” who caught the vision, thoughtfully understood the landscape and recognized the essential contribution of women.
What You Can Do
If you believe in the Institutes Mission, here are three things you can do to get involved:
- Attend the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing conference
- Make a donation in honor of a woman technologists you admire
- Connect your company with the Institute. Contact Chuck Walrad to find out how your company can be involved.
Published June 2006