The Wall Street Journal released the line-up of speakers at its Digital Live conference -- and it didn't include a single woman.
I'm wondering if the upcoming conference in Laguna Beach is a men-only conference or if WSJ is simply blind to the fact that there is not one woman speaker among the 17 speakers listed?Perhaps they don't recognize that by leaving out women in this field they are inhibiting the very goals they hope to achieve. The description of the conference is:
"At WSJDLive, leaders from both established and emerging tech companies will explore the most compelling tech opportunities evolving around the world. Through dynamic on-stage interviews, intimate roundtables with experts on cutting-edge topics, and interactive events, WSJDLive participants will connect with peers in an environment of unparalleled discussion, debate and global discovery."
If they do want this to be an environment where participants connect with peers, they need to bring in talented women she are of the same caliber as the current listed speakers and increase the diversity with more women and men of color.
Since this conference is still in the planning stage, let's all write to the contact for general information wsjdlive@wsj.com and suggest they add multiple women speakers. We at Watermark would be happy to make suggestions and provide contact information for many great women speakers. We should also point out that having a gender balanced group of speakers would better position them for obtaining speakers. Together let's change the dynamic of this conference while it is still in the planning stage.