Denounces the ‘boys’ club’ culture of the tech industry.
By Sujeet Rajan
NEW YORK: One of the most highly awaited books in Silicon Valley is former tech entrepreneur and scholar par excellence Vivek Wadhwa’s ‘Innovating Women: The Virtuous Circle, the Catbird Seat, and the Changing Face of Silicon Valley,’ which will hit the stands in the US on September 2.
Wadhwa has been an outspoken critic of the ‘boys’ club’ structure in Silicon Valley and other tech hubs like Bangalore. He has written many a column and spoken at various meets the need to elevate more women to positions of power in the tech industry.
Wadhwa is a fellow at the Rock Center for Corporate Governance at Stanford University, director of research at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Research Commercialization at Duke’s engineering school and distinguished scholar at Singularity and Emory universities. His past appointments include Harvard Law School and University of California Berkeley.
The new book, according to a report in Wral TechWire, examines the challenges women face in the tech industry, and is based on inputs from hundreds of female executives and tech workers around the world.
Here’s a promotional paragraph from the book: “Women in technology are on the rise in both power and numbers, and now it’s more important than ever to not lose that momentum, to “lean in” and close the gender gap. Although they make up half of the population, only 14% of engineers in the United States are women. They take the seeds of technological advancement and build something life-changing, potentially life-saving. The future of technology depends on the full and active participation of women and men working together, and it is vital that women are both educated and encouraged to go into the tech sectors.”
A crowd-sourced book, Wadhwa teamed up with journalist Farai Chideya and the interviews with the women include some of the best in the business, like Megan Smith, vice president at Google{x}.
“The book incorporates the input of more than five hundred women from all over the world and directly quotes about one hundred of these,”Wadhwa wrote in an email to colleagues about the book, according to the Wral report.
“It wasn’t easy listening to so many voices and telling a gripping story, but Farai Chideya has woven these together masterfully. Innovating Women also has about twenty powerful essays from some amazing women, the latest being from Google[X] VP Megan Smith, venture capitalist Heidi Roizen, Patriarch Partners CEO Lynn Tilton, entrepreneur and technology executive Kim Polese, and one of the first woman in space, Anousheh Ansari. It is hard hitting but optimistic. It discusses the harsh realities of today but also presents realistic solutions and a vision for the future. I know it will inspire thousands to step up and fulfill their potential,” says Wadhwa.
He adds: “Innovating Women is more important today than ever. Things are changing for the better. The recent announcements by Google, LinkedIn, Yahoo, and Facebook of their diversity numbers—and a pledge to improve these—are the most recent victories. The Boys Club is under fire and is trying to reform itself. Women are achieving success and helping each other. Advancing technologies are leveling the playing field. Women are in the catbird seat for the new era of exponential innovation. This is the time to inspire and motivate—and that is what Innovating Women will surely do.”
In a widely distributed recent column, which first appeared on LinkedIn, Wadhwa had denounced the boys’ club culture of Silicon Valley.
He wrote in that column: “In these rapidly evolving fields, the boys — who dominated technology in the social-media era — have no advantage. Those with experience and education — in fields as diverse as science, technology, engineering, education, health sciences, and arts and humanities–have the edge, because they can work across disciplines and see the big picture. Women dominate many of these fields, and they match boys in mathematical achievement. And if you combine a cross-disciplinary education with a woman’s maternal instinct, empathy, and a desire to do good, you have an unbeatable combination. That’s why women entrepreneurs are best placed to solve humanity’s grand challenges — and to save the world. And that’s why it’s important to teach and inspire them.”
The tech industry, and for that matter, any industry around the globe, can sure take a few lessons from Wadhwa’s inspiring words.