C&L May 2018

Around The Tech
BY THE BOOK
This book takes you on a journey to
project a worldview where women
haven't asked for permission from
Silicon Valley to chase their dreams.
They are going for it -- building the next
generation of tech start-ups, investing
in each other's ventures, crushing
male hacker stereotypes and rallying
women and girls everywhere to join
the digital revolution. Geek Girl Rising
isn't about the famous tech trailblazers
you already know, like Sheryl Sandberg
and Marissa Mayer. Instead, veteran
journalists Heather Cabot and
Samantha Walravens introduce readers
to the fearless female entrepreneurs and
technologists fighting at the grassroots
level for an ownership stake in the
revolution that's changing the way we
live, work and connect to each other.
Readers will be introduced to Debbie
Sterling, inventor of GoldieBlox, the first
engineering toy for girls, which topples
the notion that only boys can build.
They'll get a peek inside YouTube sensation
Michelle Phan's ipsy studios, where
she is grooming the next generation
of digital video stars while leading her
own mega e-commerce beauty business.
makingheadlines
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is newest regulation to come
into effect in the European Union. However, it hasn't deterred two of the Big Four
from being hit with a handful of lawsuits having to do with how they share data.
The Verge, citing the lawsuits, reported they are seeking to hit Facebook and
Google with fines that collectively amount to around USD 8.8 billion. The
lawsuits were filed by Max Schrems, an Australian activist who has long
criticized how the companies collect data on their users.
Under the new regulation, companies have to provide clear consent and justify
why they are collecting data on their users, as well as clarify what they intend to
do with it. They are also required to overhaul their privacy and data collection
policies to better protect consumers.
Google and Facebook have been addressing GDPR before it was law, rolling out
new policies and products to better protect the data, but those steps aren't enough.
What happens when an entire city tries to close the
gender pay gap? In the last few years, the city of
Boston has doubled down on a commitment made
in 2013 by its former Mayor, Thomas M. Menino, to
bring pay equity to the city’s workforce. The Boston
Women’s Workforce Council teams up with the area’s
companies and institutions, including major ones
like Morgan Stanley, Zipcar and the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, to help them figure out
ways to advance women, which they share with one
another in quarterly best-practice meetings.
The city has also trained over 7,000 women
in salary negotiation, with a goal of training an
additional 78,000 by 2021. A more immediate
deadline: The Massachusetts Equal Pay Act,
passed by the legislature in 2016, goes into effect
in July 2018.
gender
bender
May 2018 | CIO&LEADER
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