Google Diversity Numbers Highlight Tech’s Challenge

Yesterday, Google took a bold step in releasing the diversity data for its workforce. Of Google’s 46,170 employees worldwide, just 30% are women, 2% are black, and 3% are Hispanic. Asian workers make up 30% of employees, a very far second behind white workers at 61%.

The numbers, gathered as part of a report that major U.S. employers are required to file with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, confirm what much of the public has suspected--Google’s current workforce is mostly white and male. Google’s disclosure of its diversity figures finally provides hard evidence to back-up polemics against the homogeneity of Silicon Valley’s gender and ethnic makeup.

Tech industry giants have been notoriously discreet about their workplace diversity. Google is one of the first major Internet companies to disclose this data to the public, a commendable first step on a long road ahead that the company has to remedy its hiring and retention disparities. Lazlo Bock, Senior Vice President of People Operations admits, “Put simply, Google is not where we want to be when it comes to diversity, and it’s hard to address these kinds of challenges if you’re not prepared to discuss them openly, and with the facts.”   

There’s no doubt that Google’s diversity problem is one faced across the board in the tech industry. Silicon Valley has both a pipeline and retention challenge when it comes to recruiting a diverse workforce. Women earn approximately 18% of all computer science degrees in the United States, while Blacks and Hispanics make up less than 10% of U.S. college graduates and earn under 5% of degrees in CS majors. These statistics are reflective of a larger systemic problem, but rumors and realities of tech’s white “bro culture” present contexts and environments that make staying in tech unappealing for the women and minorities that are granted access in the first place.    

While companies are not required to disclose their diversity figures, it is a hope that Google’s example will pressure other big players such as Facebook, Apple, and Twitter to quickly follow suit. Google’s disclosure marks a pivotal moment in Silicon Valley’s agenda: it’s time to start solving the problems of inclusion and access.  

We Need to Expand Access to Education, Not Curtail it with Outdated BPPE Regulations

This post is by Tina Lee, founder and CEO of MotherCoders, a non-profit that helps moms on-ramp to technical careers in the new economy.

In many ways San Francisco is now a very different place than the one where I was born and raised in the 1970s. But that’s not surprising considering how much the world has changed -- vastly transformed by globalization and the advent of the internet. What is so troubling, however, is not that the world changes, but that public policy has been so slow to catch up. This was made all too clear when the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE), a unit of California’s Department of Consumer Affairs charged with licensing and regulating postsecondary education, moved to shut down education programs like Hack Reactor, App Academy and others.

While the marketplace has been driving technological change at a rapid and unprecedented rate, our civic institutions have been slow to adapt. Yet the health of our economy – not to mention our democracy – is dependent upon strategic policymaking that will ensure that everyone has equal opportunity to thrive in this new world. And one thing that’s always provided a promising pathway to social mobility in the U.S. is education – the kind that prepares Americans for participation in the economy through the acquisition of skills and knowledge that match market demands.

Right now the market desperately needs people with digital skills to fuel the growth of our innovation in economy, and people with software programming skills are in the greatest demand. In other words, there are plenty of job openings requiring software programming skills that offer growth potential and good wages, but not enough people to fill them.

In this environment, it’s no wonder people are flocking to coding bootcamps to retool their skill-set, especially since these programs take less time to complete than traditional academic and vocational programs, plus they offer mentorship and direct connections to local companies looking to hire. That’s why the recent move to shut down these programs is so troubling.

At a time when the digital divide is becoming dangerously synonymous with the opportunity divide, this seems emblematic of a larger disconnect between policy and reality. The fact is that demand for technology skills will only continue to grow as we shift further away from an industrial-based economy. According by research conducted by CODE2040 – a non-profit that’s working to increase the number Blacks and Latinos in tech -- there will 1.4 million new tech jobs by 2020, 70 percent of which will go unfilled unless we create more pathways to technology training.

As an educator actively working to bridge the digital divide in underserved communities, I know we should be focused on expanding access, not curtailing it. In fact, that’s the reason I founded MotherCoders – a non-profit organization that offers a tech orientation program designed to on-ramp moms to technical careers. By providing on-site childcare for mothers who want to learn basic computer programming, expand their understanding of the technology landscape, and network with peers and industry professionals, we’re doing our part to create a more dynamic, sustainable, and inclusive economy. And when our moms complete their tech orientation program, I want coding bootcamps to be an available resource for them for further skill development so that they can advance their careers.

While the role of regulation is critical in protecting consumers, and bootcamps on notice are working to comply, in this case the BPPE rules are due for an update. Many BPPE rules pertain to the operations of traditional, brick-and-mortar, post-secondary academic institutions, with language devoted to the governance of satellite campuses, on-site learning resources such as libraries and physical equipment, and administrative staff.

Satellite campuses? Anyone with a web enabled device can now become one;

Libraries? Almost all of the world’s knowledge has been digitized and made available online;

Physical equipment? All you need is access to a computer, an internet connection, and maybe a printer;

Administrative staff? Everything from HR to accounting to IT can be accessed as a service mediated by internet technology.

It’s very clear that these rules do not yet reflect how profoundly internet technologies have transformed the way our society works, and certainly not how coding bootcamps -- a new means of workforce development -- works.

To keep the U.S. competitive in the innovation game, it’s time to adapt our education policies so everyone has a chance to thrive in our new economy. My hope is that policymakers will work with citizens and industry alike to create the conditions necessary for building a diverse and inclusive twenty-first century workforce capable of competing in a fast-changing, technology-driven, globalized world.

Tina Lee is a mother of two young daughters and founder and CEO of MotherCoders, a non-profit that helps moms on-ramp to technical careers in the new economy. A lifelong San Franciscan who was raised in Chinatown by an immigrant grandmother, she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political, Legal and Economic Analysis, with an emphasis in Economics, and an MBA from Mills College. She also holds an M.A. in Education from the Stanford University Graduate School of Education’s Learning, Design & Technology Program.

2014: Tech Policy Issues to Watch

It seems that every year has gotten busier and busier in the world of tech policy -- and that’s generally a good thing. This morning’s news that a federal court has struck down FCC net neutrality rules is a battle we will have to fight, but we should still take heart from the fact that the issues we have cared about for years are becoming more mainstream, and policymakers around the world are starting to listen. While we haven’t forgotten that 2014 is an election year, we’re confident that on the federal level there is room for improvement in a number of areas close to the hearts of innovators and entrepreneurs. So here’s a quick, early roundup of what we expect to be watching in 2014.

Patents

In the last weeks of 2013, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Innovation Act, a litigation reform bill targeting patent trolls and their extortive, anti-innovation practices.

This year, we’re pushing for a companion bill in the Senate, a body that has signaled stronger wariness than we encountered in the House. It’s going to be an uphill battle, but we must make certain that 2013 was the last good year for patent trolls. Similarly, the House and Senate Commerce committees have both expressed an interest in demand letter reforms to tackle the current anonymity and vagueness.

Together with our many friends -- retailers, real estate agents, and others -- we will be working closely with the House and Senate to build legislation that is beneficial but does not risk being overturned by the courts on First Amendment grounds. But to lay the foundation for everything we do, we must remind Congress that we are the inventors driving our economy.

User Privacy

The technology we love makes information more accessible and useful. Usually that’s a good thing, but unfortunately it also means that private information sometimes gets out against our wishes. With some high profile breaches (think Target and Snapchat) at the end of 2013 we expect to see more political appetite for privacy “reforms”.

While we have yet to see any formal bills, we expect both federal and state-level reform efforts to tackle the big question of protecting consumer privacy without threatening needed innovation. Up until now, a lack of understanding on the part of lawmakers has often meant that reforms can do more harm than good by threatening to limit the free exchange of data and ideas. We need to be more mindful here, and at the same time we must work within the tech industry to safeguard user data, develop better security practices, and create easy-to-use tools that are available for the average user to help them monitor and protect their data.

Data Localization

We’re already seeing foreign governments use the Edward Snowden revelations as an excuse to slow the growth of US-based technology companies. Most concerning is a push toward what insiders are calling “data localization” -- a requirement that all country-specific user data must be consistently maintained within that country. For example, French user data must only be analyzed or stored in France. That means service providers -- since that data is used to provide a useful service -- will be forced to maintain a duplicate set of infrastructure in every country. This is a problem because most countries lack the intellectual property and security standards we enjoy in the United States. And after all, it’s those policies that have long contributed to this country’s incredible record of innovative success.

Just this week, I had the opportunity to talk to new Commerce Secretary Pritzker about the challenges the U.S. will face should governments such as Brazil and France go ahead with mandated localization. It's something credit card companies have faced for years, but now it’s a growing threat to technology companies whose businesses and users rely on the borderless functionality.

Forced data localization will drive up costs, slow deployment times, reduce innovation, push U.S. jobs overseas, and generally threaten our safety and security. The administration should make time for the right discussions with individual nations, and the U.S. Commerce Department should take the opportunity to caution against such moves, making certain that the legacy of this episode is one of increased freedom and actual security, rather than a paranoid, reactive clampdown on the free flow of information.

Copyright

We’ve been excited to see content distributors updating their revenue models and making more of their content libraries available through new and innovative channels. But we’re always cautious of the incumbent interests that troll the halls of government in the name of protecting creators. Data has shown that often these incumbents are misguided in their assertions.

While no one has offered-up a policy solution -- lest it becomes the next SOPA -- Representative Goodlatte wants to undertake a multi-year, multi-stakeholder process aimed at comprehensive reform. And it all last week with a Congressional copyright hearing.

Immigration

An outdated immigration system continues to be one of the greatest threats to American entrepreneurship and business growth. As we demonstrated in 2013, high-skilled immigration creates jobs and raises wages, and it is disappointing to have to use this year to continue to build our case.

With the mid-term Congressional elections ahead of us in November, the conventional wisdom in Washington generally holds that getting a deal on something as broad and controversial as immigration reform would be a non-starter. But as the pressure continues to mount on Congressional Republicans to take charge and fix our broken immigration system, there may be opportunities to advance that debate -- and even pass legislation that would address the crisis. Having spent much of the last two years making the economic case for immigration reform, it’s up to all of us to keep the pressure on and make sure that an achievable fix becomes law. It’s a long shot this year, but we remain hopeful that as opportunities present themselves, we can all rise to meet the challenge.

Research

Not to be relegated to a footnote, this year, the Engine Research team will keep producing great research as we did in 2013, highlighting the role startups play outside the United States, the importance of access to high-speed connectivity, and user privacy. It is clear that to accomplish all the goals we have set for ourselves -- and for our community -- we must continue to be rooted in the facts: hard data that makes our path clear, our points incontrovertible, and our needs readily apparent. We don’t have the ability to be patient and try “politics as usual”. Jobs remain on the line.

Hangout for Immigration: What You Can Do

This morning, I was honored to convene a Google+ Hangout with leaders, and Keep Us Here coalition partners, from across the country to talk about immigration reform. As we reach a pivotal point in the political process, we spoke about the state of play on reform in Washington and, more importantly, about about the tools that allow ordinary Americans to be a part of that debate.

Engine Advocacy's Immigration Hangout from Engine Advocacy on Vimeo.

I was joined by Ali Noorani, Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum, Jeremy Robbins, Director of Partnership for a New American Economy, Mahrinah von Schlegel, Founder and Managing Director of Cibola, a tech incubator in South Side, Chicago, with PandoDaily’s Hamish McKenzie moderating. You can watch it for yourself here to find out more on what we’re all doing and how you can get involved.

Overall, our remarks centered on the uniqueness of the moment we’re seeing right now in Washington, with a coalition being built across the aisle and from every corner of America, speaking on the need for reform to our broken system. This morning, the coalition was able to push 82 Senators to begin debate on this critical issue, While that in itself was an historic achievement, we still have a lot of work left to do.

As you know, Engine launched Keep Us Here to provide a focal point for lots of that activism, but we can’t do it without our coalition partners, and especially, all of you. Everyone on today’s Hangout independently made the point that unless Senate offices -- and soon, hopefully, House offices as well -- hear from all of us about why this issue matters in our daily lives, we run the risk of losing this moment and the promise of building an immigration system that works.

Only you have the power to make that a reality. So take action, join us at Keep Us Here, join with coalition partners like BBB, March for Innovation, Cibola and so many more, and let your voice be heard. Pledge to call next week on our day of action, and send a tweet or a letter. 

Stand up and be counted. We’re closer than we’ve been in the last half century to meaningful reform. Don’t let this moment pass us by.

Keep Us Here. Pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Engine supports comprehensive immigration reform, and specifically the bipartisan “Gang of Eight” bill that passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee with amendments that further encourage innovation and boost economic growth.

To the aim of bringing this bill to a vote, and getting it passed into law, we’ve launched Keep Us Here
-- a campaign centered around online tools to call, write to, and tweet at, Congress.

This is a unique moment in American politics, and you can be a part of it.

For this to work, we need to mobilize startups, entrepreneurs, investors, innovators, and everyone who wants an immigration system that works for America in a global economy. We also hope to build a broader coalition, including a wider range of interest groups also pushing for comprehensive immigration reform.

Why does it matter?

1. Startups are responsible for all net job growth over the last twenty years
2. Engine Advocacy research tells us that for every new high-tech job, 4.3 other jobs are created in a local economy
3. With forty percent of Fortune 500 companies founded by immigrants, or the children of immigrants, it’s critically important that we safeguard the ability of the next generation of founders to start business here.
4. Under the current system we are losing knowledge, and losing out to other countries who are welcoming American-taught talent with open arms

Startups promise the rebirth -- and rejuvenation -- of the American economy. Startups can power the next generation of growth in the American economy if we let them.

Engine is working towards an immigration system that works for the United States in a global economy, and we need your help.

You can tell policymakers that you care about knowledge, talent, jobs, growth, and keeping the U.S. competitive in the global economy. Let’s raise our voices to encourage the Senate to pass comprehensive immigration reform now.

Go to Keep Us Here
. Write a letter to your Senator, tweet at Congress, and pledge to call your Senator directly on June 18th, to show your support for comprehensive immigration reform.

Use the image above as your Facebook cover picture, and the badge below for your website. If you want any further messaging, or other images, don't hesitate to reach out to us at comms@engine.is.

Startups Speak: The Entrepreneur Visa is Key

Peruvian born, Fulbright scholar, engineer, entrepreneur, and Hattery Co-Founder and Managing Director, Luis Arbulu, takes us through his perspective on current immigration policy and the Senate “Gang of Eight” bill. The highlight? The visa specifically for entrepreneurs.

In his spare time, Luis works with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and USCIS as an Entrepreneur in Residence, advocating for growing companies and entrepreneurs right at the center of it all.

If you have a story to tell, email editorial@engine.is

Immigration Bill Moves to Senate Floor with Amendments

The amended Senate “Gang of Eight” immigration bill yesterday passed 13-5 out of the Senate Judiciary Committee -- but not before concessions were made by Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Charles Schumer (D-NY) reached an agreement on certain provisions for high-skilled labor. 

Now the bill moves forward, with significant bipartisan support from the Committee, to the full Senate for their consideration, and then hopefully to a vote. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said this bill will be first up for debate when Senators return from their Memorial Day break, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) vowed that Republicans would not block the immigration bill from the floor.

In a statement on Tuesday night, President Obama thanked “the leadership of Chairman Leahy and a bipartisan group of eight Senators,” and said that “the legislation...is largely consistent with the principles of commonsense reform I have proposed and meets the challenge of fixing our broken immigration system.”

Since the proposal was first released last month, over 300 amendments -- offered by Republicans and Democrats -- were submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee for consideration. The Committee debated over 100 and has done a great job of making the bill better where necessary, but also rejecting efforts to severely restrict legal immigration, which would impede the ability to meet workforce needs. Moreover, this mark-up process is essential in giving everyone a stake in the final product as it moves through the approval process.

Focusing on the high-skilled sections of the bill, a host of amendments have been approved, and two were approved unanimously: an amendment by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) to help participants in startup accelerators obtain INVEST visas, and Senator Leahy’s amendment to permanently authorize the EB-5 visa program. The program lets a private entity or state apply to become an approved regional center, and then propose development projects for immigrant investors.

Looking at the H-1B system, the efforts of Senator Hatch were particularly noteworthy; his amendment, agreed upon late in the deliberations, increases the minimum number of high-tech H1-B visas allowed annually -- but it does so without accounting for domestic economic conditions. On the issue of fraud within the system, the broad bill requires employers filing visa petitions to first offer a job to an “equally qualified” U.S. worker, but in another amendment from Senator Hatch yet to be debated, this requirement would only be imposed on “H-1B-dependent” companies.

On student visas and funding for education, the committee adopted an amendment from Senator Grassley (R-IA) to improve the student and exchange visitor visa programs, and a further amendment from Senator Hatch to put the labor certification fee towards “improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and training in the United States.”

Late in the day, still trying to get the bill to the floor, Senators Leahy and Schumer were forced to agree with dissenting members of the committee to hold off on adding an amendment that would have allowed certain provisions for same-sex couples. As a result of this, and other compromises, Committee members and other Senators know the bill is not perfect, but it is the best shot at fixing our broken immigration system. And with deals already being made between supporters and those who had previously been detractors as part of the full Senate markup process, it’s clear that Senate leadership on both sides of the aisle is looking for a process which swiftly and judiciously moves the bill to a vote. 

Last night’s developments are good news for those of us fighting for reform, but now is the time to step on the gas. The need for pressure on Senators to pass this bill and keep moving towards fixing our broken system is real, and it is immediate. 

In league with organizations from across the political spectrum, including Organizing for Action, Consumer Electronics Association, Voto Latino, Silicon Valley Leadership Group and many more, Engine and March For Innovation are launching two days of initiatives across the Internet. Stay tuned to Engine for more news about the March, and what we’ll be doing afterwards as well. Join the March, follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and keep working. Your voices can tilt this debate, help guarantee the bill’s passage, and go a long way towards protecting innovation and building an immigration system that works here in America.

Photo courtesy of  Talk Radio News Service.