Prioritizing diversity in technology events creates equity and inclusion for underrepresented groups.
Dreamin’ in Color is an annual event that elevates black voices who are current or aspiring Salesforce professionals. Attendees and presenters discuss how to succeed, overcome obstacles and grow thriving careers and businesses in the Salesforce ecosystem. Fíontans Cody Hamilton and Katy Burns attended this year and came back with some great insights.
Cody
- There is a tremendous pipeline of up-and-coming talent just waiting for their chance to prove to be an asset to companies in the Salesforce ecosystem. We all stand to benefit by figuring out a way to tap into and harness that potential talent pool.
- There is still work that needs to be done towards racial and gender equity in most companies and in the world, but it felt good to consider how much Fionta invests and is making that equity our reality.
- In talking with many people, I realized not only was I talking about the Fíonta opportunities available but more often was telling them about the dynamic ways Fíonta sincerely cares for their staff. I could sense a hunger from individuals listening to find just that type of company…so we should never forget to point out that Fíonta’s mantra toward its employees, which I feel is “Every Team Member Matters”, is rare, sought after, and a huge selling point in this day and age.
Katy
- For Salesforce events, I’m used to lots and lots of people from all over (perhaps my expectations are to have a strong dose of Dreamforce in them). What I loved about Dreamin’ in Color is that it was a much smaller group and the content was very focused/tailored to the audience (current and aspiring Salesforce professionals in the Black community). The message of “were underrepresented in the tech sector — let’s change that” and “your voice matters” showed up in every session that I joined. The through-line and messaging were consistent, powerful, and motivating.
- The session with Tableau visionary Chantilly Jaggernauth (@chanjagg) was a major highlight for me. It was one of the most seamless live demos that I’ve seen in my career. In just 1.5 hours, she told her story, taught us how to take raw data to a compelling story, and shared her final product with her network. All the while, Chantilly was composed, real, and quite inspiring. I imagine there were some Tableau converts that came out of that session!
- It was so nice to have real-live conversations with real-live people! We’re excited to participate in more Dreamin’ in the future and join local user groups. It was a good shot in the arm, after so many months (years) away from other folks in the ecosystem.