Speaking at Canadian Tech@Scale, Sarah Kaplan argues for a Canadian–more inclusive–model of innovation ecosystems and superclusters. A model that deviates from the Silicon Valley model and the systemic inequalities it has yet to successfully address.
Tag: Innovation+creativity
Research briefs, news, and event recaps related to innovation and creativity.
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Using Design Thinking to address gender issues
For the upcoming edition of Rotman Management Magazine, Executive-in-Residence, Vanessa Serra Iarocci speaks to Karen Christensen about her experience utilizing design thinking principles to solve the gender gap in business.
Please read the excerpt below or the full interview here.
A couple of years ago, as an executive with one of the big banks, you were involved in the Rotman School’s study of Canadian women as a consumer group in financial services. What were the key findings?
The first is that the financial industry – despite good intentions – is still underserving female investors. And secondly, female investors want an investing experience that is differentiated from that of men – and the solution to that problem is simpler than anyone might think. The women in the study told us that it isn’t about different products or big marketing campaigns targeting them – it’s about talking to them about their finances in ways that matter to them.
We also found that in some areas of banking, there were no gender differentiators whatsoever. On the one hand, you want to take the needs of women into account, but on the other, you don’t want to make assumptions and engage in ‘pink marketing,’ either. This topic has always been a passion point for me. Thinking back to my time as an undergraduate Commerce student at the University of Toronto, I was very involved in gender-related initiatives. In my work, I am always mindful about taking the needs of women into account whenever it’s warranted. We should all try to make sure that in our daily interactions, we’re not bringing unconscious biases to bear.
Read the full interview here.
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Beyond the Business Case by Vanessa Ko
About this series:
Although gender diversity is a prominent topic in the news, particularly with headlines like, “The business case for gender diversity,” the needle hasn’t significantly moved in the past 10 to 15 years. What accounts for the gap between talk and progress?
In the “Beyond the Business Case” podcast, Vanessa Ko interviews companies to uncover the best practices and policies they’re implementing to improve gender diversity. She also highlights innovations in the field that change the conversation on gender diversity in business.
This podcast was supported by the Institute for Gender and the Economy (GATE) as part of the MBA Student Fellows program, which seeks to engage students in advancing the agenda on gender equality.
Disclaimer: This podcast series was prepared by Vanessa Ko, and the opinions expressed in this series are her own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Institute for Gender and the Economy or the University of Toronto.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts
In Episode 1 of “Beyond the Business Case,” MBA Student Fellow, Vanessa Ko, interviews Sarah Kaplan, Director of the Institute for Gender and the Economy (GATE), to discuss why we need to change the conversation on gender equality, and where the debate stands in academia today.
In episode 2 of “Beyond the Business Case,” , MBA Student Fellow, Vanessa Ko, talks to ZJ Hadley from Tulip Retail about diversity in the startup world.
In Episode 3 of “Beyond the Business Case,” MBA Student Fellow, Vanessa Ko, busts a few myths about recruitment with Sonia Kang, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management in the Department of Management at the University of Toronto; Martin Hauck, Head of Talent at Coinsquare and an Evangelist with Unbiasify; and Maaz Rana, Co-founder of Knockri.
About this series:
Although gender diversity is a prominent topic in the news, particularly with headlines like, “The business case for gender diversity,” the needle hasn’t significantly moved in the past 10 to 15 years. What accounts for the gap between talk and progress?
In the “Beyond the Business Case” podcast, Vanessa Ko interviews companies to uncover the best practices and policies they’re implementing to improve gender diversity. She also highlights innovations in the field that change the conversation on gender diversity in business.
This podcast was supported by the Institute for Gender and the Economy (GATE) as part of the MBA Student Fellows program, which seeks to engage students in advancing the agenda on gender equality.
Disclaimer: This podcast series was prepared by Vanessa Ko, and the opinions expressed in this series are her own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Institute for Gender and the Economy or the University of Toronto.
Listen to other GATE podcast series on the GATE audio Channel on Apple Podcasts or the GATE audio playlist on Spotify.
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Women in STEM: A panel discussion
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=”” type=”legacy”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” center_content=”no” last=”true” min_height=”” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_sizes_top=”” border_sizes_bottom=”” border_sizes_left=”” border_sizes_right=”” first=”true”][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” content_alignment_medium=”” content_alignment_small=”” content_alignment=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”” id=”” margin_top=”” margin_right=”” margin_bottom=”” margin_left=”” fusion_font_family_text_font=”” fusion_font_variant_text_font=”” font_size=”” line_height=”” letter_spacing=”” text_transform=”” text_color=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_color=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_delay=”0″ animation_offset=”” logics=””]“The reason we keep coming back to tech…is because it has the highest chance of disrupting corporate cultures.”
Data gathered by Project Include indicates that men still outnumber women in a majority of tech companies, particularly in leadership and management roles, by as much as 70%. Although the call to include women and girls in STEM fields has been heard for many years now, more steps are clearly needed to make a significant difference.
At our event, “Women in STEM: A Panel Discussion,” we outlined what progress has been made in increasing diversity in STEM fields, and what work still needs to be done. This event was moderated by Sonia Kang, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management at Rotman, and featured panelists Huda Idrees, Founder and CEO of Dot Health; Andrea Stairs, CEO of eBay Canada; Marisa Sterling, Assistant Dean, Inclusivity and Diversity at the Lassonde School of Engineering, York University; and Jessica Yamoah, Founder of Innovate Inclusion.
The panelists outlined a few key insights and lessons learned.
STEM fields need better storytelling.
Up until now, the conversation has focused on numbers and targets. Numbers motivate and drive change, but are only part of the solution. By focusing on the qualitative experiences of women and girls in the STEM fields, a new narrative can emerge around what kinds of careers women can have in STEM, particularly if they are not coming from a STEM background, like panelist Andrea Stairs who has a degree in Medieval History.
We still have a culture problem.
Cultures are slow to change, and some industries are still plagued by a dysfunctional, “fraternity” culture. This is a problem not only for women but also for any individual who may feel alienated by cultures that support toxic masculinity. Solving the culture problem can benefit people of all genders, and there has been an indication of culture change via the formation of “allies” in different companies.
We need to reframe the conversation and disrupt the male-centric vision of the ideal “STEM leader.”
Panelist Jessica Yamoah emphasized that skills often referred to as “soft skills,” such as communication, listening, organization, etc., need to be thought of as “transferable skills” instead because the concept of a “soft skill” is actually gendered. The panelists also pointed out that when investors look for examples of past successes, they typically envision founders like Mark Zuckerberg (of Facebook) and Evan Spiegel (of Snap). However, the more we can point to a diverse set of entrepreneurs, like Katrina Lake, founder of Stitch Fix, the more we can shift the archetype of who a successful leader can be, and even what they can look like.
For a more in-depth look at the event, watch the videos below.
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Or register below for these upcoming events
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Because it’s 2017: Gender Equality as an Innovation Challenge
Available in Portuguese here: http://www.revistahsm.com.br/inovacao-e-crescimento/vamos-inovar-em-diversidade-de-genero/
