Necessary Inclusion: Embracing the Changing Faces of Technology (PB) - Softcover

Diversity and inclusion are essential to innovation. Without them, there is a very real danger of everything starting to look and sound the same. - Dan Zelem, VP CTO, Johnson and Johnson   Changing the face of technology is no longer something that would be nice to do someday; it is a critical imperative that must get done now. The work being done by NCWIT can help every company change their culture to one that is welcoming to everyone. Necessary Inclusion provides a clear roadmap to this change, and I am proud to serve with Avis on the NCWIT Board. - Brad Feld, Managing Director, Foundry Group and Chairman, National Center for Women & Information Technology We must seek to achieve equality and inclusion from all perspectives; equality in representation consistent with our population; and inclusion in conversation so all voices and viewpoints are heard and considered. Equality in compensation- equivalent results deserve equivalent rewards. - Rose Schooler, Vice President and GM, Communications and Storage Infrastructure Group, Intel Corporation Avis Yates Rivers is the "real deal":  A successful black, technical entrepreneurial businesswoman. In short, she is a proven pioneer who shares her experience by writing  and speaking about  what America must do to reverse its diversity slide backwards in the technology sector. Thirty years ago, almost forty percent of computer science graduates were women, and today that number is under twenty percent.  At a time when American business is in need of skilled workers, Avis throws the spotlight on broad sectors of America's potential workforce that have been ignored by counter-productive education, recruitment, and retention practices.  -The Honorable Paula Stern, PhD, former  Chairwoman of  the US International Trade Commission and Chairwoman of The Stern Group, Inc.

Information Technology is the lifeblood of every company. Hundreds of thousands of tech jobs are being created by U.S. corporations each year, but there are not enough talented people to fill those openings. Despite increased emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), women and people of color are not participating in or inventing technology. Without them, these pipeline challenges will persist. Necessary Inclusion: Embracing the Changing Faces of Technology is the one book that not only breaks down the challenges into digestible bites, it also provides a road map to solving this ever-expanding problem.

Thought leader and entrepreneur Avis Yates Rivers established her own successful technology company more than three decades ago. Her story shines a spotlight on the importance of strategic mentoring, persistence, and hard work. She is a highly sought-after global speaker on the subjects of race, gender and the need to embrace the changing faces of technology. Avis is a long-time advocate for the increased utilization of minority and women-owned businesses, and a change agent for increasing the meaningful participation of women and people of color in technology. She serves as a director on the boards of a select group of non-profit organizations, and is the National Spokesperson for NCWIT’s “Sit With Me” Campaign.