2019 #movethedial Summit Raises the Bar for Diversity and Inclusion With Inspiring Speaker Roster and Focus on “Going All In”

TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#WomenInTech–#movethedial, a global movement dedicated to advancing the participation and leadership of all women in technology, today announced “Going All In” as the key theme for its 2019 Global Summit. The event will take place at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall on November 14, 2019 from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase at movethedial.com/summit and the full agenda is now available online.

With a focus on “Going All In,” the content for this year’s Summit will challenge individuals and organizations to go beyond what they are currently doing and take an “all-in” approach to diversity and inclusion. Speakers will provide actionable insights that motivate, inspire, and encourage attendees to push beyond the diversity conversation and take meaningful action to amplify diversity efforts that move the dial for everyone – across all identities and intersectionalities – represented in the tech ecosystem.

This 2019 Global Summit builds on the success of the inaugural, sold-out 2018 event, which was attended by diverse corporate leaders, emerging leaders, and youth with a shared and deep interest in technology, innovation, and diversity. The #movethedial 2019 Global Summit will feature a rich program of inspiring keynote speakers, networking activities, and immersive activations in a highly inclusive and energizing environment.

The high-impact event is aimed at building awareness of the benefits and opportunities that result from designing for – and building – inclusive workplaces; inspiring action by leaders at technology startups, growth companies, global enterprises, and other organizations within the technology ecosystem to better support, mentor, and advance all women-identified employees; galvanize and amplify collective community and corporate efforts to support women in the workplace; and encourage young girls to pursue careers in STEM.

The impressive 2019 speaker roster includes thought-provoking change-makers and industry leaders who champion diversity and inclusion. Hailing from the fields of technology, finance, the arts, media, and social activism, this cross-section of talented and inspiring executives and thought leaders will share their unique expertise, experiences, and insights with event attendees.

This year’s main stage headliners include three dynamic women who are driving creativity within the global tech ecosystem.

• Bozoma Saint John, Chief Marketing Officer at Endeavor, has earned a formidable reputation as a trailblazing marketing and advertising executive, noted for her work at Uber, Apple Music, and Pepsi-Cola North America. She will be taking the Summit stage to share her career journey and discuss why companies should be proactively promoting women in tech with colleague Justina Omokhua, SVP Brand Marketing, Endeavor.
• Erin and Sara Foster, the dynamic duo at Bumble and Bumble Bizz, have been working with Bumble CEO, Whitney Wolfe Herd since 2017, to grow and elevate the Bumble brand as Heads of Creative. As former stars of hit TV shows like Barely Famous and CW’s 90210, the sisters will discuss what it takes to build strong technologies and brands that speak to women consumers.

In addition to these headliners, the Global Summit will also feature the following:

• Melissa Thomas-Hunt, head of global diversity and belonging at Airbnb, will share her journey of belonging and how the organization is going all in on inclusion and belonging from a budget and metrics perspective.
• Hear the story of Leagh Turner, President of Ceridian, and the steps she took that enabled her to rise to the top as a tech leader at the helm of a billion-dollar software company.
• Addressing the unintended consequences of bias, Kat Holmes, Director of UX design at Google, will discuss why inclusive design is essential for every business.
• Actor, philanthropist, writer, producer, and human rights advocate Angelica Ross will share her views on the tech landscape from a transgender perspective.

#movethedial 2019 Global Summit speakers announced to date include:

• Armughan Ahmad, President and Managing Partner of Digital Solutions, KPMG Canada
• Dallas Arcand, 3x World Champion Hoop Dancer
• Norie Campbell, Group Head, Customer & Colleague Experience, TD
• Rola Dagher, President, Cisco Canada
• Lydia Dishman, Reporter at Fast Company
• Rich Donovan, CEO of The Return on Disability Group
• Erin Elofson, Canada Country Manager at Pinterest
• Erin and Sara Foster, Heads of Creative, Bumble and Bumble Bizz
• Daniel Guillory, Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Dropbox
• Kat Holmes, Director of UX Design, Google
• Damien Hooper-Campbell, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, eBay
• Kathryn Hume, Director of Product and Business Development, Borealis AI
• Annie Jean-Baptiste, Head of Product Inclusion, Research, and Activation, Google
• Erica Keswin, Workplace Strategist
• Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, Chief Diversity Officer, Microsoft
• Farah Nasser, News Anchor at Global News (Summit Emcee)
• Justina Omokhua, SVP Brand Marketing, Endeavor
• Angelica Ross, Actor, Philanthropist, Writer, Producer and Human Rights Advocate
• Bozoma Saint John, Chief Marketing Officer, Endeavor
• Sarah Saska, Co-Founder and CEO, Feminuity
• Tenzin Seldon, CEO, Kinstep
• Zaib Shaikh, Consul General of Canada in Los Angeles
• Melissa Thomas-Hunt, Head of Global Diversity and Belonging, Airbnb
• Leagh Turner, President, Ceridian
• Spencer West, Inspirational Speaker, Author, Activist, World Change Warrior
• Holly Zheng, CEO and President, BlueFocus International
• Randi Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO, Zuckerberg Media

In addition to the strong lineup of speakers, the Summit will feature a unique workshop track for women senior executives in technical roles, providing a unique environment for women who tech to talk candidly about their experiences and discuss solutions. A Women Who Tech networking zone will bring together these professionals to connect, network, and learn from each other throughout the day.

“Last year’s Summit featured speakers that reinforced the progress made by the tech community in creating an ecosystem that values diversity and inclusion at all levels,” said Jodi Kovitz, founder and CEO of #movethedial. “It is our goal at this year’s Summit to push the conversation further. We know that diversity and inclusion are good for business, but we want to showcase the power of going all in on these aspects and demonstrate why it’s important to provide solutions that address everyone across identities and intersectionalities.”

“We are pleased to once again support #movethedial for the Global Summit,” said Rizwan Khalfan, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital and Payments Officer, TD. “At TD, we see having diverse perspectives as paramount to us serving the evolving needs of our customers and we are eager to support initiatives that inspire diversity and inclusion in the tech sector and beyond. It is exciting to see and celebrate how TD colleagues are “moving the dial” and we will continue to promote the importance of having women in leadership roles within our organization.”

Founded in 2017, #movethedial has a large and growing number of leading Canadian corporate and technology partners, is supported by over 150 leading technology ecosystem advisors, and has engaged a community of more than 150 advocates. In addition to its engaging and inclusive events, #movethedial leverages the power of shared experiences to connect people through storytelling; an initiative which has thus far led to an estimated 20,000 people engaging in the movement across Canada, the US, Japan, the UK, and Israel.

About #movethedial

#movethedial is a global movement committed to advancing the participation and leadership of all women in technology. Founded on the premise that advancing the full talent pool will make Canada’s tech industry the strongest and most inclusive in the world, #movethedial believes the opportunity for equity for all women-identified people exists at a global level. Proudly headquartered in Toronto, Canada, #movethedial is working to drive support and commitment to the #movethedial movement at home and internationally. Learn more at: movethedial.com.

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Contacts

Media:
Jodi Echakowitz

Boulevard Public Relations

416-271-7250

jodi@boulevardpr.com