In 2018, Kishawna Peck was looking for a conference to attend. At the time, the Toronto data scientist was working at a financial technology company and hoping to find an event that focused on women, or at least featured something beyond panels of all-male speakers. There was nothing.
“Maybe I can do it,” she thought to herself. Over a six-week period, Ms. Peck and some friends put together a small event they initially thought would take place in the back room of a library. By the time it ran, Ms. Peck had gathered over 100 attendees, hosted at a formal venue.
While it was satisfying to see the event happen, “I noticed the room was not as diverse as it could be,” Ms. Peck recalls. She decided to launch Toronto Womxn in Data Science, making it intersectional to attract and promote BIPOC women in the field.
The spring conference has run annually ever since, featuring sessions on topics such as responsible AI, data feminism, health equity and confidence and self-advocacy. The group now runs a podcast aimed at young women called Data Drop, and Ms. Peck is developing a fellowship that will support an emerging professional in developing a data product.
Continue reading: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-data-science-is-booming-so-where-are-the-women/
“Maybe I can do it,” she thought to herself. Over a six-week period, Ms. Peck and some friends put together a small event they initially thought would take place in the back room of a library. By the time it ran, Ms. Peck had gathered over 100 attendees, hosted at a formal venue.
While it was satisfying to see the event happen, “I noticed the room was not as diverse as it could be,” Ms. Peck recalls. She decided to launch Toronto Womxn in Data Science, making it intersectional to attract and promote BIPOC women in the field.
The spring conference has run annually ever since, featuring sessions on topics such as responsible AI, data feminism, health equity and confidence and self-advocacy. The group now runs a podcast aimed at young women called Data Drop, and Ms. Peck is developing a fellowship that will support an emerging professional in developing a data product.
Continue reading: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-data-science-is-booming-so-where-are-the-women/
