Part six: Outlook

We here at Atlassian kind of borrow from how our software teams work, which is that we measure, we test, we measure again, and then we iterate based on what we find. And here we've been proactive about sharing our learnings and frankly what doesn't work with our hope that other companies will build on our work and do it better than we did. No one company is going to solve this problem. It's an industry-level problem that will require industry-level collaboration to solve, and so we hope we can be a part of that. My hope is also that for these bigger companies, even if they're just getting started, that we as companies can learn from each other about what's worked and what hasn't. Because the fact is, we're all going after this unsolved problem, and even little changes can have huge reverberations across the industry. I am cautiously optimistic about diversity and inclusion in tech if only because there has been a lot more discussion and awareness of issues in the last few years, especially, whether or not that drives change is still up to us. I don't think it's a given. I don't think we should take for granted that progress will happen just because bad actors have been identified, but at least there is a greater awareness and people are feeling more okay speaking out. And so I think that's positive. I think I'm actually still most excited to be an engineer. I love being a software engineer and being a part of the tech industry, and I hope that I can continue to do that work while also bringing my experiences as an engineer. You know, working in startups, being a founder, I could bring those experiences into better and more effective advocacy for diversity and inclusion for engineers, for people generally who work in tech and for founders and for investors. I'm very optimistic about fairness and equality, not only in the tech industry, but everywhere. Because I see more and more people standing up for each other, people working together to give each other a break, because I really feel that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice. As Martin Luther King Jr. wanted to happen, I see a lot of people working to make that happen. There are bad actors who don't feel this way and we're doing what we can about that. But I have a lot of confidence in people based on over 20 years of grassroots customer service. I'm going to use my philanthropy to stand up for areas which I think are big, like fairness for everyone and also defending the country. I hope to have some real impact just in terms of people being fair to each other and then to participate in these bigger ideas. I get a lot of anecdotal feedback looking at social media, people standing up and trying to help out. I do hear about people speaking with their dollars through some of these philanthropic efforts. So I have the impression and feeling that I am having a lot of impact by virtue of nudging people themselves to have some impact. I hope that's real. I may be suffering from confirmation bias where I'm seeing what I want to see. Nevertheless, I have this confidence, this faith that these efforts, a lot of people working together are getting real things done. I'm optimistic from the frame of reference that when we started Black Girls Code, like six years ago, no one was even having this discussion, even though we all know that it was a tremendous issue and a barrier for inclusion. But I'm pessimistic because I know that it's not going to change overnight. I'm saying that from the standpoint that I know that this type of change, when you're changing systemic issues, it's a long game. It's not something that happens, you know, in one, two, three, four years. I'm realistic. And the fact that even my daughter and girls that are in college now are about to go to college, it won't be changed. And they may not necessarily receive pay equity. They're going to have to address issues of bias in their workforce through a good part of their careers. But I think the work that we are doing to kind of change the dynamic, to move the needle forward, it will reap benefits. It will absolutely change in the future. And I'm optimistic that will happen. Maybe not this next generation, but the generation after that. I think people look at being an activist as something that others do and the effort, but I think everyone can be an activist, right? It's not about stepping outside of your comfort zone as much as like seeing a problem and deciding that you're going to do something, you're going to take the first step to be the change that you want to create. Right. Together, we can transform the tech industry to become more inclusive, open, and welcome to individuals from all walks of life. Let's leave a positive impact on our children, ourselves, our peers, our companies, our industries, and our world. Your voice matters. Are you ready to create change?