With the racial reckoning that the US is facing this summer, it makes sense that there would be more of a spotlight than ever on Black women in tech. In an article on the topic, Built In focuses on the actual "pipeline problem," and why it's not as simple as getting people of color on the educational tech train at a young age. It turns out that Black and Hispanic workers who study computer science in college often opt out of careers in tech or engineering to take their talents to a different industry. This is likely not because of lack of education or ability, but due to recruitment bias and daunting job descriptions for tech jobs. Not to mention recruiters who judge candidates based on the university they are graduating from (as racial wealth gaps often keep minorities out of Ivy League schools), flat-out networking nepotism and cultural fit. It's time to move past these antiquated hiring tactics and instead base decisions on who will do the best work. (See WiCipedia: Founders battle anti-racism, fight for equal-opportunity funding.)

The annual Grace Hopper Celebration may have gone virtual this year, but it sure hasn't backed down from heavy-hitting keynoters (helloooo Serena Williams!), jam-packed sessions or skyrocketing attendance numbers. Yahoo reports that the conference may actually boast double the attendance numbers of last year (including at least 9,000 pre-registered students) due to the easier-to-access online format, and will focus on the usual topics of mentoring, negotiating and networking, as well as health and wellness in the context of COVID-19. Brenda Darden Wilkerson, president and CEO of AnitaB.org, said about the new conference format: "In the past, it's been about how do we fit in? It's going to be more important that tech understands that all the things that we bring are the things that are important to help tech be successful, because tech impacts just about every part of our lives." (See WiCipedia: Grace Hopper Promotes Diversity, Girl Scouts Code & How to Thrive.)

A new series of books called Ella the Engineer is designed to get young girls interested in STEM. Staten Island Live reports that Deloitte and The Ella Project have collaborated to create the series and a set of learning tools, led by Staten Islander Anthony Onesto, an accomplished HR pro in the tech world. Named after Anthony's daughter, Ella is "a fearless young girl who uses science and technology to solve problems and save the day." What kid wouldn't want to follow her lead? (See Staten Islander's 'Ella the Engineer' series and Deloitte provide virtual STEM learning.)

— Eryn Leavens, Special Features & Copy Editor, Light Reading. Follow us on Twitter @LR_WiC and contact Eryn directly at [email protected].