Three People You Should Know in Diversity in Tech

Diversity and inclusion are more than the biggest buzzwords of 2017. According to a recent report, there is a growing generational gap in how diversity and inclusion are defined in today’s workplaces.

Millennials view diversity as the blending of different backgrounds and experiences, within a team, and they view inclusion as support for an environment that values participation from individuals with different ideas and perspectives as a positive impact.

The Baby Boomer and Gen-Xer generations, on the other hand, see diversity as a representation of fairness to all, regardless of gender, race, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.

Inclusion for boomers and Gen-Xers is the right thing to do for compliance and equality, regardless of whether it benefits the business.

With Millennials set to make up nearly 75 percent of the workforce by 2025, how are organizations blending these different ideas and perspectives in the workforce?

Here are three people you should know in diversity and inclusion.

Renata Spinks (left) is the founder of Rising Footsteps, which is an organization founded on principles that address the mental, physical, spiritual, and financial necessities balancing our lives. After transitioning from the military, she worked as an analyst at the Department of Homeland Security for almost five years on assignments that supported cyber security awareness and financial operations. She is currently drafting a manuscript to address opportunities for diversity in the male-dominated field of technology and the value women add in this field. Renata has over 15 years of providing simple approaches to the most complex technologically challenging environments. In the workplace, she is known as the “go-to” person and a “miracle worker.”Some of her awards include VIP Woman of the Year (2014), Shining Star (2), Employee of the Year, DHS TEAM (1) and several decorative Veteran recognition.

Tanya Blackmon is executive vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer for Novant Health. She joined Novant Health in 1992 and has held a variety of leadership roles, including director of clinical improvement and community care services, director of inpatient discharge planning, chief operating officer of Novant Health Charlotte Orthopedic Hospital and president of Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center. Blackmon has a Bachelor of Science in social work from North Carolina A&T State University, a Master of Business Administration from Queens University in Charlotte, and a Master of Social Work from the University of South Carolina.

Charlesiah McLean, Ed.D. (center) is Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Leidos (formerly SAIC). Leidos provides intelligence, defense and cybersecurity solutions across a broad spectrum of national security programs. Leidos capabilities support the entire intelligence life cycle, from the collection of vital information across all domains, to the processing of data into intelligence products, and to the employment of people supporting national and military intelligence agencies as well as other federal and civilian customers within the national security arena. As Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion and he is responsible for the management of Diversity & Inclusion external relations, professional networks, brand management, strategic partnerships, diverse markets and supplier diversity.