Diversity and Visibility at Google I/O ⇥ dailydot.com

Selena Larson, the Daily Dot:

Google’s event demonstrated the stark difference between Google I/O and Apple’s Worldwide Developers conference, which will take place in a couple weeks. Apple rarely, if ever, features women or people of color onstage to represent its company, as I’ve written about time and time and time again.

I’m tired of writing that same story. It shouldn’t need to be written. It should be obvious to companies that representing diversity onstage at major tech events is important, as it not only reflects upon the company but also the people who use its products. Google, for its part, regularly features women as prominent speakers at events. Apple just hasn’t caught up yet.

The kicker here is that Apple, according to their self-reported stats, is actually more diverse in both gender and ethnicity than Google, even in executive positions. Yet Apple’s keynotes remain solidly male and white, with the (refreshing) exception of Christy Turlington Burns at the Watch launch keynote this spring (white, not male), and the occasional appearance by Eddy Cue (male, but of Cuban descent).

Why not get Angela Ahrendts onstage to talk about retail progress, or Lisa Jackson to talk about environmental initiatives? Both of those are often covered instead by Tim Cook anyway, so it’s a great opportunity to show off the diversity at Apple.