On June 10, Northeastern University – Seattle hosted a gathering of regional technology executives and local political figures to discuss initiatives being taken to increase diversity and equity in the technology industry. The event, held in partnership with the Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) and the Northwest Technology Equity Initiative (NWTEI), welcomed back Rev. Jesse Jackson as a guest speaker.

Tayloe Washburn, Dean and CEO of Northeastern University – Seattle, kicked off the event by recognizing several leaders in the tech community associated with the WTIA’s Diversity Action Committee including Sarah Bird, CEO of MOZ and Liz Pearce of Liquid Planner. They were joined by leaders from the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, an advocacy group founded and led by Jackson.

After reviewing NWTEI’s initiatives and progress to date, the collective group agreed collaboration, dedication and advocacy are what will help to advance development in the “Silicon Forest,” a term Jackson has attached to the region.

Dean Washburn, co-chair of the Diversity Action Committee, reported on Northeastern University’s commitment to increasing diversity and equity in technology and STEM fields as a whole. He said that the university’s STEM enrollments have tripled in the last 10 years for women at the undergraduate and graduate level. The number of under-represented minorities (URMs) enrolled in STEM fields at Northeastern has more than doubled for minorities, amounting to a 190 percent increase in computer science majors for diverse students in the last 4 years.

Jackson, who inspired the creation of the NWTEI, addressed the group and praised them for their continued action and support. He also acknowledged that there is still a long road ahead.

“Companies in America should look like America,” said Rev. Jackson. “Everybody is somebody. Everybody matters.”

Seattle’s struggle is representative of what the nation as a whole is facing. Today, females make up 51 percent of the population, yet only hold 26 percent of the jobs in technology. African Americans hold only 7 percent and Latinos only 5 percent of the jobs in technology. In higher education, the trends are on the downturn. In the last 30 years, the number of women pursuing higher education degrees has actually declined, from 35 percent to now 20 percent. Similarly, African Americans are only 10 percent of those undergraduates who earn degrees in computer science, and Latinos are 7 percent.

The NWTEI has committed to a series of initiatives including opening a pipeline for minority and women entrepreneurs to obtain capital for their startups, and to pair professionals seeking employment in the tech industry with executives in the region.

The meeting prefaced an expert panel presentation to take place on June 16 at the Seattle graduate campus. The panel will identify actionable steps companies and individuals can take to help advance this cause. Dean Carla Brodley, Northeastern University College of Computer and Information Science, will lead the discussion along with representatives from Microsoft, The Anita Borg Institute and the Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC).

Northeastern University – Seattle opened in 2013 and is located in South Lake Union, an epicenter of innovation in science and technology for the city of Seattle. The graduate campus offers a wide range of graduate degree programs in high-demand fields like bioinformatics, homeland security, health informatics and computer science. The campus also offers ALIGN degrees, helping professionals with a STEM background receive their master’s degree in another related field in just two years. This successful program has allowed Northeastern University – Seattle to contribute qualified CS talent in a time when there is such high-demand.