Articles by MarySue Barrett and Abaki Beck

About MarySue Barrett and Abaki Beck

MarySue Barrett is president of the independent Metropolitan Planning Council, where she builds bridges between the public and private sectors to solve metropolitan Chicago’s urgent planning and development challenges, refining tactics that can help regions everywhere prepare for the needs of tomorrow. She is a past keynote speaker at MOTM.

Abaki Beck is an Executive Assistant at Metropolitan Planning Council, a former congressional staff member, and a published writer.

What Does Equity Have To Do With Tech?

What Does Equity Have To Do With Tech?

by | Sep 5, 2017 | Society, Technology | 0 Comments

Unlocking the tech sector’s potential in Chicago (and beyond) means confronting segregation and inequality.

The tech field suffers from a costly cycle of inequity. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found that, compared to other private industries, high-tech companies hire a disproportionate number of white people and men—68.5% and 64% of employees, respectively. Meanwhile, the STEM workforce in the U.S. is projected to grow exponentially; already, in job-rich Cook County and DuPage counties, tech jobs grew 14% and 18% between 2009 and mid-2014, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. As the city’s tech sector grows, so might inequality—unless more leaders like Sales-Griffin step up with creative interventions. Today in Chicago, just 12% of Latinos and 20% of African-Americans have bachelor’s degrees, compared to 44% of whites. The diversity talent gap threatens the tech sector’s vitality.