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FBTB 2022: 67 percent female speakers
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The conference FBTB has for many years had at least 50 percent female speakers. This year it’s two-thirds. We talked to Lotta Gerdt, the Co-chairman of the program committee, to hear her thoughts on the matter. She thinks that the overall variety is even more important than focusing exclusively on gender percentage.
FBTB has, since the early days, had the goal of booking equally female and male speakers for the conference line-up. How is it this year?
– The starting point is still simple – that it should be at least fifty-fifty. But we also focus on variety. The speakers should come from different parts of the world, different backgrounds, and with different stories to tell – and with this mindset gender and LGBTQ+ equality are naturally included. This year we have 67 percent women, and 33 percent men as speakers.
How is FBTB doing in gender equality in general, in regards to the whole conference process?
– Gender equality is a human right. It's a prerequisite for a functioning, prosperous and sustainable world. So it’s the bottom line in our everyday work with the conference, and in our work as consultants in general.
And I suppose you have thoughts already for FBTB 2023…?
– The goal for next year is to have an even broader representation of speakers when it comes to different backgrounds and conditions in society. There’s always room for improvement.
Can you point out and recommend some of the female speakers this year?
– All of them!
– But okay, this year we have some younger female talents, who show us that women – for sure – have a voice that is worth listening to. I’d say Allie Vogel who is a Senior Product Design Lead at Microsoft with insights within machine learning, and Kat Zhou who is a Product Designer at Spotify with a passion for ethical, accessible, and inclusive design.
Check out what we have in store for From Business to Buttons 2022:
WORKSHOPS: Secure a seat at the workshops here!