GWC Summer Speaker Series With Jack Dorsey: “You Are The Future”
Our Summer Speaker Series brings leaders and activists together with our CEO and Founder Reshma Saujani to have conversations about bravery, activism, and tech, broadcasted exclusively to our girls.
We’re so grateful to Jack Dorsey, co-founder, CEO and Chairman of Square and the co-founder and CEO of Twitter, for joining this Summer Speaker Series. Check out what we learned from Jack and Reshma.
On Speaking Up: We’re Citizens of this World First; Entrepreneurs, Engineers (and everything else) Second
Reshma’s first question is one that’s been on all our minds a lot lately — what is the responsibility of tech leaders — all leaders — to speak out against injustice, to do the right thing? Because we know this moment requires bold, responsible, accountable leadership across industries.
Jack said that yes, all of us have a responsibility to ourselves and the people around us to speak up when we see injustice. But that’s not all. We also have a responsibility to learn — to be open to having our perspectives and policies and practices challenged because, in truth, they disadvantage one group or another.
On Prioritizing Wellness
Reshma always says, you can’t be brave if you’re tired. Well, running two companies isn’t easy. To stay healthy physically and mentally, Jack talked about starting all his days with a win — waking up early, meditating, exercising, walking to work, taking time to concentrate on what the day is going to be like.
And while routine is important, Jack also said that we should be open to changing our routines depending on what’s working and what’s not. He said “if we become too rigid about specific routines we miss opportunities” to find new practices that work for us.
On Black Lives Matter
A lot of our girls are dealing with anxiety not just around the pandemic and about school and finances — but about their lives and racial injustice. Jack has been deeply involved in the #BlackLivesMatter movement, taking two weeks off after the murder of Michael Brown in his hometown St. Louis to organize. And he continues to be an active ally. Right now, he urged, what we need to do is to dig into policies that are advantageous to the few, and disadvantageous to the many — and we need to change them.
On Diversity In Tech
We know from our experience at GWC working closely with Jack that his companies have demonstrated a sincere commitment to diversity. But the tech industry at large has a long way to go. To get there, Jack says that leaders need to start by showing up. Executive teams need to start attending conferences like Grace Hopper and events held by the National Society of Black Engineers. They need to start talking to candidates and these communities directly.
And what did he have to say for our girls? Remember, the hiring process isn’t just about companies choosing you — it’s about you choosing companies. Be picky, set a high bar.
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We wanted to leave you with Jack’s response to a question from Sania — a GWC student from Fremont, California — who asked, “What is the future of web development?” Jack said (and we couldn’t agree with him more!) that you all are the future of web development. The great thing about all these tools — the web, the apps — is that any one person can change them dramatically. So go ahead, be the change!
Huge thanks to Jack, and of course, to Reshma for having this conversation!
The Girls Who Code Summer Speaker Series is a set of conversations between Girls Who Code Founder and CEO Reshma Saujani and leaders and activists broadcasted exclusively to girls enrolled in our Virtual Summer Immersion Program. Girls have the opportunity to listen in to a fireside chat and then to ask their own questions about bravery, leadership, and tech. To find out more, read our press release here.
