Partner with Visionary Voices
Commit to equitable representation in tech events and media
We want to ensure that female and non-binary voices, particularly those from underrepresented groups, are being included in conversations about tech and venture capital. Our Visionary Voices speakers bureau offers event organizers and journalists an easy way to discover and connect with hundreds of founders, funders, and operators for speaking and media opportunities.
Our speakers are visionary leaders and domain experts
Media partners committed to equitable events
“Fast Company writes about where business is going, and our journalists firmly believe the leaders of the future won’t look—or manage—like their predecessors. We’re proud to take the Visionary Voices pledge as a way of underscoring our commitment to inclusivity in our journalism.”
“Protocol is proud to be a launch partner with All Raise on Visionary Voices. Protocol’s mission is to cover the people, power and politics of tech. We are committed to highlighting the diverse voices in tech, and as importantly, to make tech media more representative of the communities, readers and customers we serve.”
“At Startup Grind, diversity and equality are foundational values that we draw upon when envisioning better events, programs and ultimately a stronger global community. Our team is committed to striving for equal representation of women, BIPOC, and underrepresented individuals in the work that we do. As a long time supporter and friend of All Raise, it was a no-brainer to partner up and support Visionary Voices. We look forward to helping bring Visionary Voices to life and working together to set an industry standard.”
Benefits of Visionary Voices Partnership
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Access to speakers and sources
Access to the contact information for Visionary Voices participants
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Feature on the All Raise website
Logo displayed alongside the Visionary Voices speakers bureau / Promotion of your events on our website
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Inclusion in our annual report
Inclusion in annual equitable media and events index of the top media outlets and industry events that adhere to All Raise’s principles for Visionary Voices
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Social media love
Promotion of select media partner events on All Raise social media channels and in our newsletter to 15K+ subscribers (inclusion at All Raise discretion)
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Use of our logo
Permission to use All Raise’s logo on select event websites/marketing materials (subject to All Raise approval)
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Invitations to collaborate
Invitations to future Visionary Voices programming and partnership opportunities
Principles for Equitable Events and Reporting
Event organizers
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No Manels
Do not host manels (all-male panels). All-male panels with a female moderator are still manels.
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Strive for Balance
Balance your speaker lineup by striving for a 50/50 split of men and women. Be mindful about including non-binary individuals as well.
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Elevate the Underrepresented
Avoid hosting panels where all the speakers are white. Make sure a large percentage of your event’s speakers are from groups that are particularly underrepresented in tech and VC (e.g. Black, Latinx, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+).
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Know your demographics
Track demographic categories of your speakers by asking them to voluntarily self-identify. Be upfront that their personal information will be kept strictly confidential while the aggregated data will be used to help you improve your future events.
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Share your numbers
Publish percentage breakdowns of gender, race/ethnicity, and other demographic categories for your events. You can’t change what you don’t measure.
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Create a code of conduct
Require all event speakers and attendees to sign a code of conduct and anti-harassment policy to ensure you’re creating a safe, welcoming space for everyone. Here’s an example.
Media
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Balance your sources
Balance your sources and quotes by striving for a 50/50 split of men and women. Be mindful about including non-binary individuals as well.
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Diversify your commentary
Aim to interview, source, and quote people from underrepresented groups.
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Steer clear of tokenism
Bring female voices into stories across industries and topics, without relegating those voices to stories about diversity or women’s issues.
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Avoid stereotyping
Do not pose questions or use descriptors for one gender that are not equally applicable to another.
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Evaluate your efforts
Commit to surveying editorial content regularly for distribution of subjects, voices, and sources between men, women, and other groups.
Moderators
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Know speakers' pronouns
Make sure you’re using the correct pronouns for your speakers.
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Use gender-neutral terms
When addressing the audience, use gender-neutral terms (“Welcome, friends” or “Welcome, everyone” instead of “Ladies and gentlemen.”).
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Don't single out or tokenize speakers
Ask similar questions of your speakers. Don’t relegate female speakers to answering questions on “women’s issues” or single out Black, Latinx, or other speakers from underrepresented groups by only asking them about diversity and inclusion.
Speakers
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Inquire about diversity
Ask event organizers about the diversity of their speakers before committing to be a speaker.
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Just say no to manels
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Create opportunities for others
If you are an experienced, sought after speaker, leverage your influence to ask event organizers to invite women and other underrepresented people to be speakers as a condition of your participation.
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Share your mic
Regularly recommend and forward speaking and media opportunities to women and other underrepresented people.
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Proactively answer DEI questions
If you're not from an underrepresented group, on panels, proactively answer questions about diversity and inclusion instead of leaving them for women and other people from underrepresented groups, as diversity is a shared goal.
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1 in 4
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14%
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68%
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3 to 1