Techweek needs a strong leadership team, including a CEO, and should take more of an active approach to inclusion, according to a report from the organization’s new ombudswoman, Kelly Stickel.
Techweek named Stickel ombudswoman on June 20 after charges of sexism this year in the wake of a controversial Techweek event invitation that included images of women in flirty poses. “We have seen the need for an independent, third party ombudsperson to represent the interests of the community,” Techweek says on its website.
Stickel, co-founder, president and global community builder at Remodista, outlined several areas in which Techweek needs improvement. These included personnel changes, such as hiring a CEO, expanding the executive director role to COO and hiring community managers in each city where Techweek hosts a conference. That team, she said, needs a better understanding of inclusion in order to guide its young employees.
Amina Elahi 