What you missed at Move the Dial’s Global Summit
Key takeawaysThis key takeaway was generated through LLMs crawling the page and coming up with an overview of the content.Last week's #movethedial Global Summit in Toronto gathered 2,800 attendees to advance leadership and participation of women in tech through panels, personal stories, and practical advice aimed at increasing inclusion across genders, races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. The article outlines five key takeaways from BlueCat attendees and event speakers: start diversity and inclusion programs now, take ownership and credit for work while uplifting others, practice vulnerability and allyship (including men’s roles), prioritize selectively rather than chase perfect balance, and build mentoring relationships that learn, earn, and return. These outcomes emphasize actionable cultural changes in tech organizations that foster long-term D&I momentum and sponsorship to create more inclusive environments.
What practical first steps did speakers recommend for organizations that want to start a Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) program?
Speakers at the Diversity and Inclusion panel encouraged organizations to simply start and take action now, recognizing D&I as a long-term journey without a clear endpoint. The message was to create initial momentum by beginning small initiatives rather than waiting for perfect plans, and for leaders to work from the inside-out to understand where and how to make impact. The emphasis was on leadership commitment and iterative work—launch efforts, measure progress, and adapt—because those first steps create visibility and begin the cultural shifts necessary for sustained D&I.
How did the summit address the role of men in creating more inclusive environments?
The summit included a ‘Role of Men’ panel that highlighted men’s responsibility in fostering inclusion through sponsorship, mentoring, and empathy. A notable example shared was Consul General Zaib Shaikh recounting a moment when his inaction allowed offensive comments, using that admission to stress that men must be proactive allies and not bystanders. The broader takeaway was that men have an important part to play by calling out harmful behavior, supporting women’s advancement, and participating in candid conversations that drive cultural change.
What guidance did speakers give about personal career prioritization and work-life balance?
Speakers recommended rejecting the expectation of perfect balance and instead being ‘well lopsided’—intentionally prioritizing a limited set of areas at a time. Randi Zuckerberg’s ‘pick 3’ framework (from five life areas: work, sleep, family, fitness, friends) was cited as practical advice to focus on three priorities depending on daily, monthly, or yearly needs. This approach encourages people to concentrate energy where it matters most in a given period, reduce guilt about not doing everything, and accept trade-offs while pursuing career and personal goals.
Last week, 2800 people gathered in Toronto for the #movethedial Global Summit. With the mission to advance the leadership and participation of all women in tech, the day was packed with personal and inspiring stories from a melting pot of industry leaders.
#movethedial also encourages young girls to pursue careers in STEM. The inclusion event welcomed people of all ages and identities to learn from others in the tech sector.
The theme of the conference was simple: all in. While you may immediately think ‘giving 120%’, that wasn’t it. ‘All’ meant all genders, all races, all ethnicities, and all backgrounds. Why? Because moving the dial is a team effort.
The day was a one-of-a-kind experience for everyone, including the women of BlueCat that attended. If you couldn’t make it to this conference, here are our takeaways.
1. Take action now.
“Don’t wait. No one will think about your success more than you, so don’t think you are going to get noticed by others by just doing what is expected. Do things that are unexpected.” – Cheryl Kerrigan, VP of People.
“Diversity is a long-term journey and leaders need to work from the inside-out to understand how and where to make an impact” @dhoopcamp weighs-in at #MoveTheDial about Diversity and Inclusion: What we got wrong and what we learned from it. pic.x.com/FXxlSBTX9K
— eBay Canada Business (@eBayCanadaBiz) November 14, 2019
During the Diversity and Inclusion panel, leaders from Google, Dropbox, and eBay encouraged anyone considering creating a D&I program to just start. These initiatives are long term endeavors that don’t necessarily have a clear endpoint. Take the first step to create momentum.
2. Take ownership of your work and help others do the same.
“Give yourself credit for what you do. Acknowledge your own successes and make others aware of them.” – Elly Vousden, Office Manager
“Let women know your appreciation of their positive work and actions. Call them out to give credit and kudos, both directly but also when they are not in the room.” – Rosalie Thompson, Technical Writer
Burn, baby, burn!!! https://t.co/MtoEdCraqr
— Bozoma Saint John (@badassboz) November 15, 2019
When marketing executive Boz Saint John talked about the early days of her career, she shared how she recommended director Spike Lee hire Beyoncé for an upcoming project while as his assistant. She reminded us that our opinions are valuable regardless of the position you’re in. If you can meaningfully add to a conversation, don’t doubt yourself and just do it.
3. Be vulnerable.
“Courageous leaders tell stories of growth, not stories of success. While success stories are a great inspiration, they don’t shed light on the tough times.” – Mythri Murthy, Sales Development Representative
“One way to be an ally is to choose not to cover. Be vulnerable. Share your story.” – Erin Bionda, Marketing Manager
Proud to have our Chairman & CEO Paul Desmarais III participate in this panel to discuss a very important topic. Men have a big role to play in helping create more inclusive environments, sponsoring and mentoring women, and operating with empathy. #MoveTheDialSummit #movethedial https://t.co/G8iWX8SpVU
— Sagard Holdings (@sagardholdings) November 14, 2019
There was one speaker that was especially open and honest about a moment in his past. In ‘The Role of Men’ panel, Consul General of Canada Zaib Shaikh told us about a time that he stood idly by as a male peer made offensive comments to a female peer. Zaib acknowledged his inaction played a part in allowing that situation to happen. Learning from that moment, he reminded us that men have an equally important part in making change.
4. Don’t be well balanced. Be well lopsided.
“I always feel immense pressure to prove to everyone that I can be good at whatever I do, like it’s no big deal and to do it with grace and panache. When Randi Zuckerberg said “pick 3” to focus on, depending on what your priorities are for the day, month, or year, this stuck with me!” – Shruti Suppiah, Events and Partner Marketing Manager
Inspiring story of pioneering Facebook Live’s growth & a career as a women in tech, shows tons of challenges to overcome even with a famous last name. @randizuckerberg #movethedialSummit pic.x.com/dv2hStfHrC
— Linda Montgomery (@lindamont3) November 14, 2019
Randi named five areas in life: work, sleep, family, fitness, friends. Then she tells us to pick three because doing all five is hard and frankly, unrealistic. Instead, prioritize what’s important for the right moments and don’t beat yourself up for not being able to do it all.
5. Learn it. Earn it. Return it.
“A mentor is not the same as a champion. A mentor will give you advice, but a champion fights for you. I need to be more of a champion.” – Erin Bionda, Marketing Manager
“The theme of relationships kept coming up, and that if we really wanted to move the dial, we need others. Foster relationships, pay it forward, be curious, and be open with our own experiences.” – Michelle Lovelace, Sales Learning Consultant
Raising HER has been the biggest accomplishment of my life @StephDagher sharing the stage with her today to talk about women empowerment #MoveTheDialSummit confirmed it all. Thank you @jodilynnkovitz @ArmughanAA for this awesome opportunity pic.x.com/eWuq4WjH0p
— Rola Dagher (@RolaDagher) November 14, 2019
The ‘Raising HER’ panel featured three generations of women sharing their stories in traditionally male-dominated industries, which included Rola Dagher, President of Cisco Systems Canada. She shared a great mantra with us: learn it, earn it, return it. This was a reminder that a rising tide lifts all boats. So while we individually are striving for better, don’t forget to look around and lend a helping hand.
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Jadecy Kidane is the Marketing Content Manager at BlueCat.
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