Celebrating Black History Month - Representation in the Tech Industry

Black people make up 12 percent of the US workforce but only 8 percent of employees in tech jobs. That percentage is even smaller further up the corporate ladder (https://www.mckinsey.com/bem/our-insights/how-to-close-the-black-tech-talent-g). 

 

As we continue the celebration of Black History Month, we will be sharing the story of someone we at BLI work with every single day. His name is Michael Havis, and he is a Technical Project Lead at Soliant Consulting. A company that is vital to the success of the day-to-day operations at BLI. 

 

Michael is Black and as we look to the significance of Black Americans and our shared history this month, we want to look to people like Michael. Someone who is thriving in the tech industry TODAY and who hopes to create better avenues for young black people that he wasn’t afforded. 

 

This is Balancing Life's Issues the Podcast. Got an idea for the show? Email [e-mail] 

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
- It's rare for me to encounteranother black person in
technology, be it developmentor any other space,
and it just feels like apipeline problem to me.
- Welcome to BalancingLife's Issues, the podcast,
I'm your host Kai, and todaywe continue the celebration
of Black History Monthby sharing the story
of someone we at BLI workwith every single day.

(00:21):
- I'm Michael Havis, andI'm a technical project
lead that's Alliant Consulting,
- A company that is vital to the success
of the day-to-Day operations at BLI.
And you wouldn't know itbecause you'll be listening
to the story, but Michael is black.
And according to a McKinsey
and Company report,black people make up 12%
of the US workforce, but only8% of employees in tech jobs.
That percentage is even smaller,

(00:43):
further up the corporate ladder.
So as we look to the significance
of black Americans in our sharedhistory this month, we want
to look to people like Michael
who are thriving in thetech industry today,
and who hope to create betteravenues for young black people
because as Michael put
- It, I think there's a lotof kids out there who just,
just haven't heard thatmessage, didn't know that
that path existed at all.

(01:04):
- And now I've had the pleasure of working
with Michael a few times, but CEO
of balancing life's issues,Wendy Woolner speaks
to him every single day.
So I'll let her share Michael'sstory with all of you.
Take it away, Wendy.
- So morning, Michael.- Good morning.
- So, you know, um, it's been interesting

(01:24):
because we're fairly new partners,
but I have so much experiencein your, in your space, right?
We're a small business and,
and you know, technology is not my thing.
I'm the people thing, but
yet we've become this technology person.
I've been through so manydifferent vendors and partners,
and then we met you andthis light bulb went off
and you immediately got our business model

(01:47):
and just jumped right in.
So first, let me just say thank you.
- Yeah, that's nice to hear.
I'm glad, glad we couldinstill a confidence in you.
- Well, it's not, youcould, it's you specifically
- .
Okay, well thank you.That feels great to hear.
- And if it wasn't enough
that I felt like yourknowledge base was so strong,
you know, then therewas a particular meeting

(02:08):
where your little 2-year-olddaughter popped up on your lap
and I was like, wow, this is perfect.
Like, you totally understandwhat we stand for. Right?
So you felt comfortable bringing your
daughter into the conversation.
Yeah, but it also occurred to me as we are
so passionate about BlackHistory Month that you know, and,
and I know all of you arelistening, so you might not know

(02:30):
or, or you know, you wouldn'tknow that Michael is a person
of color and
after 20 years, it's the first time
that I've had anybody in theIT world be a person of color.
And I wanted to have adiscussion with you about like,
this is, as you know, it's a crisis.
It's on the front pageof every paper, you know
what happened in the technologyfield, and you're there.

(02:52):
So you have the perfect skillset,
you have the compassion in heart,
you're like the neutral bulletblend, , ,
and you're also a person of color.
So I'd like to hear from your perspective,
what do you think is going on?
- It's, it's funny that you say that.
Um, Seline actually hasA-A-A-D-E-I committee where we've,
uh, looked into this exact issue.

(03:14):
Um, something that I'm alsovery passionate about, like
what, why there aren'tmore people of color,
specifically why therearen't more black people
in the technology space.
Because it's rare for me to
encounter another blackperson in technology,
be it development or any other space,
and it just feels like apipeline problem to me.
I didn't have my firstprogramming class until college.

(03:36):
Mm-Hmm. .And like there are now all
of these different places
where you don't need a college degree
to get into technology, right?
You can just be someonewho loves computers
or loves creating things.
And if you have the theskills to, to actually do

(03:56):
that, then you, you can get hired.
It's not necessary tohave a four year degree.
- I think that's a reallybig takeaway for listeners.
Like they can't see you,Michael, but they can hear you
and you're inspiring peopleto say like, wait a minute,
I didn't know this doorwas actually open to me.
Yeah. Like, this is a possibility for me.
So I think that's takeaway number one.
Like, you know, I know everybody'stalking about celebrating

(04:17):
Black History month and, andmy, my soapbox has been changed
and we need to see this change.
Like this is a critical change.
We need to have people like you. Yeah.
So that's the first thing.
Is it this is a possibility for people.
- Right? Right. And I think
that's a Yeah, that's a great point.
It's just first just knowingthat it's a possibility, right?
It's not something thatI knew when I was a kid,

(04:37):
and I think there's a lotof kids out there who just,
just haven't heard thatmessage, didn't know that
that path existed at all.
So I'd love to find someway to, to just kind
of like get into classroomsat a early enough place to,
to teach kids that, that it'ssomething that's possible
and that it can be fun, right?

(04:58):
Because I, I think the,another part of it is
that it feels like thisdaunting thing to get into that,
like programming is justthis magic box that, uh,
is difficult to understand.
And I think it's no differentthan any other skill.
You start small and youbuild upon those things.
And, um, if we teach it that way to
young black kids, young kids of color,
then I think we'll have moreadults of color in technology.

(05:21):
- So, you know, um, I,
and you know, I I think that'sthe whole point of listening.
So you being here, you beinga role model and shouting out,
and we're gonna put alink to your LinkedIn bio
so they can see how yourpicture and your work
and a shout out to stallion.
But I woke up this morning, um, you know,
I turned on the newslike I usually do and,
and for a minute I'm gonna get, you know,

(05:43):
unfortunately sober.
So one of the trends is DEIprograms are gonna go away
or might go away orpossibly would go away.
Yeah. Um, do you think
that's gonna affect thisconversation in any way?
Do you think it's animportant conversation?
- Uh, I think it affects this conversation
in certain parts of the country.

(06:05):
It's a dishearteningconversation to be having
in 2024, right?
The, the importance ofDEII think, I think it's,
I think it's important whenpeople start talk, start trying
to, to dissolve DEIorganizations to, to speak up
and push back against that, that thought.
Um, the, the numbersthat I've seen show that

(06:27):
there's just so much further to go
before you have the same, I mean,
we're having this conversation right now.
There's so much further togo before you have the same
representation, rep representation in
technology for people of color.
And that's, that's truein most spaces, right?
So the idea that we don't needefforts DEI efforts is, is,
yeah, I can't, I can't thinkof an, an earnest, honest way

(06:49):
to, to sell that.
- Boy, that was such adiplomatic answer, Michael.
Thank you. I probablywould've chosen .
So, so the last question I havefor you is pretty personal.
Um, and I, um, of, of courseI always say to guess,
you know, you can opt out, right?
You know, we, we have arelationship where I come to,
unfortunately, most ofthe time in crisis, like,
oh my god, Michael, fix this.

(07:10):
It's the most importantthing in the world.
And, and you jump righton and you understand.
And so, you know, I thinkwe have a very good vendor
EE relationship, right?
Yeah. Agreed. But then Icomment like, Hey Michael,
would you talk about race?
Would you, would you,I bring out something
that really isn't part ofour relationship, right?
But I cherish the fact,
and I was, can't even tell you
how thrilled I was when wegot on that first sales call

(07:32):
and I was interviewing, I don't know,
maybe 11 or 12 vendors.
And again, I it wasn't just a race,
it was the way you spoke.
It was the confidence, it was a, you know,
a a multitude of ingredients.
But, but do you think it's inappropriate
to have this kind of conversation?
- I think it depends on thepeople in the conversation.
Um, I'm almost 40 years old,so, you know, I've, I've,

(07:55):
I've had a lifetime of differentconversations about race
with different people who werecoming from different places.
And one of the great thingsabout our relationship about
getting to know you for, Imean, the years now, I guess
that we've been workingtogether, um, is that I know
that you are comingfrom a place of, a place
of like honest curiosity and,
and passion and a loving place.

(08:17):
So I don't find this inappropriate
in our, in our relationship.
There are cer there are peoplewho I wouldn't have these
kinds of conversations withbecause they wouldn't feel safe
or productive or just like useful
for any, any reason whatsoever.
So I, I'd have to just say
that it depends on the peoplethat are in the conversation.
- You know, Mike, I wanna thank you.
We are creating podcasts
where we invite people into living rooms

(08:38):
to have safe conversations.
And because I truly dobelieve that we need thousands
of more Michaels, and theonly way we get thousands
of more Michaels is fora Michael to speak up.
Yeah.
- Well, I'm very happy that youasked me to, to speak today.
It's, um, yeah, I agree with you.

(08:58):
I think it's important to havepeople who I, it's important
to see people do thethings that you wanna do,
and it's important to hear
those people talk about those things.
So I'm happy that you asked me to speak
- And be successful.
You know, you're a greatdad, you know, Well
that's important to me to hear, right?
Yeah. We're not, we're a holistic,
it's not just Michael's a greatIT person, the holistic part

(09:22):
of you, the family person,
the caring person, the environment.
So, you know, I know we jumped on today.
Um, it's nearing the endof Black History month,
but I just think this is an
incredibly important conversation.
I wanna continue all year
and I just can't thank you enough
for taking some time outwith us this morning.
- Well, absolutely. It's been great.
And again, thank you for having me on.

(09:43):
- Big thank you to Michaeland Selan Consulting
for sharing with all of us today.
And please join us onFriday, February 23rd
for our free live webinar titled DEIB,
navigating the DifficultConversation, hosted by myself,
and facilitated by Senior trainer
and DEIB contributor James Francis.
Registration info is [e-mail]

(10:05):
slash free webinars.
Until next time, everyone take care.
This has been a productionof Balancing Life's Issues
with your hosts, Kai Sorenson
and Wendy Wallner, producedby me Kai Rate Lieber Review

(10:28):
and subscribe to thepodcast wherever you listen
so you can get brand newepisodes as they drop.
Got an idea for the show.
Email me, KI at balancinglife's issues.com.
Anything to add? Miles? No.