#GALSNGEAR®, a movement to bring parity to women in media and entertainment, today announced its SVG Summit participation to promote diversity and inclusion in the sports production industry. The organization — which encompasses all women, assigned at birth or not — will co-host the SVG Diversity & Inclusion Workshop on Monday, Dec. 11. Central to the workshop is a panel and breakout discussions focused on achieving “tequity,” a combination of skills, access, and visibility coupled with a supportive community. The session is preceded by a networking breakfast and keynote conversation. The free SVG Summit, hosted by the Sports Video Group (SVG), will take place Dec. 11-12 in New York City.
“Sports production is a massive segment of the media and entertainment industry, yet women technologists remain underrepresented in this critical market. We want to ensure qualified women are positioned to succeed,” said #GALSNGEAR founder Amy DeLouise.
Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG co-executive director, agrees: "Working with the team at #GALSNGEAR gives women in the sports media industry a chance to build new relationships and better understand career opportunities and challenges. We are really looking forward to once again showing the power that SVG and #GALSNGEAR can bring to the industry."
Before the workshop begins, all SVG Summit attendees are invited to the SVGW Networking Breakfast, which will return this year for the first time since 2019. "The SVGW breakfast is a great way for women to kick off their Summit activities and reconnect with industry friends and colleagues," said Samantha Gabay, SVGW, U.S. head of operations.
The morning’s events will proceed as follows:
9:45-10:15 a.m. — SVGW Keynote Conversation: Ndidi Massay, CBS Sports, Vice President of Workplace Culture and Diversity Initiatives
In this half-hour keynote conversation — led by YoSy Media’s Sybil Wilkes, the co-founder of HBCU Bridge — Ndidi Massay of CBS Sports will share her thoughts on how the sports production industry can become more inclusive, diverse, and, ultimately, stronger, both culturally and from a business standpoint.
10:30-11:30 a.m. — Reaching Tequity: Allyship in Action
For decades, the technical side of the broadcast industry has been male-dominated, and women have had to work harder not only to achieve equality in terms of position, but also to gain access to technical educational resources. The individuals and organizations on this panel will share how they are making inroads to advance tequity by giving women and underrepresented communities greater access to technical knowledge, mentoring, and career support. The panel will comprise:
• Andrea Berry, executive vice president of operations and technology, Telemundo (moderator)
• Carol Bettencourt, vice president of marketing, Chyron
• Yolanda Starks White, CEO, YoSy Media and HBCU Bridge
• Samira Bakhtiar, director of global media and entertainment, Amazon Web Services
• Amy DeLouise, founder of #GALSNGEAR
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. — Allyship in Action: Working Group Conversations
2023 SVG Diversity & Inclusion Workshop attendees will be invited to break into groups to discuss how the industry can move ahead effectively, including solutions for allyship across the sector. Breakout topics include:
• Hiring: How can we add more diverse perspectives to the hiring workflow?
• Training: What steps can we take to include anti-bias training for employees at all levels?
• Retention: What are tangible ways to support, retain, and give voice to diverse emerging leaders (without creating the added work of running internal diversity committees)?
• Product Engineering and Testing: How can women become a bigger part of product engineering and testing? Why is it important to make sure women are involved in all aspects of product and software design, testing, and deployment?
• HBCU Bridge: Attendees will learn how their companies can get involved with the HBCU Bridge program and help engage a new generation of diverse talent.
These #GALSNGEAR SVG Summit activities follow the launch earlier this year of the Tequity Hub, a one-stop shop for women seeking industry connections. The Tequity Hub hosts Tequity Tuesdays, monthly virtual conversations on topics such as IP workflow and public speaking for introverts, as well as upskilling, job postings, and beta-testing opportunities.
Details and free registration are available at www.thesvgsummit.com. Information about #GALSNGEAR is online at www.galsngear.tv.
