The data center industry’s diversity and recruitment challenge is well documented. 

A 2021 survey from the Uptime Institute revealed that more than three-quarters of operators report their workforce is around 10% women or less. And those stats have shifted little in the previous four years. 

Yesterday afternoon on a yacht in Monaco, 49 women came together to discuss how they could be the change the industry needs to see. 

Hosted by Yondr, iMasons and Women’s Tech Forum, attendees were invited to talk not about why women and girls don’t enter the data center space, but what we can do to encourage more of them to do so.

Sharing anecdotes from their educational and career journeys, and workshopping ways to inspire and encourage girls and women to enter the industry, conversations were engaging and lively.

“A theme I heard often was the need for more connection between industry and schools,” reflected Tricia Arneson, Yondr’s Chief Diversity and Productivity Officer. 

“But what was most interesting was the shared sense of unity the attendees clearly went away with at the end of the evening,” she continued. 

Yondr has plans to launch an ambassador programme and asked those attending to register their interest in a future scheme. 

“Change begins with us” said Arneson. “It was invigorating to see so many people sign up to the initiative.”

If you’re a woman in tech, you can register your interest here to find out more about Yondr’s plans.