TedX: Can Silicon Valley be a Meritocracy when it leaves out half of our population?

On December 8 2011 TEDx BayArea is gathered a diverse group of thought leaders at the CISCO’s Conference Center to celebrate the powerful community of Global Women Entrepreneurs.  Here is my talk, in which I discussed my research on entrepreneurship and networks in Silicon Valley, my first impression that the Valley was the worlds greatest meritocracy, revelation that something is missing: women, blacks, Hispanics, the backlash I experienced from a small but vocal segment of Silicon Valley’s elite, and my views on how the Valley can indeed fulfill its potential.

  • SIDNEY WILLIAMS

    A TRUE MERITOCRACY EMBRACES THE MERIT PRINCIPLE WHICH IS COMPOSES OF THE FOLLOWING:
    HONESTY
    CIVILITY
    COMPETENCE
    ALL PEOPLE HAVE SOME LEVEL OF COMPETENCY IN THE JOB OF THEIR CHOICE.
    WE CAN NOT ALL BE HIGH LEVEL EARNERS – THAT COMES WITH THE REQUISITE EDUCATION AND CHOICE OF DESIRED JOB DESCRIPTION. I CHOSE TO BE AN ACCOUNTANT AND I WAS GOOD AT MY JOB BUT ACCOUNTANCY WAS TOO BORING FOR MY LIKING AND I DECIDED TO BECOME A POLICEMAN. I EXERCISED MY POWER OF CHOICE AND I NEVER REGRETTED IT. 
    WE MUST BE THE BEST THAT OUR EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE ALLOWS US TO BE. 
    TO SEE MY INTERNET PROFILE TYPE
    SIDNEY COAD WILLIAMS 
    IN THE SEARCH AREA OF http://www.google.com THEN SURF THE LINKS.
    CHECK MY VIDEOS ON http://www.youtube.com and http://www.facebook.com THEN CHECK MY BLOG POSTS ON MY BLOGGER DASHBOARD AT http://www.blogger.com. 
    WE MUST TREAT ALL OUR ANCESTRAL BROTHERS AND SISTERS WITH DUE RESPECT AND CULTIVATE THE POWER OF LOVE AND REJECT HATE.
    SIDNEY COAD WILLIAMS
    HEALTH AND PEACE ACTIVIST

    • Guest

      Nobody reads comments from people who write in all caps.

  • http://twitter.com/keywonc Keywon

    Vivek, thank you for this talk and giving this material for our wife-husband founding team to discuss. 

    As a Korean (0.8% in your pie chart) woman in her 30s, the journey in front me will be daunting. But I believe in embracing getting out of my comfort zone (as @joelgascoigne advocated http://joel.is/post/6211105959/what-are-you-doing-to-feel-uncomfortable), and making others feel slightly challenged along then way ;)

    @keywonc:twitter