At the 2020 BIO International Convention last month, we attended an insightful session led by Black biotechnology company CEOs, allies, and BIO leaders about their experiences as pioneers in the field and their suggestions for how other biotechnology leaders can advance equity and social justice in their organizations. We’ve been looking for ways to continue the conversation, so here are seven upcoming events that celebrate and advance diversity and inclusion in STEM that you won’t want to miss! 

(1) SACNAS x 500 Women Scientists Wikipedia Edit-a-thon, July 12 from 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM EDT — Cost of Attendance: Free. 

As part of the Wikipedia Edit-a-thon, you can help edit, enhance, and create biographies of female and non-binary BIPOC scientists on Wikipedia. The event is jointly organized by SACNAS (Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science) and 500 Women Scientists, two nonprofits dedicated to making science more accessible and inclusive. Wikipedia editing and content writing training will be offered as part of the event. You can read the instructions and register here!  If you can’t attend this time, 500 Women Scientists regularly organizes edit-a-thons to support women in science.

(2) A Call for Diversity in Science, Medicine & Academia, July 16 from 1:00 PM-2:30 PM EDT — Cost of Attendance: Free.

Organized by NYC Builds Bio+, this event with gather executives from academia, industry, and venture capital to address disparities in the representation, retention, and recruitment of Black science and medical professionals. The event will include panel presentations, Q&A sessions with the audience, and networking. The event was developed in response to the #ShutDownAcademia and #ShutDownSTEM initiatives, which urged scientists from around the world to stop their work and reflect on inequalities in STEM on June 10, 2020.  You can register and join the discussions here.

(3) WIB-Chicago: Diversity and Inclusion: A Journey for One and All, July 23 from 6:30 PM-8:30 PM EDT — Cost of Attendance: Free. 

This event celebrates the career achievements of Black women in the life sciences and will include virtual networking and a fireside chat organized by Women In Bio (Chicago Chapter). The invited speakers are Dr. Angela James, Director of Global Development at Astellas Pharma, and Dr. Tammy Smithers, Co-founder of the newly-established International Center for the Study of Advocacy in Social Justice at the University of St. Thomas and a Visiting Scholar at Rutgers University. Dr. James and Dr. Smithers will share their stories and challenges on their road to successful careers in the life sciences. You can register here!

(4) BIPOC in STEM: an Online Panel, July 25 from 1:00 PM-3:00 PM EDT — Cost of Attendance: Free. 

Organized by Queer Atlantic Canadian STEM (QAtCanSTEM), this event will include a panel of industry professionals from across different STEM fields. Topics of conversation include their STEM expertise, their career paths, and their experience as BIPOC in STEM. Invited panelists include Dr. Omisoore H. Dryden, the James R. Johnston Chair in Black Canadian Studies and Associate Professor of Community Health and Epidemiology at Dalhousie University, and Dominique Deguzman, a software engineer at Twilio, among others. Register here! 

(5) STEMFest 2020, July 31 to August 2 — Cost of Attendance: $75 for the complete experience.

This virtual conference is organized by NOIRE STEAM, an education outreach and networking company with a mission to empower those underrepresented in STEM to thrive in STEM careers. The focus of the event is building a toolkit to help you stand out in your STEM career path of choice. The event is split into sessions dedicated to each of the five principles guiding the organization—N.O.I.R.E: Networking effectively, Ownership for STEM professionals, Innovation is key, Research – a necessity for success, Elevate – Growth for yourself and your community. You can attend selected sessions or the complete event. You can purchase your tickets here.

(6) NSBE- 46th Annual Convention, August 19 to August 23 — Cost of Attendance: $70-385.

The annual meeting of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) will take place virtually this year. NSBE is one of the largest student-led organizations in the US with a mission to “increase the number of culturally responsible Black Engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community.” The meeting agenda is to be announced, however, based on previous years, we expect career development workshops, discussion panels, networking, and mentoring sessions led by students and engineers in academia and industry. You can register here.

(7) Tapia Conference 2020, September 16 to September 19 — Cost of Attendance: $100-300.

This annual event will take place virtually this year and is a celebration of diversity in the computing community. This year’s theme is “Inclusion drives innovation.” True to the conference’s mission, the seminars, workshops, panel discussions, round tables, and networking opportunities will focus on the unique challenges Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other underrepresented communities face in computing careers. A few highlights from the schedule include sessions on how to create inclusive user studies, how to make artificial intelligence research accessible, and how to start your career at a startup. You can purchase early-bird tickets before the end of July here.

We look forward to continuing the conversation with all of you! Is there an upcoming event you’d like to share? Let us know about it in the comments!