ACC's Nancy Ridge on Gender Diversity in the Channel

When it comes to gender diversity in the channel, many women are getting together and collaborating for their own advancement as well as that of others. They’re learning that they don’t have to compete head-to-head.

That’s just one of the insights that Nancy Ridge shares in her conversation with Kris Blackmon. Ridge is founder and president of consultancy Ridge Innovative and a co-founder of the Alliance of Channel Women. Blackmon is chief channel officer at JS Group and a driving force behind the Allies of the Channel Council (ACC). Ridge is also a member of the ACC.

Women make up about half of the work force in the U.S., but only about 25% of jobs in tech. And that’s according to figures gathered before the pandemic. The impact of COVID-19 was especially hard on women, who typically serve as both breadwinners and caregivers. Many found it impossible to maintain that duality over the past year. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in September 2020, 80% of the 1.1 million people who dropped out the workforce were women. In December, women registered net job losses, while men showed some job gains.

In their discussion, Ridge and Blackmon discuss the internal and external barriers to women overcoming gender diversity in the male-dominated channel. They also review what’s been done to improve things and what remains to be done.