Dialogue is "not enough" to improve diversity in tech, and actionable steps are needed to move the needle, a tech CEO told CNBC.
There are female executives who are industry leaders in tech through their work at big corporations and fast growing startups.
But a joint study by Girls Who Code and Accenture found that the proportion of women to men in tech roles has declined since 1984, and that half of young women who go into the industry leave it by age 35. Additionally, a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data published in April 2021 found that people of color remain underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering and math workforce compared with their share of all U.S. workers.
CNBC recently spoke with Suneera Madhani, co-founder and CEO of Stax, an Orlando, Fla.-based, billion-dollar payment processing platform, about the need for progress in diversity.
She told the cable business news channel: "Dialogue was great, but it's not enough. We have to take action. The statistics are still the statistics. That is still absurd to me," referencing the dearth of women and minorities in tech.
Ms. Madhani said one solution might involve government incentives or mandates for tech companies and investment firms, because this could lead to more women and minorities in tech leadership positions, according to CNBC.
"America is the center of the world when it comes to capitalism. We should hold our [venture funds, private equity groups] and investors accountable," Ms. Madhani told the news channel. "There should be more accountability here to make sure that they are investing in diverse founders."
She also said expanding supplier diversity programs could help.
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