Cybersecurity pro Alana Scott was building her skills and her career in the conventional manner: by attending conferences and looking to network.
But she and several colleagues found that they experienced a “kind of awkwardness when we tried to find our place in that space.”
As she explains: “It was not an active, ‘What are you doing here?’ It was more like they just didn’t see you. It was more like no one was engaging with you. No one was saying, ‘How are you? Nice to see you.’”
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Such experiences, Scott says, could—and, indeed have—discouraged people of color from taking part in industry meetings and professional associations, which in turn could impact career growth and future opportunities.