As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2024, it’s important to honor this years’ theme, #InspiringInclusion. At Grabyo, we believe fostering diversity, equity and inclusion isn’t just a goal, it’s a fundamental pillar of innovation and progress. While we (and rightfully so) still have work to do, we wanted to take a moment to recognize some of the work our team has done to inspire inclusion throughout the company, as well as hear from some of the women of Grabyo on what inclusion means to them.

Rise & CloudLab – Empowering Women in Broadcast Tech

As part of our journey to inspire and empower women in broadcast and media technology is Rise: Women in Broadcast, which is a leading organization committed to fostering gender diversity across the industry.

Rise opens up opportunities in broadcast for women through many avenues, including:

• A global mentoring scheme in the UK, Europe, North America, APAC, ANZ
• Annual Rise Awards, celebrating the achievements of women in the broadcast industry
• Running events, networking, seminars, workshops and conferences for their members, for free
• Inspiring the next generation of talent with the RiseUp Academy

As part of Rise’s mentoring scheme, our own SVP Marketing, Clare Butler, signed up to be a mentor in 2023 and is a current mentor for its 2024 cohort. Clare has had an invaluable impact on her mentees, providing guidance and support throughout the programme.

“Reflecting on my time as a mentor in the Rise Women in Broadcast Mentoring Programme, I am filled with a profound sense of pride and accomplishment. Guiding these talented mentees through a range of topics from challenging situations at work to career choices has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional journey. 

I am grateful that we can leverage my years of experience to navigate these challenges and opportunities together so they find the confidence and resilience needed to face such challenges head-on. Witnessing the growth and success of my mentees, knowing that I played a part in their journey, reinforces the invaluable impact of mentorship. It’s about more than just career advancement; it’s about empowering women to rise above obstacles and achieve their full potential. 

I am extremely proud of my mentees and being part of this programme, which is a testament to the power of support, guidance, and the shared commitment to fostering success in the next generation of women in broadcast.”

As well as Clare’s personal involvement, Grabyo has worked closely with Rise to create our very own Grabyo CloudLab programme. CloudLab is a program we introduced in 2023 to teach and upskill women within the broadcast and media industry on the power of cloud-native live video production and distribution. The programme aims to equip women in the industry with the skills to harness the power of cloud production, in an increasingly digital (and likely cloud-based) age.

Grabyo Cloudlab was a hugely collaborative and cross-functional internal team effort, hosted at our London HQ and run by senior executives across many departments. Our first in-person cohort consisted fully of mentees on the Rise programme. Not only was it a great opportunity for us to further our partnership with Rise, plus pass on knowledge and skills of cloud production to women in our industry, but we also got to create lasting relationships and it was wonderful for the Grabyo team to reconnect with many of the CloudLab students at the Rise Awards 2023. 

Whether you are involved with Rise or not (we recommend it!), if you’re interested in learning more about cloud broadcasting, check out our CloudLab course here to register your interest. We’re looking to hold more in-person CloudLab sessions soon and roll out the course online, creating a truly accessible learning experience for women in our industry.

Collaborating with codebar – Driving Inclusive Learning

If you’re an avid reader of our engineering blog you might’ve seen our recent post about the great work of codebar and our involvement in hosting workshops alongside our engineers, who volunteer as coaches. 

It wouldn’t be right to talk about #InspiringInclusion without mentioning codebar, which aims to address the tech industry’s diversity gap by offering a supportive and inclusive learning environment for people at many stages of their careers and lives.

codebar’s 2023 impact report highlighted that women make up just 25.5% of the tech labor market in the UK, which is one of the many reasons codebar exists. It aims to upskill those who are less represented in tech through learning workshops, events and conferences. An amazing 60% of codebar’s community are women – much higher than the current proportion of women in the labour market.

Hosting workshops, or being involved in any way with codebar is a great and direct way to inspire inclusion of women and other underrepresented groups in the tech industry, and those of us at Grabyo who have been involved have had a great time working with them.

Inclusive Policies – Nurturing a Culture of Diversity

Inclusion shouldn’t just be something we practice in partnerships with our external community, it should also be at the heart of our operations internally. 

Last year we introduced some policies with inclusion at their core and also expanded on some of our existing ones to broaden and make them more inclusive. 

We introduced a menopause policy to show commitment to women at all stages of their lives. The policy is a useful resource for all employees, outlining some of the definitions and terms around menopause, some of the common symptoms, and signposting informational resources, helpful organizations and further support. It acts as a great resource for managers and employees of all genders who want to learn more about menopause and what their colleagues could be going through. It also outlines how to go about getting further help, such as the process for requesting reasonable adjustments. 

We also recently enhanced our Parental Leave policy to offer an increased amount of Maternity Leave at full pay. We continue to drive a flexible working philosophy that ensures inclusive practices that benefit all our employees. A recent CIPD 2023 Flexible Working Practices Report shows that increasingly flexible working practices appeal more to women, so allowing for flexibility is a vital component of creating a working enviroment that is more inclusive for women in the long term – extremely important in industries where increased representation is needed.

Inclusion is a constant journey and while we still have work to do (like many organizations), there are many ways, both small and large, that companies can make impact and #InspireInclusion.

Now let’s hear some thoughts from some of the women of Grabyo on inclusion and what it’s like working in the broadcast tech industry:

“Working at Grabyo in the broadcast tech sector as a woman definitely has its challenges, but it’s also incredibly fulfilling. Sometimes, I need to put in extra effort to earn credibility, but it’s a chance for me to shine and show what I’m capable of. Being one of the few women in the field can sometimes feel lonely, but I see it as an opportunity to bring a fresh perspective. My diverse experiences often lead to coming up with better solutions and ideas.

Having male allies who support gender equality makes a big difference, too. Luckily, at Grabyo, I’m part of a team that really values diversity. While we still have work to do in achieving full gender equality, having supportive male colleagues creates a friendly atmosphere where everyone can do their best.

As a woman working in the tech sector at Grabyo, I’m proud to highlight our dedication to diversity through initiatives such as the Rise programme and CloudLab Academy. However, our commitment to inclusion extends beyond these programs. It involves fostering inclusive cultures, implementing inclusive practices, and collaborating with external organizations that champion diversity and inclusion. At Grabyo, we recognize that achieving true inclusion requires a collective effort, and we’re committed to advancing diversity at every level.”

“Inclusion for me is to make everyone feel comfortable in the same environment! Whether different ages, different genders or different beliefs, making an effort to understand more about someone or something will encourage people to feel comfortable amongst others, and is key for inclusion. The broadcast tech industry is mainly a male-dominated industry but there is a great push for growth and encouragement for women’s participation within the industry. Grabyo’s own events and CloudLab workshops give me and others the ability to upskill in the broadcast industry, empowering us to thrive and adapt in a dynamic live production environment.

Inspiration for inclusion can come from a range of initiatives- ensuring equal opportunity hiring, inclusive company culture, diversity awareness programs and mentoring from within the industry.”

“To me, inclusion is being part of something. At Grabyo not only am I part of a team, I feel my voice is heard and my opinions are valued. Working at Grabyo is exciting. We have the chance to work on some great projects with some really cool clients and I see how my designs are making an impact within the broadcasting industry.

I think representation and equal pay makes a big difference. Seeing women in senior positions is inspiring and very motivating!”

Happy International Women’s Day to all of our customers, partners and friends across the world!

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