Taking a Stance to Create an Inclusive and Diverse Industry

This article originally shared on LinkedIn.

A follow up to Sarah Goehrke’s “3D Printing While Female: 2017” article on 3DPrint.com. Click here to view the article.

The manufacturing industry as a whole has been male dominated for many years. Several people and organizations recognize this, and have guided efforts to help break down barriers to get more women involved. One way of doing this is by educating students [both men and women] at a young age on what manufacturing is and how there are viable career paths.  Within the additive manufacturing specifically, the industry has grown year over year and even more efforts have been created through many organizations. I have built my network with men and women in our industry who have helped me grow into who I am today, and have had positive experiences. Unfortunately, not all women have had the same experience as I have.

As you may have read in Sarah’s recent article there was, yet again, inappropriate behavior towards women at one of our industry’s largest trade shows in Germany, Formnext. It happens time and time again where women are not respected when attending trade shows and conferences.

We, as an industry, need to come together to make this stop. This is easier said than done, but it starts with us. As industry leaders, we need to not speak or act inappropriately to one another. It starts with you. As members of this industry, we need to rise up and make sure women are respected in our industry.  In fact, we need to make sure all individuals are respected.

After learning about disrespect that occurred toward a few of my colleagues earlier this year, Carbon and I were more determined than ever to work with industry leaders and organizers to address the issue of harassment. (In fact, Carbon has a strong initiative to build a more diversified industry.)  As a board member of AMUG, we have been working to develop stricter policies that address harassment. AMUG has always had a policy in place to address this issue, but the team is taking a more proactive approach to ensuring attendees (members, sponsors, exhibitors, staff) know that harassment is not acceptable and that AMUG has process in place to report and address inappropriate behavior. It is also my understanding, TCT is taking a proactive approach to address inappropriate behavior at their events and I look forward to hearing more from them.

It starts with industry leaders and organizers. This is not an issue taken lightly at Carbon. Joe DeSimone is an advocate for the stop of harassment and building a more diversified industry. He has expressed concerns on behalf of Carbon to organizers in letters with recommendations and offered assistance.

In addition, the VP of Formnext submitted a statement to Sarah:

“Sascha F. Wenzler, Vice President formnext Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH — Dear Sarah, as organizers, we deplore this misconduct of sexual harassment in the strongest terms. We have implemented the use of security guards until late on-site at every large-scale event. This security team has not only been appropriately trained but also instructed to intervene as soon as an incident is reported. It is therefore important to react immediately at the particular event and inform the staff present. Nevertheless we support und encourage every step against such behavior. Yours Sascha”

It starts with you. We ask other companies and organizations in the industry to also speak up and take this stance.  We need to come together to make sure the industry strives to be the best we can be. Let’s all be leaders and continue to stand up when people are being disrespected. Being a woman leader in our industry, I am taking a stance. Who else will take a stance with me and my colleagues at Carbon?

 

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Dana McCallum is the Head of Production Partnerships at Carbon, where she supports the company’s views on diversity and is leading as an example in an inclusive industry.

This article shared with her permission, and originally published on LinkedIn.