Doing the Work: Our Commitment to Building Balanced Teams

On September 15th, Okta and Auth0 co-sponsored the Girls in Tech conference (GITCON), the signature, eponymous event of one of our nonprofit partners, focused on eliminating the gender gap in tech. This is the first joint event that Auth0 and Okta have sponsored, and we could not be more excited about how our teams have come together. As we collectively continue on this journey to lay the foundation for diverse talent and balanced teams, we are proud to work with partners like Girls in Tech.

A day of women leaders

Okta’s Chief Information Officer, Alvina Antar serves on the Girls in Tech board and sees the clear connection between the mission of Girls in Tech and Okta’s vision for building a balanced workforce to fuel innovation and collective growth. She shared,

"At Okta we are committed and intentional in building the most balanced, diverse, and inclusive teams. Partners like Girls in Tech are critical to our strategy to connect, empower, and invest in the next generation of female technologists. I am inspired by Girls in Tech’s mission and proud to have joined their Board. Their mission to ensure that every person is accepted, confident, and valued in tech, just as they are, resonated deeply with me. I am thrilled that Okta participated in the Girls in Tech conference this year as we all strive to eliminate the gender gap in tech."

The Girls in Tech conference was open to everyone, technologists, marketers, students, engineers, HR pros, investors, entrepreneurs, and many more. GITCON offered a full day of keynotes, workshops, and presentations to help participants engage in the community, develop their skills, and learn how to be successful in the tech industry.

Among the impressive lineup of speakers was Auth0’s Chief Information Security Officer, Jameeka Green Aaron, who provided an inspiring, moving, and tear-jerking keynote presentation. In her talk, A Career With No Regrets, she focused on key points and actions women can take in their careers to dream big and rock the boat with 8 lessons in life, love, and leadership. Bringing her authentic self and wisdom from her own experiences as a woman of color in STEM and a U.S. veteran, her keynote delivered themes of staying true to who you are. She also expressed that leadership should come from both the head and the heart: know when to burn it down, but also know when to take the moral high ground and “not become the monster.” Jameeka encouraged participants to take the road less traveled on their journey to change the world, ending with, “At the end of life, what really matters is not what we bought, but what we built; not what we got, but what we shared; not our competence, but our character; and not our success, but our significance. Live a life that matters. Live a life of love.” In case you missed it, check back here for a recording of Jameeka’s keynote.

Our commitment, together

Okta + Auth0 are both committed to building balanced teams, which includes defining what a balanced team looks like, socializing the concept with the hiring teams, and the quarterly tracking of the goals. We believe that pay parity is a critical factor in fostering an inclusive workplace. Okta conducts a periodic equal pay assessment and takes all necessary corrective steps to ensure employees are paid equitably. We recognize there are certainly areas of opportunity to improve in representation and the retention of all cultures, ethnicities, and genders. We are continuously working with different stakeholders, including Women@Okta, to innovate, iterate, and do the work to be better. W@Okta co-lead Bridget Went explained,

“As one of Okta's employee resource groups, W@Okta drives strategic partnerships with external organizations like Girls in Tech that help us hire more diverse talent and offering professional development opportunities to promote the next generation of women-identified leaders. The DIB team is a key liaison in enabling these partnerships by offering financial and logistical support.”

More to learn and share

Looking for details? In an effort to live our core value of acting with integrity, we’ve published our first State of Inclusion report. Curious about Okta? Come experience #lifeatokta.