WiMIR

Women in MIR (WiMIR) Session

Hosts: Preeti Rao, Zhongzhe Xiao

Women in MIR (WiMIR) is a group of people in the MIR community dedicated to promoting the role of, and increasing opportunities for, women in the field. We meet to network, share information, and discuss in an informal setting the goal of building a community that supports women – and more broadly, diversity – in the field of MIR.

WiMIR has held annual meetings at the ISMIR conference since 2012, garnering a high turnout of both female and male attendees. Since 2016, WiMIR has also organized a mentoring program connecting female students, postdocs, and early-stage researchers to more senior females and male allies in the field. WiMIR has received substantial financial support from a number of organizations (Smule, Spotify, Gracenote, iZotope, Microsoft, Steinberg) which enables more female researchers to attend the ISMIR2017 conference.

For this year’s WiMIR session, we will begin with a brief overview of the group, recognition of WiMIR sponsors, and report on disbursement of WiMIR funding. We will then summarize and discuss various initiatives that happened in the previous year. This will be followed by the talk by Shawn Carney, Director of IT at Spotify. Finally, we will wrap up the session with Q&A with Shawn Carney, and discussion of ideas for new initiatives to further support women in the field.

More material available here

Bye Bye Bias: Promoting Diverse Teams

Shawn Carney, Head of Global IT at Spotify

Abstract: Globalization is leading to an increasingly interdependent, interconnected world and diversity is both a means of differentiation within that complex system as well as a competitive advantage. Bye Bye Bias: Promoting Diverse Teams examines the role of intersectional diversity and inclusion in the process of recruiting and retaining successful teams. Starting with explaining foundational concepts, such as a shared lexicon and the benefits of diversity, and then progressing to operational tips for busting bias, building diverse recruiting processes, and retaining inclusive teams, this talk will provide tactical tools towards building and maintaining high-performing teams.

Shawn Carney has been a leader in the music and technology field since 1993. Originally based in Washington DC, she went on to join technology teams at major music labels in LA and NY. Shawn has a passion for building diverse, inclusive teams that solve problems in creative ways. When she isn’t working, she spends time bicycling, playing video games, illustrating, and documenting the antics of her two dogs (a Corgi and a Chihuahua) and her two cats (a Siamese and a Scottish Fold). Shawn now leads the IT organization for Spotify and lives in New York City.