On November 6, 2014, the Rock Center for Corporate Governance co-hosted a discussion on closing the diversity gap in technology with USA Today. Panelists included Professor Richard Thompson Ford, Reverend Jesse L. Jackson and representatives from Facebook, Google and Vyv. 

For years, technology companies did worse than simply shrug off the issue of diversity in their workforce.

Some sued to keep that information private from inquiring media outlets and social activists, arguing that divulging such data compromised their competitive advantage.

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Overt bigotry doesn't play a major role in this issue, which in fact makes it a more difficult problem to root out, said panelist Richard Thompson Ford, Stanford law professor and author of The Race Card.

“Bias (in tech) is more readily concealed,” he said. “Most of the problems will be resolved by trying to engage hiring managers to see diversity as a positive goal that they are on board with. In many ways, that's a harder problem to solve than unrepentant bigots.”

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“Will you find racists in the computer science department? No, but you may find people with preconceived ideas of who will be good or not. There's a culture that exists in those departments, one of who helps who. And maybe you then go, I could do something else, I've got options,” he said.