b'TECHNOLOGYQueering Taylor Bond, co-founder ofSaleesRight and sales leader atBox Hub, speaking at theTrue North Conference in 2018theTech EcosystemGay techies aim to create a more open,welcoming and diverse tech culture in CanadaBy Matthew BradfordT o say the tech sector is abarely finding any women in the room, leteven affect their career trajectory. What heteronormative boys club wouldalone people who would openly identify happens is that people end up moving be reductive, but to say peopleas LGBTQ2SA+!between jobs a lot because they dont want of all genders and sexualities are equallyWhile progress is being made, there isto reveal themselves. That impacts how they represented within it would be a stretch.room for stronger representation amongevolve in a certain industry, and the tech Ultimately, the truth lies somewhere inLGBTQ+ demographics in tech as in otherindustry is a great example of where thatthe middle, and its thanks to tech-savvysectors. At last count, QueerTech researchcan happen.entrepreneurs and community buildersindicated that a surprising 54 per cent ofIt was the firm belief that more needed within the LGBTQ+ community thatLGBTQ+ people still are in the closet at theirto be done to engage and retain gay talent in outdated codes are being rewritten.work. These are individuals who continue tothe tech sector that motivated Testaouni to Theres a sense that the tech sector is stillfeel uneasy about sharing their personal liveslaunch QueerTech in Canada in 2016. The largely heteronormative and run by white,in a predominantly straight environment orinspiration for QueerTech came when I met cisgender men, says Naoufel Testaouni,are worried that their sexuality will impede my (now) co-founder Andy Saldana, who was co-founder and CEO of QueerTech, atheir careers.already running a group called QueerTech Montreal-based non-profit that aims to queerThere are a lot of reasons why peoplemeetup group in New York City, explains the tech ecosystem. I remember walkingdont want to bring their authentic selves toTestaouni. We decided to start a similar into tech companies or groups in 2015 andwork, says Testaouni, adding that this cangroup in Montreal and to see if we could build 16| QBiz CANADA | Issue 2 2021'