Conferences and summits can be valuable investments for professional development. These events offer a unique opportunity to learn from experts in your field, network with peers, and stay up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in industry. At the Professional Science Master’s (PSM) program, we encourage our students to strive for professional growth. Recently, one determined Master of Business and Science (MBS) student broadened his horizons at Google's Product Inclusion & Equity Summit. Located in the beautiful Sunnyvale, California, this two-day experience allowed attendees to learn from experts and work collaboratively on hands-on projects.
Dylan Tan, MBS’24, is a student in our Personal Care Science concentration. Currently, he works at L’Oreal as a chemist in the Skincare-Photoprotection Development Labs.
“The purpose of the summit was to highlight the need to build with equity for all products in and outside of tech,” said Tan.
Tan was captivated by the summit’s focus of inclusion and equity. Although the conference was geared towards technology, Tan knew that these values are particularly important in his field of personal care products. He works in sunscreen, a product notorious for leaving a white cast on darker skin tones. Formulations should be inclusive to everyone, regardless of skin tone or skin type, said Tan.
“The main message that acted as the golden thread throughout the event was that building with equity means building for all,” said Tan. An example used at the summit was a depressed curb—a dip in the curb where the sidewalk meets the road. This is useful for bikes, strollers, shopping carts, and wheelchairs.
“Building something like that with equity in mind means that everyone can use it,” said Tan.
Tan heard from speakers such as Nike's former Chief Marketing Officer, Greg Hoffman, who emphasized that diversity is the oxygen for innovation as it breathes life into the creative pursuit. (Check out Tan’s LinkedIn post for a full recap of speakers.)
“Build in a collaborative way to make sure that all perspectives are at the table,” said Tan. “It doesn’t matter if you’re on the project or not, bring as many perspectives as you can, so we can really get as big of a picture as possible.”
Another key takeaway from the summit, said Tan, was the importance of testing with inclusivity. During the summit, he spoke to hardware engineers who worked on creating a camera for a newly released phone. For the camera to sufficiently capture different skin tones, they realized they needed to expand their data set.
Summits and other professional events are great opportunities for students to network, gain new perspectives, and grow.
“This is a good opportunity for the cross pollination of ideas,” Tan said, noting that he comes from outside of the tech space. At the summit, there were opportunities for Tan to connect across industries and to ask questions, learning new perspectives across fields that could take back to his own workplace—and even personal life.
And according to Annie Jean-Baptiste, head of product inclusion and equity at Google, there is a moral and social responsibility for investing in product inclusion and equity as well as a business case. When it comes to design, it’s imperative to design for all users.
For more insight about professional events, read about an MBS student’s experience at Go-GetHer.