---
title: Alcohol & Inclusivity in Tech
osem_url: https://osem.seagl.org/conferences/seagl2020/program/proposals/791
beginning: '2020-11-14T11:30:00.000-08:00'
end: '2020-11-14T12:00:00.000-08:00'
resources:
  internet_archive_identifier: SeaGL2020-Kara_Sowles-Alcohol_and_Inclusivity_in_Tech
presenters:
- name: Kara Sowles
  osem_url: https://osem.seagl.org/users/1074
  gravatar_id: 439077b7bf7c4fc3f1e345e5f52c2f88
  biography: Kara Sowles is a community management, developer relations, and tech
    events specialist currently building open source maintainer resources at GitHub.
    Previously manager of community at Puppet for 8 years, where she oversaw technical
    conference programs, built an extensive user group program, organized widespread
    employee evangelism, and IDK man, I can't remember all the stuff, it feels like
    it's been forever. I guess that's what LinkedIn's for. In her personal life, she
    enjoys amateur archaeology, art, and observing both graffiti and nature in equal
    parts.
---

Alcohol is a major theme in tech culture, whether it's bonding with peers near the office keg, letting off steam with afterword drinks, or meeting industry giants over conference beers. Unfortunately, tech culture around alcohol often excludes people on the basis of gender, medication, religion, pregnancy, addiction, age, and more. We'll learn some of the basic pitfalls to avoid, and then talk solutions with easy-to-practice ally skills for how to discuss, serve, and approach alcohol at events and in the workplace.

We're all virtual right now, which provides a lot more space to make our own decisions free of professional obligation. It's also a great time to reconsider how we approach things, so we can return to the office and events with fresh eyes and new skills.
