Reset: My Fight for Inclusion and Lasting Change

When Pao, a former chief of staff and junior partner at the tech venture capital firm for Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, sued her company for gender discrimination in 2012, her lawsuit galvanized women working in tech; journalists even started to use the term “Pao effect” to describe the uptick in women speaking out against discrimination in the workplace. Here, Pao tells her full story, detailing her experiences in the workplace leading up to the lawsuit as well as stories that did not make it into the high profile trial. She discusses the range of sexism she encountered on the job, from being asked to lower her voice and perpetually being seated at the back of the room during meetings to being asked to babysit her colleague’s children or denied promotions despite having more seniority and experience than the person promoted in her stead. Writing in relatable terms, with little jargon, Pao draws on statistics to demonstrate the industry’s lack of inclusivity and weaves in amusing analogies, as with her comparison of tech executives’ fascination with private jets to high school students’ obsession with owning a car. Though Pao lost the lawsuit, she went on to serve as interim CEO of Reddit and founded Project Include, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting diversity in tech. Her story is a grave reminder of how far the tech industry has to go in fighting discrimination. (Sept.)