For all the revolutionary changes technology has catalyzed in the past few decades, guidelines surrounding recruiting and culture efforts remain suspiciously outdated in an industry otherwise characterized by constant progress.

Despite new attention to tech’s gender and race disparities following controversies within the field, as well as in the national conversation, industry diversity numbers are disappointingly low. Only 11 percent of executive positions in Silicon Valley are held by women, who leave the industry at twice the rate of men. That’s why one tech leader is working to combat the toxic elements of tech culture with the power of shared stories.

“There’s actually fewer [women] than ever before,” said Jennifer Cloer (pictured), founder of reTHINKit PR and creator and executive producer of “The Chasing Grace Project.” “The women we’ve talked to, their stories of resilience are starting to change that culture. There’s empathy that comes from both men and women who hear those stories.”

Cloer recently spoke with John Furrier (@furrier), host of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s mobile livestreaming studio, and guest host John Troyer, chief reckoner at TechReckoning, during Red Hat Summit in San Francisco. (* Disclosure below.)

A veteran of tech communications, Cloer is using her field experience and storytelling talents to move the industry toward a much-needed culture shift through her documentary series, “The Chasing Grace Project.” This week, theCUBE spotlights Jennifer Cloer in its Women in Tech feature.

Fostering community in a lonely field

Cloer’s exploration of tech’s social implications began with her work at The Linux Foundation, where she observed the impact the industry had on the world at large. “Open source is the underpinning of society,” she said. “The world we live in is a digital one, and we’re building that digital existence for tomorrow.”

Her work with the foundation gave Cloer broad insight into all aspects of tech, from the industry’s cultural currents to the spectrum of commercial markets it influences. She leveraged this experience and a unique ability to create accessible narratives around complex tech and culture issues to facilitate community engagement through her own public relations company, reTHINKit PR.

While working as the company’s lead consultant, Cloer also served as president of the Portland chapter of FemCity, an international women’s business network with a mission of coaching and inspiring women through community as they develop their careers. “Almost every woman I’ve talked to says, ‘I feel so alone,’” she said. “When they share their stories and they see other women sharing their stories, they know they’re not alone.”

Everyone has a story

Throughout her career, Cloer has found the act of sharing stories crucial to encouraging progress through empathy, and she aims to scale these connective effects with “The Chasing Grace Project.” Named after computer scientist and U.S. Navy admiral Grace Hopper, the six-episode documentary series spotlights the often-challenging circumstances faced by many women in the male-dominated field.

“We named it after Grace Hopper because she really exemplifies the grit and the excellence that we’re all chasing all the time,” she said. “We’re chasing the idea of grace in the face of adversity.”

Cloer officially began the project a year and a half ago after her call for stories in a number of women’s tech forums was met with an abundance of responses. She spent months interviewing women and preparing for the series’ release. “[There are] lots of men and women wanting to share their stories, as well as people wanting to underwrite the work, which is fabulous because it relies on sponsors,” she said.

Cloer hopes Chasing Grace will spark a greater understanding among tech’s disparate factions that will lead to actionable ideas for bridging its diversity gaps. “Men learn a lot when they see women sharing their stories, because they don’t know,” she said. “We’re walking through the same industry, but our day-to-day experiences are quite different. Everybody has a story.”

The Linux Foundation and the Cloud Foundry Foundation have signed on as early sponsors, and Cloer is continuing her search for backers and a distributor for the series.

Enabling optimal work for all

In addition to providing support for her initiative, Cloer siad Cloud Foundry is an impressive example of an organization that walks the walk when it comes to inclusion because it’s “pretty progressive.”

For companies still seeking direction in their cultural policies, Cloer advises creating a set safe, inclusive guidelines — and sticking to them. “If you don’t enforce your code of conduct, it doesn’t mean anything,” she said.

Consulting women in the creation of those guidelines, and all operations within the company, is also essential. “Listen to what women need and want out of their male allies and advocates,” she advised. “And then build your way out.”

Although she sees the work of diversity and inclusion as a “marathon, not a sprint,” Cloer hopes the collected efforts toward equality across tech will soon bring the industry to a place where projects like hers will be unnecessary. “Women want to build tech and not have to advocate for themselves,” she said. “Hopefully, projects like ‘The Chasing Grace Project’ … are helping to do that so that the women who are building can build.”

Here’s the complete video interview, and there’s more coverage of the Red Hat Summit event from SiliconANGLE and theCUBE. (* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for Red Hat Summit. Neither Red Hat Inc., the event sponsor, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE