But diversity is indeed a very wicked problem.

Entrenched cognitive biases, fixed cultures, diversity fatigue and too much talk and too little action mean we’ve actually still got a long way to go before D&I and gender is no longer on the agenda. (Run the numbers on the number of women in tech/STEM/funded startups/ASX or Fortune500 CEO leadership roles/government senior level positions. Not good.)

We keep talking/reading/town hall-ing about team diversity as a critical driver of innovation and problem-solving, but unless we can cultivate it/hire for it/celebrate it/elevate it/action it, our best attempts at innovation will always be constrained.

Atlassian’s recent State of Diversity Report 2018 reveals why the D&I dial isn’t actually moving despite the conversations about cultural shift and commitment to D&I in the US and Silicon Valley right now.

This is, of course, an endemic problem.

To effect any real change we need to sweep company-, startup- and society-wide, top to bottom, bring more chairs to the cap table, break down mindless bureaucracy, shift fixed mindsets, share our stories, build D&I skills, action inclusivity programs, push against status quo, employ empathy, and put people, values, balance and belonging before the BS of empty D&I PR rhetoric.

We also need to commit to active end-to-end processes and systems that mandate diversity as an accountable, transparent line item, and usher in a new world of work practice where we hire for diversity of not just faces but races, places and think spaces (mind sets).

What are you doing to action diversity and shift the dial? #teamup

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At www.girledworld.com we are doing our bit to build girls up with skills and real-world knowledge so they can do their best work with values-driven passion. But the world needs to be ready for them when they unleash themselves on it.

Join us to build the next Gen of innovators, founders and leaders at the girledworld WOW Summit 2018 at RMIT University.

girledworld enters a powerful storied world in Sydney today for Good Pitch Australia - where we will come together in a room full of extraordinary visionaries, thinkers and game-changers at the Sydney Opera House to witness the power of documentary storytelling for social impact, which gives voice and access to lives we will never live.

Good Pitch Australia connects philanthropists with passionate filmmakers to fund the films the world needs to see. This is about shifting the landscape, challenging status quo, bringing dark stories up into the light - be it policy change, shifting consciousness, changing behaviours, or elevating an issue that isn’t getting attention amongst the noise and haste of a world moving too fast.

It's also about starting conversations to ignite change - in the round today, at the table tonight, at the policy level, in the broader community, in schools, in boardrooms, and anywhere decisions are made that shape the way we live and play.

The brainchild of Ian Darling and Malinda Wink, Good Pitch Australia brings together filmmakers with NGOs, foundations, philanthropists, social entrepreneurs, potential corporate and brand partners, broadcasters and media with leading social issues — to forge powerful alliances around-ground breaking films that are good for all these partners, good for the films and good for society.

Today, six selected filmmaking teams will pitch their social impact documentaries over 40-minutes and will outline their associated outreach social impact campaigns to the invited representatives at the table, and a theatre of up to 300 selected participants. A moderated session follows with a group of strategically selected participants at the table, changing for each film project, with the the aim of connecting the best possible partners to the films, and creating a lasting and unique coalition around each film, to maximise its impact and influence in the years ahead.

To date, more than 128 documentary projects have been presented at Good Pitch events in London, Oxford, New York, Washington DC, Toronto and Chicago as well as Good Pitch² events in San Francisco, Johannesburg, Taipei, Buenos Aires, Mumbai and Australia. More than 2137 organisations have attended a Good Pitch event — varied organisations from different sectors all bringing something unique to the table: expert knowledge, research and archives, memberships and networks and mailing lists, campaigning and lobbying expertise and access to policymakers as well as production and outreach funding. Together they make powerful allies.

Without doubt, diversity is the driver here. And film, funding and faith in story is used as a force for good.

Good Pitch is a BRITDOC project in partnership with Ford Foundation and the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program, and today's event is hosted by Shark Island Institute and DAF (Documentary Australia Foundation) in partnership with Philanthropy Australia and Pro Bono Australia.

girledworld is delighted to be part of the diverse mix, and to bring our unique voice, perspective and stories to the round today.

We look forward to sharing our event experiences shortly!