There are a lot of technology-oriented conferences held throughout the year that claim a “global” title. The Global Women in Data Science Conference held this month at Stanford University was one such event that lived up to its international billing. Through Facebook Live and other online broadcasts, the conference had more than 100,000 participants at more than 150 events in at least 50 countries.

“This is the future of events in my opinion,” said John Furrier (@furrier, pictured, left), co-host of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s mobile livestreaming studio. “It’s open, its inclusive. They created a network effect of satellite communities around the world.”

Furrier spoke with Lisa Martin (@LuccaZara, pictured, right), co-host of theCUBE, during the Global Women in Data Science Conference in Stanford, California. They discussed key themes and messages from the conference and the importance of thought diversity in the workplace. (* Disclosure below.)

Getting comfortably uncomfortable

A number of data science industry leaders spoke with Furrier and Martin as part of theCUBE’s day-long coverage during the event, and they addressed a number of key themes of interest to participants, including the importance of embracing both discomfort and failure.

“Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone,” Martin said. “Failure is not a bad F-word’ was a theme that we heard a number of times.”

Another key theme involved the opportunity that surrounds the data science field today. “The message here was there are plenty of opportunities in data science than just data analytics,” said Furrier, who highlighted mathematics and cryptocurrency as two major areas. “If you go where the growth is you can pioneer and find like-minded individuals.”

Dialogue among conference participants also highlighted the importance of diversity not just in gender participation, but in thought as well. People with perspectives from different cultures and backgrounds can strengthen innovation and creative problem-solving in the enterprise.

“There’s a thought diversity gap that every industry is missing. … It’s incredibly important to bring in different perspectives,” Martin concluded.

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the Global Women in Data Science Conference. (* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the Women in Data Science Conference. Neither Stanford University, the event sponsor, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE