Tim Cook Talks Diversity ahead of WWDC 2015

Apple CEO Tim Cook surprised WWDC scholarship winners at an event on Sunday. He also talked Diversity in an interview.

The WWDC 2015 starts today and it will bring something new not only in the product line up of Apple. Apple CEO Tim Cook surprised winners of the Apple WWDC Scholarship program at a pre-WWDC event on Sunday. The winning students got a free WWDC pass to attend Apple’s developer conference.

Tim Cook mingled with the “future of Apple” and also sat down with Mashable’s Christina Warren to talk about diversity. Tim Cook believes that the most diverse group produce the best product. He firmly believes that.

Apple is though still far away from a diverse workforce. Last year Apple released their first diversity report and disclosed that 70% of workers are male.

“I think it’s our fault — ‘our’ meaning the whole tech community,” Cook says. “I think in general we haven’t done enough to reach out and show young women that it’s cool to do it and how much fun it can be.”

In a witty question, Christina Warren asks Tim Cook why are there are now women in WWDC keynotes. Tim Cook said smiling: “Look tomorrow. Look tomorrow and let me know what you think.”

So who of the female executives will take the stage at the WWDC 2015 keynote for the first time in history. My bets are on Angela Ahrendts, SVP of Retail and Online Stores. She already does these video messages to her Retail employees that always manage to leak online. She could be talking about the Apple Watch and how developers are essential to take it to the next level with the native Apple Watch SDK we are expecting to be presented at the WWDC 2015.

One female is though likely not enough to make an impressions. Tim Cook’s smile is hinting at more.

Tim Cook has several initiatives kicked off to increase diversity in Apple in different directions. He clearly takes this topic as central task in running Apple.

“The problem, as Dr. King said, is ‘the appalling silence of the good people.’ I try to look at myself in the mirror and ask myself I’m doing enough. And if the answer is no, I try to do something more. And sometimes you do things that don’t work and sometimes you do things that do work. Somehow we’ve got to get enough people to believe how important it is, and see how wrong it is not doing it,” says Tim Cook.

It is likely that Tim Cook will hit on diversity in today’s WWDC keynote.

The WWDC 2015 keynote will be streamed live online on June 8 starting at 10 am PDT. The WWDC 15 keynote can also be watched on the Apple TV. The Apple WWDC 2015 keynote can be watch online here. Live streaming video requires Safari 6.0.5 or later on OS X v10.8.5 or later; Safari on iOS 6.0 or later. Streaming via Apple TV requires second- or third-generation Apple TV with software 6.2 or later.

Apple will for certain reveal iOS 9, OS X 10.11 and the Beat Music based streaming service. The rumor that Apple to reveal finally a new Apple TV with a new TV viewing experience has gotten less steam lately as Apple got stock in negotiations with TV studios.  The Apple Watch developers will also get the first native SDK that will bring more exciting and creative Apple Watch apps.

The biggest topic though is the Apple Music Streaming service. Apple is rumored to plan a $10/month paid service coming with a very long 3 month free trial. Apple is reportedly to get 100 million subscribers really fast. Read the latest WWDC 2015 News, Rumors and Highlights in the I4U News Apple News Hub.