Entrepreneurs express disappointment in remarks at 36|86

Launch Tennessee hosted 36|86 to shine a spotlight on Southeast entrepreneurs. But in the final hours of the conference, a new conversation took hold, one that cast the city in an unfavorable light.

Charges of sexism, exclusion and bro-culture replaced a narrative of Nashville's emergence as a tech hub and the region's entrepreneurial strengths. The music and tech panel, one of 16 sessions at the conference, encapsulated what many women said they had experienced at the conference or in their careers in a field still dominated by men.

Several Nashville startup leaders who have cheered the region's successes over the years expressed their disappointment in the shift in tone at 36|86, emphasizing the importance of inclusion.

"Lots of F-Bombs and Mud Slinging today that didn't put our city in the best light," health care entrepreneur Michael Burcham wrote on Facebook. "The real good parts of the conversation got lost. ... I love this city — and I do hope we continue to focus on the right things — and welcome everyone ... because everyone matters."

Vic Gatto, CEO of business accelerator Jumpstart Foundry and a PandoDaily investor, also weighed in on Twitter: "Embarrassed for Nashville today at 3686. Our city is great because it is inclusive. All entrepreneurs are welcome at @jsfoundry."

Part of the controversy stems from bad blood between two Nashville conference groups. PandoDaily, a San Francisco tech publication, and LaunchTN, a state-funded nonprofit, split last year after a culture and vision clash at the 2014 Southland event. The two groups still moved forward with their own conferences held within a week of each other — LaunchTN hosting 36|86 this week and PandoDaily launching Pandoland on June 15-17.

On the controversial music and tech panel, which included no women, Nashville entrepreneur Mark Montgomery, known for his propensity for colorful language, began slamming Sarah Lacy, PandoDaily's editor-in-chief. He used several four-letter words during the panel, language that Lacy was criticized for last year.

"Tennessee supports Tennessee. Sarah Lacy supports Sarah Lacy," Montgomery said, according to SouthernAlpha's Kelley Boothe. "Do not support her."

Country artist John Rich, of duo Big & Rich, also was on the panel. When asked how aspiring artists should reach them, he responded with an anecdote that spurred a big reaction on social media: "A chick threw a CD at me at a stoplight. She was hot so I listened to it. It was horrible," Rich said, according to SouthernAlpha.

His comments touched a nerve, as they followed on the heels of a radio consultant who cautioned stations to avoid playing consecutive songs by women and compared women to tomatoes in a salad, versus their male counterparts, or lettuce. The consultant's comments set off a wave of social media responses, with Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert and other female artists weighing in and sporting McBride's red "tomato" T-shirts.

After reaction to Montgomery's and Rich's comments gained momentum on Twitter, PandoDaily editorial director Paul Carr announced Wednesday evening in an online post that women entrepreneurs could attend the upcoming Pandoland event for free, reiterating his and Lacy's own frustration with the "good ol' boys" club mentality at Southland and their own emphasis on diversity and inclusion.

36|86 was not devoid of women. The keynote speaker was Julia Hartz of Eventbrite, Meghan Joyce of Uber participated in a fireside chat, and GE Ventures' Leslie Bottorff was among the group of panelists. Several panels had one or more women, with one panel on early-stage funding that included three women, but there were a few panels that were filled only with men. Also of note, a woman-led company, PartPic, won the 36|86 pitch event.

In response to the controversy, LaunchTN pointed to its lineup of speakers and panelists, of which more than 30 percent were female. Last year, when PandoDaily led the programming, only about 13 percent were women.

"We wanted a more inclusive lineup for 36|86 and feel that was overwhelmingly apparent to those who attended," Courtney Corlew of LaunchTN said in an emailed statement.

Corlew said the music and tech panel had been taken out of context and suggested that had Montgomery withheld his opinion of Lacy, Rich's comments and the panel would not have been thought of as sexist.

Separately, LaunchTN sent out an email to attendees, saying, "If anyone was offended by any of the comments by any of the participants, we apologize. It's worth noting that the feedback from our attendees was terrific as they appreciated the diverse program, the startup pitches and the overall hospitality throughout the 2 days."

Montgomery's words were more divisive and brash than sexist, but his comments and his personal issues with Pando aside, Rich's comments are a problem. He describes an interaction with a woman in which her body and appearance are her main entry point to being heard. In an industry that already includes steep barriers to entry, especially for women, the message he sends is that women's value is first her body, not her music, not her talent. When there are no official female panelists on stage with him, it exacerbates a tone-deafness.

Beyond the music and tech panel, the conference was able to tell the region's story well. I spoke with investors, business leaders and entrepreneurs from the Southeast and from the East and West coasts who were very excited about the city's and region's tech community, the startup momentum and the quality of life. There were meaningful conversations on tech talent, investing and social justice, the kind of conversations that move a city forward, not back.

In some ways, the music tech panel did move the city forward. #NashTechUnited took hold on social media Thursday as those in the tech sector voiced their own values of inclusion. In a profession dominated by men and often associated with sexism, software developers rallied behind the hashtag's message and call to action.

"NashJS and the #nashville community does not tolerate discrimination. All humans are welcome! Always," posted the Nashville JavaScript user group.

Software developer Kate Williams wrote: "#NashTechUnited Nashville has a great tech community. Let's always get better. #changetheconversation"

"It's been great to be part of such an open-minded, inclusive, and welcoming community. We made it together! #NashTechUnited," said local developer Jesse Gray.

That's the Nashville we want to show off.

Reach Jamie McGee at 615-259-8071 and on Twitter @JamieMcGee_.