The Unfinished Work
As 2020 closes I’m taking a bit of time this week to read, reflect and write. One of the focal topics for me this past year was diversity and how to enable positive change around minority inclusion and the local tech ecosystem. This past week I happen to read a well timed article about the experiences a minority tech entrepreneur in Austin was having that very much mirrored my own experiences (https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-unfinished-business-of-office-diversity-training-11608512401).
After George Floyd, there were lots of calls and emails about how awful the situation was and what could they do to help with the issue of diversity and social justice. I was humbled by the interest taken in those conversations. I was even more humbled by the peers that followed my lead and deposited funds with local CDFIs or supported minority education programs. I was further encouraged by the formation of groups like the Black Entrepreneurial Council and the inclusion of minority voices in local media outlets like WRAL’s Techwire. I’ve seen more voices from my community become voices within the broader community that is the Triangle. Bernard Worthy, Deshawn Brown and Jonathan Hayes as just a representative few of those voices.
Despite the above positives, we still have gaps. We still do not really have a seat at the tables that matter. Local venture funds have not actively included members of the BIPOC community into their ranks; The Triangle’s top tech companies have gone out and recruited DEI ( Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) officers but they haven’t added diversity to their executive ranks; Finally, we remain very underrepresented at the Board level at many of the key companies in the Triangle tech scene. While it is great to add DEI as a focus role and encourage hiring within the ranks it is best to live the words by actively recruiting senior team members from outside or grooming them from withing to fill seats at the top where the decisions are being made. My company started that change this year by increasing our overall diversity to 35% over the course of the year. Two of our senior team members are minorities. I am working hard to make the right additions at the Board level to improve things there.
Closing the door on 2020 and Opening the door to 2021, I’d like to see the Triangle step up and show that we are leaders on this subject, at the national level. As new venture funds are being raised, recruiting top minorities as venture associates should be a part of every funds efforts. As executive teams are being expanded, hiring minorities in Finance, Product and Sales versus just HR will show a clear statement of how CEOs and their boards view their commitment to diversity. Let’s make sure that we change our attitudes and perspectives while we improve companies and our community. Because without real change…..What is the point?
