Equity: Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Description:

Diversity in the tech world—at all levels of employment—has been a hot-button issue for years. Although organizations have publicly committed to seeking out more diverse talent, this is mostly performative lip service: less than 30% of women and only about 7% of Black and Hispanic employees hold software and IT jobs. It is no better at the leadership level; only 1% of VC funding is going to Black founders. And that is only part of the issue. Once non-male or non-white talent break into the industry, they’re faced with a significant pay gap. At the current pace, it would take decades to achieve a truly diverse and equitable tech workforce. Where do we go from here? It requires action at all levels of business: in the funding stage, in the founding stage, and in the employment stage.