As black history month wraps up in the US, we wanted to take a moment to shout out some key players in the worldwide tech space who are working to ensure more inclusive (and all-around better) workplaces across the technology industry.
It’s clear that diversity within tech companies is lacking and in need of change. In a Wiley/mthree report published last year, 68% of tech business leaders surveyed said they felt there is a lack of diversity in their tech workforce — and what’s more, 68% of young tech workers surveyed said that they have felt uncomfortable in a job because of their ethnicity, socio-economic background, gender, or neurodevelopmental condition.
Check out some of the amazing organizations working to build a more diverse tech landscape below.
Hustle Crew
About Hustle Crew: “Since 2016 we’ve been on a mission to make tech more inclusive. The impact we’ve achieved since then has been highlighted by Forbes, The Financial Times, Marie Claire, and TechCrunch to name a few! At the core of our mission is our community. Each week we hear first-hand accounts of the challenges underrepresented people face as they navigate the workplace. We turn this insight into workshops and members’ content so you can take action and create new habits in your culture and achieve lasting change.”
Q&A with Hustle Crew:
We know that diverse hiring is important across the board—and in tech, it’s crucially important for creating better products, too. What aspects of diverse hiring in tech would you most like to highlight for technology companies and startups that are recruiting new staff in 2022?
“Tech companies need to go beyond one-off actions and form habits around racial justice work. Forming habits around hiring Black people, promoting Black employees, paying Black employees fairly, funding Black founders, and making room for Black people in leadership positions is what will lead to concrete change in this industry.”
Tell us more about what your organization is all about and how it’s taking action to change the employment landscape for the better.
“Our consultants are Black and Brown professionals who have first-hand experience of feeling excluded at work as they strive to reach their goals. They’ve worked across startups, multinational companies, media firms, and charities. They bring their experiences into the workshops to add context to the theories, tools, and frameworks.”
Learn more about the important work Hustle Crew is doing to improve inclusivity in tech in their case studies.
Ada Developers Academy
About Ada: “Ada’s mission is to prepare women and gender-expansive adults to be software developers while advocating for inclusive and equitable work environments. We prioritize serving Black, Latine, Indigenous Americans, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander, LGBTQIA+, and low-income people.”
A note from Ada Developers Academy’s CEO, Lauren Sato:
“Ada sits uniquely at the intersection of two critical societal needs: the economic vulnerability of women and gender-expansive people and the insatiable and growing need for talent in the tech industry. At Ada, we are addressing both of these needs with a solution that not only economically empowers our graduates and their communities (the average incoming salary for an Ada student is $40,000, and the average starting salary for an Ada graduate is $120,000), but that also diversifies the tech industry in a way that leads to more inclusive tech products for all of us.”
Ada Developers Academy offers cost-free coding courses and internships — they have online options as well as in-person courses in Atlanta and Seattle. They’re also a 501c3 nonprofit organization (you can donate here!).
Coding Black Females
About Coding Black Females: “Coding Black Females was created in 2017. Our primary aim is to provide opportunities for Black female developers to develop themselves, meet familiar faces, network, receive support and build relationships through having regular meetups. We want to meet you if you’ve been in the industry for 5 minutes, or 10 years, if you work as a freelancer or for a huge corporation.”
A note from CEO Charlene Hunter, MBE:
“Coding Black Females is a non-profit organization focusing on enabling more Black women to enter and progress within the tech industry. With over 5,000 members globally, we are actively making a change. We run events weekly to enable our members to learn a range of new skills and be inspired. In 2021, we trained over 250 women to gain new technical skills, from people just starting out to people in positions of leadership. The connections and opportunities that we are constantly creating are having a real impact empowering the next generation to achieve success.”
Want to support this non-profit? You can find out about donations and event sponsorship here!
More organizations working to diversify tech
- Black Girls Code (US): “Black girls all over the world are changing the face of technology. Black Girls Code is an organization that’s training 1 million girls by 2040 to lead, innovate and create in science, tech, engineering, and math.” (Want to get involved? You can donate or volunteer!)
- The Hidden Genius Project (US): “The Hidden Genius Project trains and mentors Black male youth in technology creation, entrepreneurship, and leadership skills to transform their lives and communities.” (Donate here)
- /dev/color (Global): “When we center Black technologists at every stage of our work, tech is better and so is our world. /dev/color is the global career accelerator for Black software engineers, technologists, and executives. And, we are the go-to accountability partner for the companies who invest in, employ, and are led by them.” (Donate here)
- Coders of Colour (UK): “Coders of Colour is an organisation aimed at empowering and enabling young underrepresented people of colour to pursue a career in tech by providing them with a safe space for them to learn, explore and grow. We do this primarily by running free coding workshops for young people.” (Learn about volunteering opportunities, event sponsorship, and donations here.)
Are you looking for a new job in the tech space this year? If so, take a look at our open positions!
Want to engage more with creating positive change and promoting digital ethics in the tech landscape? Check out the inaugural webinar in our “Human First” series (and get in touch if you’d like to be involved in future sessions).
