My name is Alicia, and I’m an Inclusion and Diversity practitioner for a technology services company. A little about me for context, I’m a Black Latina from small-town Iowa. After making my way through University [first gen], I landed in Denver, trying to find a way to tie the content I care about [diversity, equity, and inclusion] to my professional career. I’ve worked in marketing and now support the technology sector through workforce management. After 28 years on this earth filled with teaching moments [five in corporate America], I’m here
Designers can dismantle the New Jim Code. Here’s how. The disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Blacks and the continued violence against Black lives as elucidated in protests responding to the death of George Floyd has thrown light on pervasive systemic racism against Black people in the United States. That extends to the technology industry. Anti-Black racism in technological design abounds, and it cannot go unnoticed and unchallenged. Consider the evidence: Many wearable heart rate trackers rely on technology that could be less reliable for users with darker skin, which negatively
From the day I realized I was destined to be a coder, I knew I was going to be an underrepresented group in more ways than one. It started to hit me in the few classes I took throughout grade school, but I didn’t realize how much of a minority I was until college. I’m lucky that for the most part, I have been able to fit in with my other software engineering peers. But there is still a lot that I have realized about being the only woman of
As I sit here today writing this piece, the country burns as thousands of Black Americans (and our allies) are expressing their pain and mourning the loss of countless citizens — most recently George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor. While citizens of all backgrounds are marching in almost every major city, I can’t help but be reminded that 99 years ago today, the Tulsa race massacre (also known as the Black Wall Street massacre) began. By its end, nearly 300 Americans were killed as white residents attacked black residents and
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Near the end of the summer, interns around the globe may find themselves thinking, “I haven’t really used my internship like I want to.” Or, “How do I add some extra polish to the end of this experience?” Especially because of the ongoing pandemic, interns can and should tackle the end of their internships with confidence and visible appreciation for the community that has hosted them. With the intention to start planning the next steps after the internship. Note: The following tips are for if the internship goes well and
It took a white man, CEO of Twitter Jack Dorsey, to point out one of the most powerful, yet underrated stories coming out of Africa, when he said “ Africa will define the future of Bitcoin.” I am here to tell you that story. After years of poor governance and corruption, the time has now caught up with Africa’s states. They are unable to generate enough job opportunities for the millions of digital native Africans that spend 6 hours every day glued to their WhatsApp, Tik Toks, selfies and hyper-localized
We are living through the strangest of times. As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold, we are in an unknown period of uncertainty. My thoughts are with everyone who has been affected. To think that just two months ago it was business as usual. As a Principal and Founding Member at Impact X Capital LLP Partners, a Black-led VC which invests in companies led by underrepresented founders, I was having frequent meetings with entrepreneurs and attending events. Today I am sitting here reflecting on the past 15
“Diversity increases revenue, improves productivity, sparks creativity, and boosts innovation.” In my line of work, the business case for diversity is practically a mantra. As Diversity & Inclusion has gained mainstream acceptance, so too has this “business case” emerged as the centerpiece of many modern organizations’ D&I efforts. It figures prominently in keynote talks, diversity panels, and internal presentations alike. And when corporate leaders talk about D&I, the business case for diversity is always one of their talking points. This is, unfortunately, a big problem. Under its flashy exterior, “business
It’s fair to say Kenya’s predominantly informal sector is currently under shock, due to the impact of the ‘rona’ and the measures and mitigations that have followed: quarantines, social distancing rules, curfews, restrictions and possibly lockdowns. M-Pesa inextricable link with Kenya’s biashara economy [small trader economy] fully exposes it to this shock. Newly appointed CEO Peter Ndegwa of Safaricom and M-Pesa admitted to Reuters , that the mobile payments darling of Africa and East Africa is fully dependent on the economy of Kenya. It has only been a month of subdued biashara,
