Having a diverse and an inclusive company is a critical component of what makes Entelo thrive, and we’re always thinking of new ways to encourage diverse perspectives and a company dynamic that represents us all. New innovations and shifts happen in the tech landscape all the time, and it’s time to embrace new and much needed approaches to hiring.
In honor of Black History Month, we set a company goal to raise money for Code 2040, a San Francisco based community diversifying the tech world. Entelo encouraged our team to donate via Code 2040’s campaign page to help bring Code 2040 experts to college campuses and spread the word about their much needed programs. Shane Zackery, an engineer at Entelo, attended Code 2040’s Summit in San Francisco last year. Read about Shane’s enriching experience here, including attending a keynote speech from venture capitalist Charles Hudson on why tech companies must make it a priority to diversify their teams. A great takeaway quote for us to ponder on: “Are we really supposed to believe that building a quantum computer or teaching a machine to beat the world’s best AlphaGo player is easier than hiring black and brown people?”
With every dollar donated, Entelo matched the amount and our head of Product & Data Science also personally matched, which effectively tripled each employee’s investment. We are pleased to announce not only did we meet our goal but doubled it by the end of February! This fuels our fire to do more with Code2040 and similar organizations.
Donations to Code2040, and employee-run groups like Belong @ Entelo are some of the ways that Entelo puts an emphasis on diversity and inclusion. The official mission for Belong @ Entelo is to “Empower and include diverse perspectives that will result in inclusive actions right here at home.” The team approaches this in many ways, and for Black History Month, Belong @ Entelo member, Monica Roberts, took action to host a lunch and learn for employees to learn more about famous black innovators throughout history.
While Entelo will continue to explore more initiatives to strengthen our company culture and broaden demographics, so far, we’re proud of the feedback from employees to date. Of their time at Entelo, a current employee said, “I've never worked in such a flat organization where your access to management and the executive staff is as easy as looking to your left or right. They foster such a great diverse and inclusive culture and it truly shows.” Another Entelo employee shared, “The talent team has done a fantastic job at hiring people who add to the culture and make a collaborative and inclusive work environment.”
Events and networking that push diversity initiatives and celebrate tech innovators remain a company priority, far beyond Black History Month. Entelo is committed to doing what we can to support these efforts, not just with our product, Entelo Diversity, but as an employer as well. As we create new hiring best practices, we hold our organization accountable for cultivating a team that truly mirrors the outside world, not just the status quo.
Related Articles:
Using Technology to Reduce Unconscious Bias
The Technology Behind a More Diverse, Inclusive Workforce
Why Transparency Builds a Positive Candidate Experience
