WTIA DEI COE & Kapor Foundation:Diversifying the Technology Industry

The tech sector creates millions of higher wage, meaningful jobs across this country — so many that more than two million jobs remain unfilled. Surveys indicate 68% of business leaders report a lack of diversity among their tech workforce and the facts illuminate this problem: Only 29% are women. 9% African American. 8% Hispanic. There is a troubling opportunity gap, shaped in no small part by unequal access to technology careers. This is particularly concerning at a time when more and more pathways to opportunity require fluency in the digital tools and platforms that power our economy.

Kapor Foundation shares the WTIA vision of diversifying the technology ecosystem. Technology design, creation, and investment must include diverse perspectives and is harnessed to address societal challenges. Kapor Foundation believes the industry can collectively improve conditions to better reflect future opportunities for Black, Indigenous, Latinx communities, and society as a whole.

To this end, Kapor Foundation’s mission is to create a more equitable technology ecosystem that addresses longstanding racial inequality, creates economic opportunity, tackles critical societal issues, and reflects the power and perspectives of communities of color. The foundation conducts research, makes strategic grants, invests in entrepreneurs and funds, and informs equitable technology policy, providing inclusive pathways to technology jobs and enhancing workforce diversity in the tech sector.

In this talk, Kapor Foundation CEO Allison Scott, PhD, will share the lessons learned from the nonprofit’s work in the tech sector. Dr. Scott ‘s remarks will be followed by a fireside chat with WTIA Chief Diversity Officer Yolánda Chase.

During This Webinar Attendees will:

Hear about Kapor Foundation’s mission to diversify the technology industry
Understand how Kapor Foundation is meeting the data and research needs of the industry by focusing on racial equity
Understand the challenges and opportunities of asserting the value proposition of DEI among tech executives, investors and funders
Learn how Kapor Foundation is adapting to the changing landscape of corporate DEI