The Experts Weigh In On Diversity and Inclusion in 2019

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Written By Dave Mayer

While startups in Colorado have had success in fostering a more inclusive environment, we can always do better, and we must.

There is a veritable mountain of data around the need for more diverse and inclusive teams, both among startups, and in the enterprise realm.  The direct correlation between D&I and productivity, happiness and profitability is irrefutable. The data is further echoed at the Board level.

As noted in a previous blog, our intention, reaffirmed through the acquisition of Find My Flock in early 2019, is to fill at least half of all technical roles with persons from underserved communities by the end of 2020.

We invited four of Colorado’s brightest minds to join us on a panel on Diversity and Inclusion at Boulder Startup Week 2019, and the result was an incredibly important and far reaching conversation with the community. While we only had an hour, it certainly opened some eyes, and addressed some challenging aspects of the topic...that said, it just scratched the surface of a truly complex issue.

We’ve put together a very short 1:40 minute summary video of the panel.  

There is still so much to do, but we are grateful to be fostering these critical discussions alongside experts in the field.

A special thank you to Katica Roy, Derek Johnson, Julie Penner and Joseph Benavidez for joining us and sharing their insight.  

Let us know if you have questions or ideas on this topic.  We are always open to a discussion.

 

 

Dave Mayer
DAVE IS A SERIAL ENTREPRENEUR WITH MORE THAN 25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AS AN ENTREPRENEUR, COMMUNITY BUILDER & CATALYST FOR POSITIVE CHANGE.

Dave Mayer is the Founder and CEO of Technical Integrity. Dave is passionate about growing inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems based on the Give First ethos around Colorado and around the country. He has been consistent and highly visible in the startup scene of Colorado for more than a decade, scaling resilient startup communities, and building the most diverse and innovative engineering and executive teams in the country for his clients. To further emphasize their commitment to diversity in hiring, Dave and Technical Integrity acquired women-in-tech recruiting firm, FindMyFlock, in 2019. He and his recruiting team have been instrumental in helping clients scale intelligently so that they may move towards profitability, IPOs and acquisitions.

Dave also serves on the Steering Committee for Startup Colorado. He is the co-founder of non-profit Aspen Entrepreneurs, a founding member of two mission-driven tech startups, he's an angel investor and a regular speaker on the topic of Mental Health and Wellness in the startup realm.

Dave’s deep community-building experience includes working with the core team of organizers, alongside Downtown Denver Partnership, to produce Denver Startup Week in 2013. Technical Integrity has supported Boulder Startup Week for more than ten years both as an organizer and sponsor.

When Dave is not building teams or speaking in the startup community – you can find him hiking in the mountains with his wife and their senior great danes, riding deep powder on a snowboard, or discovering new music.

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