Taking diversity in tech from thought to →Action.

The “future of work” began as a distant idea, has evolved into a tech buzzword, and now lives as an uncertain concept and perceived threat to the livelihood of many working class families. As tech innovations increase productivity and rapidly transform our local and global economies many are faced with the insecurity of its ultimate impact.
For the Latino community, rural communities, and communities of color the uncertainty surrounding the evolving nature of work is compounded by their inequitable access to the foundational building blocks of economic mobility.
As a lifelong policy advocate who has dedicated his professional life to retroactively deconstructing discriminatory policies and practices for the LGBT community and communities of color, I have witnessed first hand the almost insurmountable odds that underrepresented communities are faced with on a daily basis. People who have and are currently confronting cultural, political, and environmental barriers are now being asked to quickly adapt to the rapid disruption that comes with digital innovation.
As someone who works to develop, implement, and scale nationwide programs that help bridge those disparities within the Latino community for one of the country’s largest and oldest Latino advocacy organizations, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), I was recently invited to join Google’s Kent Walker, SVP of Global Affairs at this year’s Aspen Ideas Festival.
Together, along with scholars and thought leaders from across the globe, Google championed a new idea as a way of facilitating a dialogue about the divergent possibilities of the future of work and the need to ensure that people from all walks of life can access the opportunity that is being created by digital technologies.
Google’s bold idea resulted in an integrated approach encapsulated in their new report which re-imagines the ways in which their programs, philanthropy and public policy work together to:
- Leverage the momentum created by rapid innovation and technological change to improve people’s economic well-being
- Prepare america’s workforce for the jobs of the future
- Expand the circle of digital opportunity
Together these three pillars establish a foundation that aims to ensure that no one is left behind.
While Google is fundamentally optimistic about the positive impact of new technology tools, they are also committed to doing their part as a leader in the sector to ensure that access to the new frontier of digital opportunity isn’t limited to someone’s background, geography, income level, or access to education.
Google’s integrated approach carries with it the promise of “Opportunity for All” and is supported by its thoughtful connection to program collaborators nationwide, a deep investment from Google.org, and policy goals that help establish equitable on-ramps to the digital economy.
Google has become incredibly successful at mining for interesting people with interesting ideas, and providing financial support for promising results. They are clearly committed to developing and skilling the diverse digital workforce of the future. The key word being “future.” Google is exceptionally well positioned to and has championed new and adaptive education models to ensure that future generations have the skills necessary to thrive in the job market of the future, but fall short when it comes to creating that same opportunity within their hiring practices of today.
Google today, stands out as a compelling thought partner, who is willing to help think through or at least consider how deep structural inequalities stand in the way of accomplishing its mission but consistently falls short when it comes to moving from thought partner to action leader by driving social innovation and entrepreneurship from within.
What stands out about their new report is its inability to articulate ways in which Google will focus attention and significant resources (a commitment of $50 million through their Future of Work Initiative) to bridging one of the most glaring opportunity divides in the tech sector — minority representation in the tech workforce. Specifically, how Google is going to ensure that as they continue to design the digital ecosystem of the future it is actualized with inclusion from the beginning by hiring and retaining some of the thousands of Latinos and people of color with STEM degrees who are knocking down their doors to help them develop the multicultural language for the ideas of the future.

Google is to be commended for their future forward approach to skilling the digital workforce of tomorrow, but until it can demonstrate progress in diversifying its current workforce (check out their diveristy numbers here) it cannot authentically keep pace with the shifting realities of the 21st century.
