What’s a White Guy to Do?

As a woman in tech, I know my fair share of white guys. Many of you are frustrated about the under-representation of women and POC in our industry. You may be learning about unconscious bias for the first time and realizing (as you look around your mostly white, male companies) that despite your best intentions you are not currently part of the solution.
So — my white brothers — here are some tangible ways in which you can contribute to change in our industry.
Actively share the spotlight. If you are asked to speak on a panel, insist on there being at least one POC and/or woman on the panel as well. If they do not have access to “qualified” people — send them introductions. If you need introductions, see me:)
Make introductions and share your networks. I spend a lot of time talking to people looking for jobs, companies who are looking for talent, VCs looking for deal flow, etc. I assume you guys do the same. Keep a running list of who is looking for what. If you cultivate a diverse list of founders/talent, then when you’re asked about awesome product people or a cool new company, you’ll be able to easily share a diverse cross section. Even if the introduction is simply to connect individuals where no current need is present, this can move the needle. I’ve taken many meetings where neither of us had a pressing need, but when the exec/VC has one later, they know me well enough to come back and ask for intros. That one coffee introduction has opened them up to the diversity of my network.
Hire a woman/POC to your management team. My most diverse management teams have hired the most diverse teams. Companies I join end up hiring more women than tech company averages. This isn’t because I actively seek to women to hire — I’m looking for the best candidates the same as you — but my network includes a lot more women. If you want to uncover diverse talent pools, start at the top!
Add a woman/POC to your board. And speaking of starting at the top — insist on a diverse board. Diverse boards tend to beget more diverse management teams which lead to more diverse teams. This is actually easier than you may think too. Women/POC are far less likely to be tapped to join a board so you can get access to amazing female/POC experience for your board and chances are no one has asked them to join a board. Stop competing for the one industry guy and recognize that there is a huge pool of talent out there — and you may just have to literally ask!
Look — I know this is a complicated issue — and will in no way be resolved by taking these steps. We need to start somewhere though. Hand wringing and verbal affirmations that we need change are one thing, but what we really need is to partner on this to create real change. Actions, as always, speak louder than words.
