Help Us Build a Diversity Ecosystem Map!

A funny thing happens when you start co-leading a diversity fund: everyone connects you to everyone they know related to diversity. But people don’t scale, and neither do infographics. It’s also impossible to be truly inclusive if you aren’t reaching into local communities, so that people from all different backgrounds — including emerging markets — can find support.

So here’s the hack: a Diversity Ecosystem Map. Thanks to MapMe and some inspiration from Startup Ireland, I was able to brute force a first-gen ecosystem map. And teaming up with some awesome people (see below), we were able to get a prototype up. It’s a little buggy. It’s still light for certain sectors. (Note: one could also interpret this as “it highlights resource gaps.”) No doubt the taxonomy will evolve, and I’m dying for a true database on the back end. But it’s started! A way for startups to navigate diversity resources, whether they are a diverse team needing mentors or funding, or a non-diverse team looking to recruit diverse candidates or work on retention.

If this project appeals to you, it would be great to have you join in. Anyone can pop over to the map and add pins. Request to join the SWAT team or Slack. And of course, raise your hand if you can customize that back end for cross-tagging and cross-categorization, if you have other platform help to offer, or if you want to be an admin clearing pins for go-live.

Many thanks to Emily Baum, Kate Brodock, Erin Flynn, Josie Herron, Shashi Jain, Ben Lang, Kevin Maas, Margarita Quihuis, Thuy Truong, Noreen Whysel, and other members of the Diversity Map SWAT Team (it takes a diversity village!) for their help getting this project started.