Introducing the 2022 GET Champions
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and programs within companies large and small are quickly becoming the norm. But despite the public push for diverse workplaces and inclusionary hiring, studies show that tech teams still remain largely homogenous in terms of race and gender. This begs the question: where are these DEI programs going wrong?
The most common equity initiatives, such as unconscious bias trainings and mentorship programs, tend to focus on individual behavioral changes: teaching largely white, male leaders to address their own prejudices, and coaching marginalized people (women, transgender, non-binary, and people of color) on how to rise within the ranks of their companies. Although these strategies may have some merit, they become largely meaningless if they’re not also paired with actionable steps to introduce organization-wide change. Furthermore, since these DEI programs are often run internally, corporate leadership has zero obligation and very little incentive to share impact results publicly.
Here at GET Cities, we aim to create interventions and solutions to introduce lasting and impactful systemic change; this is why we’re so excited to introduce our newest GET Champions program. GET Champions, born out of GET DC, is a nine-month initiative designed for forward-thinking tech leaders seeking to hire, retain, and deepen support for women, trans, and non-binary employees at their companies. The program will consist of virtual training on gender equity and impact measurement, one-on-one executive coaching, and multiple invite-only hiring events (supported by Break Through Tech and Last Mile Education Fund) where Champions will be able to source underrepresented tech talent for their companies. Our selected fellows will also have the opportunity to learn directly from our facilitator Loki Mullholand, our executive coach Kristina Ashlely Williams, and several women leaders from some of the largest companies within the DC region. By participating in this program, Champions will not only learn how to be better allies and leaders to people of marginalized identities, but will also commit to increasing diversity on their teams, implementing changes to corporate policy at their respective companies and creating a DEI scorecard to measure success. GET Cities will continually follow up with the Champions after completion of the program to check in on their progress toward their commitments.
“This program would’ve really helped out when I started craigslist. Tech leaders need to stand up for fairness, opportunity and respect for everyone, particularly in leading areas including cybersecurity and AI. GET Champions is exactly what’s needed for founders and executives who are committed to engaging with, hiring, and retaining an increasingly diverse set of talent.”
— Craig Newmark, Founder of craigslist
Our inaugural cohort of GET Champions consists of leaders from various tech companies, each of whom have the authority to hire, promote, and influence corporate culture and policies at their respective companies. We’re grateful to each of these fellows for dedicating their time, energy, and resources over the next year to strengthening their management skills and contributing to a more welcoming and inclusive tech industry for all.
Meet the 2022 GET Champions
Aurelio “PJ” Rivera
Title: Partner/Principal
Company: Deloitte Consulting
What do you hope to accomplish as a GET Champion? I hope to support the development and advancement of women and other diverse populations to the highest levels of our organization.
Jack Suess
Title: VP of IT and CIO
Company: University of Maryland Baltimore County
What do you hope to accomplish as a GET Champion? I hope to be a better ally to all those seeking to enter and lead the information technology profession.
Lewis Shepherd
Title: Senior Director, Research and Emerging Technologies
Company: VMware
What do you hope to accomplish as a GET Champion? I hope to contribute additional insights and lessons learned back internally to my own VMWare DEI efforts; and advocate more broadly and effectively externally for diversity, equity and inclusion both with GET and elsewhere.
Matt Koidin
Title: Vice President and General Manager, Pocket
Company: Mozilla
What do you hope to accomplish as a GET Champion? I hope to better support my direct reports in their development as future leaders, and champion gender equity more broadly across Mozilla and in my community.
Peter Adams
Title: Global Head of Sales and Revenue
Company: Mozilla
What do you hope to accomplish as a GET Champion? I hope to lead more effectively, champion women in the workplace, and better understand the issues involved with gender equality.
Todd Khozein
Title: Co-CEO
Company: SecondMuse
What do you hope to accomplish as a GET Champion? I believe in the interconnected part of humanity. Oppression is not just the oppressors problem; it’s the whole. Gender equity is not balanced. I see myself having a greater responsibility because I have a certain level of privilege and access. I plan to learn how to use my privilege and access for the greater good. I understand I have some gaps to fill when it comes to gender and I am looking to this program to help me identify those and provide some best practices.
Ameesh Kapoor
Title: Head of Engineering
Company: 412 Food Rescue
What do you hope to accomplish as a GET Champion? I hope to understand my own biases and to be more inclusive in my hiring process in the future.
Ben Magnus
Title: Vice President, Product
Company: Somo Global
What do you hope to accomplish as a GET Champion? First, I hope to strengthen my education across a range of topics and focus areas related to gender equity within the technology industry. For me, this is a necessary foundation to be able to drive change. Second, I hope to gain a greater understanding of how to succeed in making an impact, both within my organization and more broadly within the industry. Third, I want to ensure that I am being a good ally to underrepresented employees within my organization. I think it’s easy to focus on the recruitment side of things, forgetting that there’s an important role to play in making sure that current employees feel supported and included. Lastly, I hope to have greater access to potential candidates that meet the requirements for roles that we have open within the organization.
Neha Gautam
Title: Director of Product Management
Company: YipitData
What do you hope to accomplish as a GET Champion? I hope to bring attention, mindfulness, and influence to the entire hiring process for the biases we hold in the most unexpected ways, have a plan to overcome them, and be able to hire, groom, and promote a more diverse set of talent.
Catalina Valenzuela
Title: CEO and Founder
Company: Innovus Consulting
What do you hope to accomplish as a GET Champion? I hope to promote and improve women’s access to digital literacy so they can actively participate in a world of work that is becoming more technology driven because of the sanitary crisis of Covid-19. According to research, by 2025 more than 3/4 of the global workforce needs to upskill and re-skill. At the same time, women, especially mothers of young children, are leaving the workforce in droves, particularly in the US. In Latin America, female unemployment has reached historic highs. Before the pandemic, women were already behind in terms of digital capacities and abilities. The pandemic has only widened the gap. So, at the end of the program, I hope to be able to become an advocate and a promoter of digital literacy for professional women and therefore increase their capacity to deal with the amazing challenges ahead in the workforce and society.
Chris Kuang
Title: Co-Founder
Company: U.S. Digital Corps
What do you hope to accomplish as a GET Champion? Because my program is new, there is a unique opportunity to set the foundation of it to include more inclusion efforts by supporting women and allowing our employees to bring true versions of themselves to work.
Andrew Garcia
Title: Co-Founder and CEO
Company: Good Shuffle
What do you hope to accomplish as a GET Champion? I hope to better understand what I can do and learn to be the best leader of people possible, in particular as it relates to ensuring DEI is achieved/maintained.
Husein Sharaf
Title: President and CTO
Company: Cloudforce
What do you hope to accomplish as a GET Champion? I hope to increase my knowledge and the application of DEI hiring and retention strategies in my organization. I also hope to serve as an advocate and change-agent both internally at Cloudforce, as well as externally within the greater tech/business community.
