How startup founders can prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion

It’s never too early for growing startups to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives. DE&I is not only good for businesses’ bottom line, but something that we at JetBlue Technology Ventures (JTV) have started seeing our strategic partners care about more and more.

From an execution perspective, it’s important to remember that as a founder, you don’t need to boil the ocean — starting small and choosing an initial focus goes a long way (employers of all stages and sizes need to start somewhere!) There are many ways to incorporate DE&I initiatives into your early-stage startup that are simple yet effective.

I’m extremely passionate about sharing what I’ve learned from my own experiences. I founded and presently lead JetBlue’s Asian American and Pacific Islander resource group called “Blue Aviasian” (we love puns here). I am also the newsletter editor and NYC team lead for a community collective and media startup, Slant’d, which focuses on diverse storytelling.

Getting started with DE&I work isn’t as hard as it might sound. But startups should commit to driving real, measurable results — don’t just send a note during a heritage month and check DE&I off your list. Initiatives should strive to affect the entire employee lifecycle from hiring to engagement, retention to promotion, and results at the leadership level.

Hiring

Our President Amy Burr often stresses the importance of a diverse pipeline in the competitive hiring process. First, make sure you’re writing inclusive job descriptions, and start authentically showcasing your company’s diversity values in all external branding.

To cast a wider net, don’t entirely lean on leveraging the personal networks of your existing employees. Use tools, job boards, local fairs, and newsletters that can help you tap into diverse communities to reach qualified candidates from an array of backgrounds. When founders approach hiring with good intentions and a willingness to learn, these resource curators welcome those looking to provide great opportunities.

Be sure to also design an accessible hiring and interview process. Empower the hiring team to conduct objective assessment of every candidate!

Engagement and retention

One of the initial, most effective DE&I initiatives a startup can take is to intentionally build company culture. Culture is not dependent on beer taps or ping-pong tables, but rather applications of values in everyday work activities. Is leadership transparent about compensation structures? Are diverse backgrounds represented at all levels of the company? Does everyone feel safe contributing ideas and speaking up in meetings? Do people feel like they can safely talk about their differing backgrounds and perspectives without judgment?

I’ve unfortunately seen examples of company culture being tested in recent news events. Racially-motivated hate crimes not only impact people’s mental health at home, but also bleeds into their ability to stay focused at work. Spending time acknowledging what people are experiencing and offering an open ear can go a long way. For employees who feel like they have to hide what they’re going through, it can exacerbate their anxieties if these topics go unaddressed.

As a personal anecdote, in response to the feedback we received from JetBlue crewmembers about their needs during the Stop Asian Hate movement in 2020, I led company-wide and leadership trainings on:

• Anti-bias and harassment intervention with Right To Be
• Psychological safety with a professor who studies social justice and mindfulness leadership in professional settings
• Physical safety with local self-defense training courses who held workshops specifically for our crewmembers
• Closed discussions just for AAPI-identifying employees, and open-floor discussions for AAPI employees and allies to amplify the voices of those who felt impacted by recent events

These initiatives I was able to implement are just some of the ways that founders can create an inclusive environment for all employees in their own workplace.

Existing resources

Understandably, standing up even one high-quality initiative or event can involve a lot of energy and resources. Luckily, you don’t have to do it alone!

Don’t be afraid to tap into community consultants and event organizations who can help plan on your behalf. In my role at Slant’d, I’ve watched our experts on the Impact Studio team plan meaningful programming and offer value consulting to everything from Fortune 500 companies to startups just embarking on their DE&I journey. And there are many others doing similar work, including Awaken and Project Inkblot.

If you’re not yet ready for a DE&I consultant, you can focus on connecting your employees with existing resource groups and communities. I’ve found Asian American organizations like AAJA, APIA Votes, and Gold House to be hugely helpful in advancing my career.

There are many organizations and community groups in the aviation, aerospace, and STEM fields to tap into more broadly, such as:

• Women Leading in Travel & Hospitality
• Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals
• Women in Aviation
• Latino Pilots Association
• NGPA (for LGBTQ aviation professionals)

Encourage your employees to proactively find an affinity group within your industry that may offer things like mentorship and community support. You’ll find that they will learn and grow in ways that they can bring back to your organization and make them an even more valuable team member.

Even just one event idea or outside resources above can help people feel welcome and part of the team.

Promoting diversity in leadership

Time and time again, research continues to support that diversity within leadership is the true hallmark of a company who has DE&I ingrained in the business. This means standardizing performance reviews, investing in professional development, and examining bias that might block growth opportunities.

Mentorship and sponsorship are critical to developing a diverse leadership team. Just having even one or two women or leaders of color at an organization can result in more equitable opportunities for the rest of the team just by bringing new perspectives, communities, and resources to the table. If you’re just starting with a team that is committed to DE&I, aim for diverse leadership as a milestone in that journey.

Action items

Even though it might feel daunting, DE&I is something all startups can and should be prioritizing beyond lip service. To start, I would recommend finding a few meaningful opportunities to drive DE&I initiatives forward. This could be anything from connecting your employees to diverse communities within the travel industry (or whatever industry you play in!), putting together a single meaningful piece of programming, or making a plan to diversify within your team over the next several years.

Think about what small things week-to-week, year-to-year drive results and how you can make sure your DE&I strategy is data-driven to achieve real milestones. Change really does happen with a single, first step.

Feel free to shoot me an email or add me on LinkedIn if you’re looking to chat more about how to bring DE&I to your startup!