Q & A with Dionna Smith, Global Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Dionna recently joined Thumbtack as Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Over the last 15+ years, she’s held HR & DEI leadership roles at PowerToFly, Delta Air Lines, LexisNexis, Cisco Systems and Fiserv. She is a champion for all underrepresented communities beyond race, gender and nationality, including those who require accommodations, working parents, LGBTQ+ and veterans. She is also an advocate for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, helping to create life-changing connections for students within the tech industry.

Why did you join Thumbtack?
One thing that really stood out to me during my interview process was the strong desire by everyone with whom I spoke to create a diverse and equitable environment for employees and pros. This was coupled with what I believe is an earnest commitment from leadership to do the work required.

What are you most excited about working on?
Thumbtack has a unique opportunity to make an impact on diversity in tech through hiring. I am also excited about our ability to ensure that underrepresented minority business owners, who may not have marketing expertise or marketing budgets, have an equal opportunity on the Thumbtack platform. At the same time, I will focus on helping build a culture that is inclusive and where everyone belongs. While working remotely, our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and internal programs are more important than ever. There is really a passion around DEI here, which will help create an action plan for programs and initiatives we can measure.

What’s it been like joining a new company in a remote work environment?
Prior to joining Thumbtack, I worked remotely for two years so I am accustomed to it. In past global roles, I learned how to work with people all over the world and how to make them feel like they belong regardless of where they are — I bring this experience with me. However, onboarding while remote is certainly different. I definitely miss being able to meet people in person or chat as I pass people in the hall.

What inspired you to start a career in the DEI space?
I attended a high school where I was in the minority and I found it important to ensure that my voice and the voices of other minority students were heard. I went on to attend Howard University where I learned even more about great leaders who used their voices to amplify the concerns of others and used their influence to create change. I knew at that time that I wanted to help companies create and maintain diverse, equitable workplaces where everyone felt they belonged.

You’ve written a lot about DEI — is there one story that has stuck with you and affected how you approach your job?
In my most recent work at PowerToFly — following the murder of George Floyd — for the first time I felt my professional work being driven by emotions going on in the world. I was honored to have the opportunity to speak to so many companies about how they could make this moment in time become a movement. In the past, race was not discussed at work — but then companies no longer had a choice. They had to face this. Opening up a dialog and giving Black employees a voice helped me solidify that my experience is needed and can truly make a difference.

What do you think is most misunderstood about DEI work?
The misconception is that DEI work is only focused on race and gender. But it’s more broad than that — it includes LGBTQ+, veterans, parents, caretakers, those who require accommodations, and more. DEI work is about ensuring everyone in the workplace feels welcome, is accepted and set up for success.

A little off-topic: You’ve won your fantasy football league for the past 3 years, what’s your secret?
It’s one of my proudest accomplishments — I’m the only woman in my league! I am a huge NFL fan and specifically a huge New Orleans Saints fan. How I look at creating diverse teams in the workplace is how I approach building my Fantasy Football team. I study my players before I pick them or switch them out to make sure they collectively create a balanced super-diverse team vs. only considering their individual skills and abilities.