George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. Christian Cooper. Behind those names are millions of people across America who suffer everyday indignities and insults, large and small, for no reason other than the color of their skin.
We wish to take a solemn moment to honor our fellow Black Americans here at Nuro and throughout the United States. You have the right to start each new day with hope for peace and tranquility. You have the right to equal justice, quality education, fulfilling work, fair housing, access to dignified healthcare, and protection and service from police. We humbly stand by your side, and we walk with you arm-in-arm.
It’s incumbent upon us to recognize the gravity of current events and the underlying history. From early Supreme Court decisions upholding the property rights of slave owners through Jim Crow laws and the lasting impact of segregation, Black Americans have a legacy of limited rights.
In the 1960s, our nation saw movements to change this, including outrage against segregation, protests, and marches.
Over fifty years later, the unheard are still calling out to be heard. We at Nuro have watched, listened, and learned as this movement has gripped the nation. Voices of all races, geographies, and socioeconomic classes have issued statements of solidarity with Black Americans.
What we’re doing
At Nuro, we strive to judge ourselves based on our actions. Over the past two weeks we’ve reflected upon events and deeply considered how we can contribute to change. And while we know it is only a start, here is what we’re doing now.
Supporting The Cause. Nuro proudly supports nonprofits dedicated to equal rights, justice, educational opportunity, legal defense, and equality for Black Americans. To show our support, Nuro will match each employee’s donation to these organizations throughout the end of June, up to $500 per team member. We hope to raise over $500,000 in combined donations to social justice organizations and other nonprofits to help support Black Americans in the fight for equality.
Looking Inward. These events have caused us to examine everything we do at Nuro, understanding that giving to deserving organizations does not satisfy our obligation to society or our own desire for building a world class business. As the founders of Nuro, we want to openly recognize two things. First, as is likely true at many Silicon Valley companies, we are not satisfied with our current level of representation of Black Americans or underrepresented groups in our employee base. Second, we are not satisfied with the level of effort our business has put into serving minority communities, including Black communities. We want to change this.
Diversity at Nuro. While we have prioritized and made substantial investments in diversity, inclusion, and belonging, our resulting hiring statistics show that we haven’t achieved our ambitious diversity hiring goals. Earlier this year, we conducted a thorough review of the methods we’ve been applying and updated our plans to be even more aggressive. These plans include:
- Prioritizing proactive sourcing for diverse candidates and investing even more significantly in recruiting for these candidates
- Allyship programs
- Active executive sponsorship of ERGs
- Organizational health metrics that include DIB results
- Company wide unconscious bias training
- Partnerships with URM focused companies for operations hiring
Expansion of our Service to Black and Underrepresented Communities. As we plan our product and service roadmap, we will deliberately include within our planning how we can serve more communities whose residents are predominantly Black Americans and underrepresented populations.
Community Involvement. Another program we are eager to continue (as soon as we can do so safely and according to COVID-19 guidelines) is on-site visits, demos, and tech talks for students from local schools in underrepresented communities. These programs aim to provide inspiration, resources and stepping stones towards fulfilling careers in STEM, and are a unique way Nuro can make a direct impact.
We recognize this is just a start, and this cause needs more, from all of us. However, we feel it is important to stand up and commit to change. To show support and take action. To make a start. We hope you’ll join us.
Dave + JZ,
Nuro Co-Founders
