A startup’s journey to refactor the tech industry to center humanity.
We are thrilled to kick off Black History Month by announcing TC[D]B’s acceptance into DivInc’s Social Justice Innovation accelerator! DivInc predominantly helps underrepresented founders build viable tech startups, focusing on equity through entrepreneurship.
We had no idea what would happen after starting our Instagram account in 2020, but suspected we were amid a once-in-a-lifetime racial awakening akin to the Civil Rights Movement in the ’50s and ’60s. Furthermore, we also knew that we wanted to come out of that moment having driven lasting, systemic change in the tech industry.
Our “why” then is as it is now: providing the most actionable and comprehensive solutions for systemic racial equity in the tech industry. The “how” is still a journey, one that we’ll inevitably find more clarity on through this accelerator.
The decision to go down the for-profit route was not one taken lightly. We realized that our best chance at moving the needle was to focus on building equitable practices that we would also use to run a for-profit entity. The merits of this decision triumphed over the alternatives we sampled: decentralized information sharing, a think tank, a watchdog, a consultancy, and a non-profit even after securing Community Initiatives as a fiscal sponsor.
For TC[D]B’s next chapter, we are pursuing a B-corp certification, a designation for companies operating with a higher level of ethics. We’ll also use our own proposal to build our company with inclusive roots. While we know this a lofty goal, we’re not expecting perfection. The goal is to be better than yesterday.
The new world of work is showing us that the Friedman doctrine, the corporate maxim of maximizing shareholder value, must be refactored to consider human, societal impact. The means are just as impactful as the ends. And here we stand, eyes on the stars, feet on the ground, excited to take our next step to a brighter future.
You can follow our accelerator journey here on Medium, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.
If you’re a tech employee (employee, manager, or decision-maker), share our proposal with a fellow peer in the industry.
If you’re looking for a quicker start on how to advance DEI and achieve your business outcomes, we’d love to talk to you. Let’s do better.
Lawrence Humphrey, Co-founder and CEO of Tech Can [Do] Better
Fallon Blossom, COO of Tech Can [Do] Better
