Community Spotlight: Ellie Casson
Tech workers from across the Bay Area have joined TechEquity’s network and are giving their time, skills, and financial support to make their communities more equitable. We’re proud of our growing community full of smart, passionate, engaged citizens and we want to show them off!
Meet Ellie
The Bay Area captured my heart when I came out for what was supposed to be a short trip to work on area farms. The culture of activism, food, art, and community drew me in and ten years later, my husband and I are still here raising my daughter and soon our son. I’ve worked in Tech for the past five years, a professional twist I never would have predicted for myself but one that I’m grateful as it gives me the chance to exercise my values in really special ways. Today I serve as the Head of Local Policy for Waymo (formerly the Google Self Driving Car Project), which is basically the most exciting job I could have imagined for myself.
What is your professional passion these days?
I started my career outside of Tech and remember what it feels like to live and work in a region that is so heavily impacted by an industry that seems opaque and impenetrable from the outside. Now that I’m on the “inside” I try every day to look for opportunities to serve as a bridge between the tech world, and other sectors and the broader community. In my experience, when typically disparate worlds intersect, both are better for it and exciting things can happen. Looking for ways to facilitate this link motivates me every day.
What does it mean to you to be a responsible citizen while working in tech?
People often criticize tech workers for existing in a plush bubble, cut off from the realities of what most folks are experiencing. There’s validity to that criticism; after five years of working in an insular industry, I definitely find myself losing perspective at times. Fortunately, my husband and most of my social network don’t work in Tech, and they are good about checking me when I need to be grounded. As rotten as this can feel sometimes, I know surrounding myself with honest people with diverse perspectives is an important part of being a responsible person with privilege. I hope others in Tech seek it out where they can.
Also, I think it’s easy to forget that there are a lot of people who work in Tech who are NOT enjoying the top tier salaries and benefits that are commonly associated with the industry. Tech relies heavily on contractors and non-technical employees who are struggling to make ends meet just like folks outside of our industry. Those of us who work in Tech and enjoy a lot of amenities need to use our station to advocate for fellow workers who may be experiencing a different tiered version of the tech industry.
How has TechEquity impacted civic participation?
So many of the people I’ve met at TechEquity events have told me that they’ve wanted to get more civically engaged but haven’t known how or have been intimidated. I think TechEquity has provided a roadmap for tech workers and a resource for companies that want non-judgmental guidance on how to be a responsible corporate citizen.
Why is it important for the tech community to become more civically engaged?
While civic engagement might initially make tech workers and companies feel frighteningly more vulnerable to criticism and challenges, in the long run it’s going to keep the industry healthy and strong.
TechEquity offers corporate programming that plugs tech workers into strategic community engagement opportunities that drive equitable growth in the Bay Area.
TechEquity programming helps your company develop leaders, boost employee morale, and provide positive public exposure. If you’d like to learn more about how to bring programming like housing policy 101, nonprofit boards training, or a voter education session to your company, get in touch with us at info@techequitycollaborative.org!
Join members like Ellie
We are mobilizing the tech community to advocate for a tech-driven economy in the Bay Area that works for everyone. We believe the tech industry can and should generate widespread opportunity instead of inequality and displacement. When you become a TechEquity Member, you support our work to educate and activate tech workers on the most pressing issues facing the Bay Area. Become a Member today!
