Meet ELEVATE, Yext’s ERG for Black Employees
ELEVATE’s leads talk launching a new ERG and dismantling systemic racism in the workplace.
This posting expresses the views and opinions of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of Yext and its affiliates, employees, officers, directors or representatives.
Of all of Yext’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), ELEVATE is the company’s newest. It is led by five employees who take the time, energy and dedication outside of their day-to-day work to establish and support a community of Black employees and allies at Yext.
In recent months, ELEVATE has provided countless resources to combat systemic racism, it has hosted multiple town halls and safe spaces to confront challenging topics, and it has brought employee demands to executive leadership. In response, Yext is taking steps to make lasting change to improve the overall employee experience and diversity of leadership.
None of this would have been possible without the commitment and initiative of ELEVATE’s leads: Andrea Ezell, Chanel Bradshaw, Desmond Harrell, Hiram Holloway and Jabari Archer. Here is a little bit more about them.
Hiram Holloway
Client Support Specialist, White Glove
What is something you wish your colleagues knew about you?
That I’m a dual citizen with the UK and US
What inspired the launch of ELEVATE as an ERG?
For context, ELEVATE was started as the “Black Employee Network (BEN)” because we noticed there are not many Black employees and we wanted to create a safe space for us to network. From there we realized that creating a safe space to network wasn’t enough and ultimately we realized that in order for us to have a voice in the company, we must be formally recognized as an ERG. Once we came to that realization, we started working towards ELEVATE and it turned into something much bigger than we imagined.
How did you settle on the name “ELEVATE”?
We decided on the name ELEVATE because we wanted to brand ourselves as raising the status quo.
How can Yext improve its own racial diversity?
Yext can improve its racial diversity by first acknowledging that the company isn’t very diverse, which it has. The next step is to intentionally seek qualified diverse candidates, executive leaders, board members, and diverse managers.
Andrea Ezell
Client Support Specialist
What is something you wish your colleagues knew about you?
I am an Artist and I enjoy finding ways to combine my love of art with my work.
What were some of the holes that other ERGs were unable to fill, that ELEVATE can?
Some holes that other ERGs were unable to fill is that ELEVATE is specifically related to the Black experience in the corporate space. I am also a lead of EQUIP (Yext’s ERG for employees with disabilities). I became invested in EQUIP at a time where I was investigating solutions to problems I was having in the workspace. Now, I can see the direct connection between systemic racism and some of the stressors I was navigating. While I’m thankful for EQUIP, I’m thankful for the way I was able to connect with other employees who shared a similar experience with me. I have also been able to provide information on various benefits currently provided by Yext which are also useful in cases similar to mine.
In what ways can colleagues and leadership be better allies to Black employees?
The best way is to actively ask Black employees for their opinions, listen, and include them in deciding on a reasonable solution to our propositions.
How can Yext help dismantle systemic racism at a corporate level?
Yext can help dismantle systemic racism by ensuring that clear goals are defined when hiring employees. Often systemic racism thrives in conversations surrounding a collective perception of someone. What people fail to realize is that a perspective rooted in societal norms could unknowingly enable systemic racism in the workspace. Breaking down these barriers will increase our chance of dismantling racism at a corporate level.
Chanel Bradshaw
Client Support Specialist, Partner
In what ways does being part of such a small minority impact you in the workplace?
I like to think that it doesn’t, but when I am being real with myself I know internally I am always having a constant battle with who I am vs. who I come across as. I never want to come across as the “angry Black woman” stereotype, right? So it almost seems easier to put up this facade with coworkers that I am their “easy-going Black friend”. When in reality, sometimes I am just upset because life is tough being in a space where you feel like you don’t belong. It’s one thing to turn on & off that professional side of you, but it’s another thing to have to also turn on & off the “Black” side of you. Coming into a corporate space is basically like asking me to turn off my Blackness. That shouldn’t have to happen.
What was the experience like launching a brand new ERG at Yext?
Launching ELEVATE was every emotion you can think of honestly, hahaha. It was exciting because we were talking about all of our ideas and plans that we had, but it was frustrating because we had to be okay with hearing “no, you can’t do that”. It was a trial & error effort that I am happy to say I was a part of.
How do you think companies should tackle systemic racism?
Systemic racism obviously doesn’t happen overnight so we can’t pretend like we can fix it overnight either. To break down decades of racism, our white counterparts have to be okay with giving up some of their power. I say this because putting Black executives, directors, managers on teams of notable companies as a whole makes a HUGE difference. With this change, Black people are seeing other people like them get hired at high levels which helps motivate them to apply for these jobs and meet that high level of success as well! It is a chain reaction.
How is ELEVATE supporting Black employees?
As great of a job that other ERGs do here at Yext, the comfortability just changes when you can be a part of a space that is made specifically for you. Realistically, every minority group experiences racial discrimination differently, but get lumped together in this “people of color” title. So to have a space where, as not only a person of color but also a Black person, I can go to say how I feel, voice my ideas and contribute to a conversation with people who I know feel exactly how I do is more than comforting.
Desmond Harrell
Client Support Specialist
What is something that you wish your colleagues knew about you?
I wish my colleagues knew that I am a servant leader which is something that I am proud of but can sometimes feel like a double edged sword. My leadership style is people and empathy lead. I oftentimes will run myself dry in order to saturate the lives of others. I don’t blame anyone for the effects of my leadership style, not even myself. I like to look back and say, “I left it all in the moment”. I want my colleagues to know this because it is what drives the passion I put behind certain topics, ELEVATE being one of them. I have and plan to continue to lead ELEVATE as an ERG for the people with a special focus on the Black employees at Yext.
How did you first decide to create a community for Black employees at Yext?
To be honest, ELEVATE is the result of me seeking a sense of community in a time where I was suffering from depression. During my first month at Yext, I felt out of place coming from teaching where everyone relied on each other for moral support. We spent time together discussing our issues and strengthening each other through open and honest dialogue but at Yext I didn’t have that. I didn’t know how to approach my Black colleagues or if it was even wanted. I joined EMBRACE (ERG for employees of color) for a more community feel, which helped, but I was only one of 2, maybe 3, Black employees who were actively participating in EMBRACE at the time. In my experience, Black people feel most comfortable, safe and vulnerable when they are surrounded by other Black people who feel the same. I wanted that here in this new space to continue helping me battle my depression. I knew what that community looked like and felt like; I just needed the others to feel like it was valued as much in this space as it was when I was teaching. ELEVATE is a result of me reaching out to others in a time where I personally needed them and they unknowingly took a weighted idea, agreed to become leads, and helped bring structure to it.
In what ways did you face pushback or skepticism about launching ELEVATE?
When I first brought the idea up of a Black Employee Network at Yext, the idea didn’t seem to sit well with the people that I shared it with. I got a lot of pushback on why I thought it was needed if EMBRACE already existed, and was told it may not be of interest to leadership. We often became nervous that the rest of the company wouldn’t see ELEVATE as looking to build community but instead as radical and anti-white. However, I was truly surprised by the amount of support from executive leadership, who have advocated on our behalf to the rest of the company.
How does being part of such a small minority impact you at Yext?
Being a part of a small minority means each of you has to have a louder voice to be heard. Yext, as many things are, has built a culture around those who are the majority in this space. As a Black employee, I have certain needs that need to be met before I consider my workplace somewhere I can see myself long term. I often find myself relying on my voice and the voices of those around me to help create that. Executive Leadership buy-in is a major part of creating that space and we have been fortunate enough to have that very early on.
Jabari Archer
Associate Client Support Specialist, Team Phoenix
What is something you wish people knew about?
1607: First Colony in USA
1619: Slavery in USA started
1776: US Independence
1865: US Slavery ends
1964: Civil Rights Act
1970: Griggs v. Duke Power Co.
2020: Bostock v. Clayton County, GA
What is something you wish people knew about you?
I’m actually a pretty skilled HR Manager and geek out on Labor History. But… At the same time, I’m also pretty well read on the history of Black people in the US. Black people haven’t been in the US for THAT long, and the concept of equal employment opportunity as our generation knows it (in the US) is EXTREMELY new, relatively speaking. To some, it’s a radical notion that Black people should be empowered to participate in a society that systematically and intentionally targets and destroys people because they are living their lives as Black people. To be fair, some folks also think there is a political debate about the degree to which Black Lives Matter. I get it. I’m also not bad at tennis.
When did you realize that Yext needed an ERG for Black employees?
I think a lack of Black leadership — visible leadership anyway — was the key determinant for me. Other people may cite other flags, but for me the fact that I could not find a collective of Black professionals when I got to Yext (even with our existing ERGs) was particularly alarming. I took some time getting to know what kinds of community programming we did at Yext and — after conferring with what became the ELEVATE Leads board — decided we could make a valuable contribution to the diversity space here.
In what ways did you think that ELEVATE needed to stand apart from EMBRACE and fulfill needs specific to Black employees?
When I became an EMBRACE lead, it was branded as the ERG for People of Color (POC). The term POC by definition doesn’t really do it for me as a Black person because it related the experience of a particularly diverse group of people under the term “not white or of European parentage”.
I like to think of my Blackness as its own thing. It’s about my culture, my experience and the history of folks that have experienced similar things as myself.
Now that ELEVATE has launched, EMBRACE has been able to re-examine our vision and goals and we are repositioned as an intercultural group. As far as impact is concerned, I think ELEVATE’s launch makes the overall company more inclusive by directly producing a platform for Black leaders and creating an internal pipeline to showcase Black talent.
How can Yext help dismantle systemic racism at a corporate level?
We launched ELEVATE in February and now in August have over 370 people tuned into the #Elevate Slack channel. In June, the whole company mobilized in support of Black lives and was able to support Pride efforts at the same time. We even worked together to publish information and programming in recognition of the Stonewall Riots, Juneteenth and today’s #BLM movement.
I think Yext is positioned perfectly to serve as a powerful platform and business model working against systemic racism at the corporate level. At the same time, centralizing diversity as a tenet of our business model would significantly boost the effectiveness of our efforts.
“At Yext, we stand in solidarity against racism and violence towards the Black community.
As CEO, I will see to it that our company continues to be advocates for equality and justice.
We will take all the necessary steps to ensure Yext has an inclusive culture where all Black employees feel safe, supported, and empowered to contribute.
We will find ways to use our technology for good to help organizations get the truth out to people. And we will donate to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund & ACLU, two of the many important organizations working tirelessly to raise awareness and foster change.
These issues feel enormous and impossible to resolve, but we cannot lose hope.”
-Howard Lerman, CEO, Yext
