Diversity and inclusion within tech companies has become a hot-button topic, with the biggest names in tech reportedly missing the mark.
Although women comprise 47% of the total U.S. workforce and make up to 85% of consumer purchases, they only hold 25% of professional tech occupations. Racial disparities are even greater than gender inequities with only 4% of tech companies’ total employees being Latino, Black, or other racial identities. 95% of the tech workforce is white.
Many companies shun the idea of acquiring a negative brand perception, yet are unsure how to connect with and recruit qualified people of color. TechGroove Fest is helping to “bridge the gap between corporate and the culture”. As an innovation and technology festival, TechGroove Fest celebrates the work of inclusion advocates, media influencers, innovators, and tech ecosystem contributors. It is designed to help increase the number of technologists of color, while reducing attrition within tech companies, ultimately improving their brand perception and bottom-line. TechGroove Fest provides qualified diverse candidates pathways for mentorship, internships, and careers within the tech industry.
In 2017, its inaugural year, TechGroove Fest brought together the biggest names in technology, with recruiters from facebook, tinder, linkedin, and of course Mozilla. Mozilla was so impressed with last year’s programming, they decided to be the partnering sponsor for this year’s TechGroove Fest. Mozilla, a technological pioneer known for democratizing the internet, has recently set its sights on increasing diversity and inclusion in the tech industry as a whole, starting with their own company. Mozilla’s company manifesto was updated to clearly state its diversity and inclusion ideals.
Larissa Shapiro, Head of Global Diversity and Inclusion at Mozilla, says “diversity of people and inclusion of voices in our workforce and product development is essential to Mozilla’s success. We are proud to be partnering with TechGroove Fest to achieve this goal.”
