The late John Lewis once said “Nothing can stop the power of a committed and determined people to make a difference in our society” – here at Medallia we believe that to be true. We have shared our commitments to confronting inequality, and we are taking steps in bringing those commitments into fruition. One of the immediate actions we are taking is to empower our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and the communities they serve. Through partnering with BAM, our Black At Medallia ERG, we have donated $200,000 equally divided amongst four nonprofits; Black Girls Code, Black Girl Ventures, Code2040 and Equal Justice Initiative.
BAM evaluated approximately 20 nonprofits and prioritized their selection based on each organization’s commitment to; education, entrepreneurship, mentorship, scholarship, social justice and technology. Current funding was also taken into consideration and how Medallia’s donation would help support their mission.
In women-led small tech businesses, women of color only comprise 4 percent of the workforce.
Launched in April of 2011 by Kimberly Bryant, a superwoman, inspiration and queen in the tech industry, Black Girls Code aims to address the issue of Black women making up less than 0.5 percent of leadership roles in tech. Currently women of color earn less than 10 percent of bachelor’s degrees in computing, according to the Kapor Center, and in women-led small tech businesses, women of color only comprise 4 percent of the workforce. Black Girls Code introduces computer coding lessons in programming languages, computer science workshops, after-school programs, and classes to young girls from underrepresented communities. Since its inception, BGC has grown to seven U.S. chapters and one South Africa outpost and has taught upwards of 14,000 girls.
Leading into our second nonprofit is Black Girl Ventures, founded by Shelly Bell, a venture catalyst, entrepreneur and international speaker aka a juggernaut in the tech industry. This organization funds and scales tech-enabled, revenue-generating businesses (under $1M) founded by people who identify as Black/Brown and women.“Black women are currently starting businesses at 6 times the national average. This makes us the fastest growing entrepreneurial segment in the country, yet we receive less than 1% of venture capital. In 2017, women in general received 2% of venture capital,” stated Bell in her 2018 Medium post Bumble Fumble: Swipe Supremacy. She added, “if women don’t start organizations that create access to capital it’s quite possible we will continue to lack access,” and Black Girl Ventures aims to do just that. “We are excited to join forces with Medallia to continue to create access to social and financial capital for Black and Brown woman-identifying entrepreneurs,” stated Bell.
Code2040 works for the proportional representation of Black and Latinx people in tech at all levels of leadership. We believe that by doing this in tech, we can have an impact on high-wage work across the economy.
Code2040 seeks to grow the representation of Black and Latinx populations in tech, while aiming to shrink the wealth gap in the United States. Their goal is to ensure that Black and Latinx communities are proportionally represented in America’s economy as technologists, investors, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs by 2040. Led by CEO Karla Monterrose, “Code2040 works for the proportional representation of Black and Latinx people in tech at all levels of leadership. We believe that by doing this in tech, we can have an impact on high-wage work across the economy,” stated in Fast Company, article co-authored by Monterrose. Code2040 works to dismantle barriers for Black and Latinx professionals by providing companies with the tools to recruit and retain Black & brown professionals.
Meaningful change is systemic change – rounding out the list is the Equal Justice Initiative. A nonprofit that provides legal representation for people who have been illegally convicted, unfairly sentenced, or abused in state jails and prisons, EJI works with communities that have been marginalized by poverty and discouraged by unequal treatment. Committed to changing the narrative about race in America, EJI works to educate and provide resources through research, advocacy assistance, policy reform, and creating new spaces for Black representation and historical memorials to name a few.
BAM’s mission is to elevate the Black experience both at Medallia and within the communities we serve – empowering Black voices
The importance of ERGs to any company is immense and Medallia’s investment in our internal communities is an incredible way in building a diverse and inclusive strategy that embraces and celebrates our differences, providing a forum to make meaningful connections with colleagues, raise awareness on key issues, and share our culture and values. BAM’s mission is to elevate the Black experience both at Medallia and within the communities we serve – empowering Black voices. Giving back is one of the many ways in which we are committed to impacting change through our actions. We will continue to share updates on how we are supporting our communities both internally and externally.
