We got to learn more about Diversity & Inclusion from one of the best out there!

Together with Keen Venture Partners and January Ventures, we organized an Ask Me Anything Session with Raashi Sikka (she/her) around the topic of D&I for our founders and startups. Raashi has been an advocate of D&I basically forever and was able to share some super valuable insights with us. So here are some of our key takeaways:

Most Common Mistakes

1/ Inaction due to fear: Many people are afraid to do it wrong, so they just don’t do anything at all.

2/ Trying to copy the approach of big companies: Startups and scaleups often look at what bigger companies are doing without considering the enormous difference in resources available to allocate to the topic.

3/ Lack of ownership from leaders: Though management often has good intentions, the actual work of building a more diverse and inclusive workplace usually falls onto the shoulders of the marginalized person on the team.

Practical Founder Tips

1/ Make D&I an actual, conscious commitment: Treat it like you’re putting it on your product roadmap - view it as a strategic investment.

2/ Focus on 1, maximum 3 things: Don’t try to boil the ocean. Start with small, tangible initiatives, for example around recruitment - how will you win the best talent and not overlook diverse folks?

3/ Communicate your values: Don’t think about D&I in a vacuum. Talk about it with your team and investors. The more people know this is important to you, the more resources and help you will get.

Which best practices around implementing D&I in a business from the very beginning do you have?