A unified technology diversity and inclusion platform that facilitates collaboration between disparate initiatives across the nation while empowering members of disenfranchised communities to influence meaningful change
A unified technology diversity and inclusion platform that facilitates collaboration between disparate initiatives across the nation while empowering members of disenfranchised communities to influence meaningful change
If you look around the country you will see no shortage of bootcamps, events, conferences, corporate sponsorships, diversity outreach programs, meetups, etc, all with one goal in mind: solving the problem of diversity and inclusion in the technology sector. While these are all valiant efforts, there is no single source of truth, no single voice representing the hard-work, energy and success (or lack-thereof) of this ecosystem.
The goal of MEKKAis not to build solutions or recommend tactical strategies for solving the problem itself. Various initiatives exist today because we are still experimenting and there is no perfect solution so we must rely on analyzing results and feedback through trial-and-error. However, it is important that these isolated efforts are able to collaborate and measure success in a consistent way.
The cornerstone of this platform is that ultimately change comes from within. We must provide the guidance and resources to our communities in order to institute change at a social, political and economical level. The dynamics of our world and globalization are changing as the next civil rights issue of our generation will be heavily influenced by access to and participation in technology. By focusing on grassroots participation at scale, MEKKAwill serve as the spark that ignites that fire...
The power of a platform like MEKKA isn't that it tries to manage and deploy everything, rather it connects the dots between the many participants in the ecosystem. While there may be opportunities in the future to step in and fill the gaps, the primary objective is to foster communication and collaboration. Taking a technology-first approach, we will promote knowledge sharing and altruistic contributions via. modern digital channels and applications.
One of the hurdles of encouraging participation in the technology sector, is the misconception that being "tech" means understanding how to "code". Running a technology company involves much more than writing software, it requires Project Management, Quality Assurance, Market Research, Interface Design and much, much more. It is important that we change the perception of the space and align the interests and motivations of individuals to career paths that fit their skill sets and dispositions.
As advancements are made in the private sector between corporations and philanthropists, we need the participation of government to support the ecosystem. Technology is important to many politicians across the country, however it is a challenge to advocate for change effectively when resources are spread across multiple issues at the same time. By engaging both the community and private sectors together, we can help supply data-driven perspectives to those who lobby for our cause at the capital.
While efforts like the EEO-1 Survey help outline the lack of diversity in the workplace, it does little to measure the impact of inclusion initiatives across the country. In order to improve any process, there must be measurable KPIs to track the effectiveness of programs and policies over time. Acquiring funding and resources from both public and private institutions require more than just a "good will" pitch. The ability to leverage real-world data will prove to be a powerful tool in forming bipartisan legislation and raising capital for philanthropic efforts.
Relying on participation from corporate sponsors or waiting on government intervention is a limited top-down strategy. While necessary, depending on it alone means overlooking the strongest driver and influence of social change, our community. The lack of diversity in technology is also a reflection of the lack of diversity in culture within minority communities. We must empower friends, family and social leaders to drive the conversation forward and inact change from within. Doing so means providing a platform for all community members to participate, regardless of skill set or disposition to technology.
No matter how a member of the platform decides to participate, it is vital to the success of this initiative to hold everyone accountable to their commitments. Whether that is following through on investment, volunteering time, or lobbying for legislation, the system does not work if we cannot capitalize on the drive and motivation of all the parties involved. Holding each other accountable isn't assigning blame, but providing support and ensuring we are always moving forward, together.
Prior to the formation of the MEKKA platform, independent initiatives and organizations have been forming across the country (albeit in an ad-hoc way) to solve diversity and inclusion issues first-hand. These local networks would benefit from collaborating and sharing knowledge across regions as well as having access to a broader pool of resources to help them grow and encourage the creation of new networks where none exist today.
We believe there are many in the technology community today that would like nothing more than to contribute their time to the success of an initiative such as this, but are often unsure of how to do so in a meaningful and productive way. By building a framework that allows individuals and organizations alike to participate and see the impact of their contributions, we can encourage more people to give back.
Not every local network needs to have subject matter experts in their respective markets and/or programs, instead we can leverage economies of scale to provide access to these individuals and allow more local efforts to bootstrap without having all the resources upfront.
Whether it is providing a venue for local meetups, grants to cover expenses related to education initiatives or collecting donations to help drive all of the above, there is a clear need to pool together assets at a national level based on the growing needs of local networks around the country. Having a clear understanding of where there are a lack of resources and analyzing the results of deployed capital, we can then have a more data-driven conversation with both federal and local governments as to how we can incentivize public and private participation.
There are many reasons that contribute to the lack of investment in minority owned startups, however two reasons in particular can be addressed by pragmatic and technology first solutions.
First, founders from diverse backgrounds often lack the social capital required to stand out amongst other investment opportunities. With the support of the advisement network, investors can be reassured that some level of due diligence has occurred as a result of a startup participating in the ecosystem.
Secondly, investors have trouble identifying qualified opportunities while minority founders are often not well positioned to travel and/or make the connections required to present themselves. By organizing periodical investment forums (whether virtual or physical), we can bridge the gap between available capital and businesses ready to scale.
Through integrations into technology solutions (such as HR platforms or job marketplaces) and sourcing data directly from organizations, researchers and think-tanks, our goal is to provide a living repository of data. This warehouse (accessible via open APIs), will provide up-to-date information to help drive conversations and validate the effectiveness of deployed diversity and inclusion strategies.
It is easy to see where more traditional technology roles (investors, entrepreneurs, technologists, educators, etc) fit in the entire ecosystem, but in order to truly influence a cultural shift and "change from within", ordinary people (family, friends, social leaders) must also participate in a meaningful way.