At Andgo, we’ve been having many conversations around diversity and inclusion. We’ve been discussing ways in which we can promote and hire a diverse and inclusive team and elevate minority groups in our industry. The conversation is still happening, and we’re excited to see where it leads. We want to use this momentum as a catalyst for actionable change.
Identifying areas of improvement is one thing, but now is the time to convert awareness into action. Here are a few of the initiatives we’re working on at Andgo.
There is an opportunity to improve diversity in the tech world, and we want to do our part. We commit to supporting organizations whose goals are to educate and enable our youth and improve opportunities for BIPOC in our industry and the world. The organizations we’re thrilled to be supporting are; Black Girls Code, The Hidden Genius Project, and Indspire.
Black Girls Code is a US-based organization whose mission is to increase the number of women of color in STEM. They hold workshops and after-school camps to provide in-demand skills in technology and computer programming for young women of color. It’s an invaluable organization, educating our next generation of coders.
Another great US-based organization whose mission is to prepare black youth for a future in technology is The Hidden Genius Project. Their goal is to train and mentor black male youth in technology creation, entrepreneurship, and leadership skills. They do this through immersive mentorship programs as well as events and workshops.
In Canada, Indspire is an amazing organization that invests in education for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people. Through the funding they receive, they’re able to provide financial awards, deliver educational programs, and share resources with educators.
We’ve started open and honest conversations internally about where we’re at and what we can be doing. This has opened our eyes and created awareness of the issues that exist and how Andgo as a company can help. There is a lot to do. The good news is we’ve identified some areas we can make an impact right away. Initiatives we’ve started include furthering our education, sharing resources, and adding additional educational resources on diversity and inclusion to our company library. Also, we’re reviewing our internal and external documentation and terminology.
Until recently, we have not paid much attention to the deeper meaning or origin of the terminology used in developing software. This outdated terminology is a perfect example of how deep-rooted these issues run. We’ve found the Google developer documentation style guide to be a helpful resource in this endeavour. We’re still in the first steps of this transition, but we’re happy to be moving in the right direction. We plan to begin updating the language and terms in our documentation to be more inclusive in the very near future.
It doesn’t end here. We are excited about the impact we can make in our organizations and community to improve diversity and inclusion in the tech industry. This is an area where we are just getting started, and we look forward to sharing our plans with you as we take further action.
If you have ideas or recommendations for actions we can take to improve diversity and inclusion, we want to hear from you! Contact us to share your ideas and suggestions.