United We Stand: WTIA Launches Coalition to Dismantle Racism in the Tech Industry

They say there is strength in numbers, and that when we stand together, there is nothing we cannot accomplish.

That is the spirit of WTIA’s Anti-Racism in Tech Pact, which seeks to end systemic racism in the tech industry by 2025.

By signing the pact, more than 50 of the state’s leading tech companies and educational institutions have committed to transform industry recruiting and hiring practices, eradicate racial bias in the workplace, and make sure organizational structures mirror the demographics of the locations in which they operate — including the board of directors, management and all employees. For example, in King County today, that would mean approximately 6% Black and 9% Latinx, and nationally, 18% Black and 14% Latinx.

Prominent technology companies and educational institutions such as Verizon, Lyft, Remitly, ExtraHop, University of Washington, Washington Department of Commerce, AT&T, and Fenwick & West are helping to support the initiative.

“We have a clear vision for dismantling racism in the technology industry, but we must first gain the trust of BIPOC communities,” said Michael Schutzler, CEO, WTIA. “This pact takes a first step to gaining that trust by committing signatories to sharing resources and firm goals around the diversity of their teams over a five-year period.”

To help the coalition carry out its mission, WTIA is creating a dedicated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Office and hiring a Chief Diversity Officer to provide support and guidance for Pact members. The DEI Office will provide Pact members access to:

pools of diverse talent
a network of high-quality DEI trainers, consultants and subject matter experts
advice for senior leadership to help eradicate racism and increase diversity across their workforces
advocacy for under-represented populations

All organizations across the United States are welcome to join the Anti-racism in Tech Pact. View the full list of signatories, sign the Pact, and download the Pact Roadmap.

Standing strong together, we can help eradicate racism in the tech industry for good. Please join us.

Author

Michael Schutzler
Michael Schutzler is an entrepreneur, engineer, science geek, and first generation immigrant. He is the CEO of the Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA). Before joining the WTIA, Michael led the merger of Livemocha – a community of 17 million language learners – with the popular education software company Rosetta Stone. He also built Classmates.com into the first profitable social media application, transformed online marketing at Monster.com, and grew the online gaming business at RealNetworks to become a global leader. He teaches part time at the University Of Washington Foster School of Business, serves on several boards, and is an investor in Flowplay, YouSolar, Koru, Moment, 9 Mile Labs, Alliance of Angels, Keiretsu Forum, and Social Venture Partners. As a successful Internet entrepreneur, lead angel investor, and veteran executive coach, Michael has personally invested in twenty-four companies, served as coach and advisor to more than 100 executives, and has raised over $50M in private financing.
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