How a Venture Capital Firm Promotes Diversity

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How a Venture Capital Firm Promotes Diversity
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The Diversity Problem in the Silicon Valley
Over the past year, the eLeap team has shared
perspectives on myriad of diversity issues
plaguing Silicon Valley companies.

• 90 of women reported witnessing sexist behavior
  at company offsite events and industry
  conferences
• 87 reported being the subject of derogatory
  comments from male colleagues
• 75 said they were asked about their family life,
  children and marital status while
  interviewing(n.b., its actually against the law
  to ask these questions during an interview)

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• 60 of women reported unwanted sexual advances
  from either a colleague or client and 65 of
  those reported that the advance was from a
  superior
• 33 of the women surveyed felt afraid for their
  safety because of work related circumstances

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• Racial diversity is also an issue among many
  Silicon Valley firms. As widely publicized over
  the past two years, at most technology companies,
  Black employees account for 2 to 4 and Hispanic
  employees account for roughly 8 of the overall
  workforce with fewer Black and Hispanic employees
  occupying tech-specific jobs (e.g., engineering
  positions) and leadership positions.

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What Chamath Palihapitiya is Doing to Promote
Diversity

• The gap between the entrepreneurial and investor
  class, says Palihapitiya, Has never been
  further. In short, while entrepreneurs tend to
  be young, socially progressive and open minded,
  investors do not. Because investors like to
  invest in projects and people that are familiar,
  a lot of promising young entrepreneurswho happen
  to be female, Black or Hispaniccontinue to be
  overlooked by traditional venture capital firms.

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• To learn more about diversity, why it is good for
  business, and how to raise awareness on diversity
  in the workplace, see eLeaps extensive library
  of training videos on the topic, including
  Diversity on the Threshold of Change, Inclusion
  Insights and Ouch! That Stereotype Hurts.