A Call to Action for a More Equitable Tech Industry

Diversity doesn't happen by accident; it must be intentionally built into every aspect of a company's hiring process.

Leah Solivan, the founder of Taskrabbit and managing director of Precedent.VC, recently joined Isabelle Johannessen on Build Mode to discuss how she approached hiring while leading Taskrabbit. As the company scaled from being bootstrapped on Solivan's personal credit cards to becoming one of the defining platforms of the gig economy, the leadership team made a conscious effort to seek out diverse talent for each role.

"If you do that from the beginning, then it becomes easier, because the culture that's built, the team that's built, the network that you've built as a company, is more diverse, and it feeds itself. It becomes an ecosystem. It's too late if you wait until you've scaled and it's at the end," said Solivan.

Every startup has a network of talent centered around the founder, and it's essential to recognize that this network will reflect the founder's community. As an early-stage investor, Solivan has witnessed the flow of money from both sides of the table.

• "If you follow the money through the system, it comes from limited partners, and they're the ones that decide who to give the money to, venture capitalists. And from there, then the venture capitalists choose which founders they're going to invest in," said Solivan.

However, Solivan emphasizes that a founder or their VCs don't have to be underrepresented to intentionally hire from a diverse talent pool.

• "You're asking someone to walk off the edge of a cliff – let's build a net for them to jump into," said Solivan

To achieve this, Solivan suggests setting the goal of seeing two résumés from female candidates for every one male résumé, tapping into a wider range of networks, and promoting people from different backgrounds into leadership roles.

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To build a more diverse tech industry, we must prioritize hiring practices that reflect our values. By intentionally seeking out diverse talent and creating an ecosystem of inclusivity, we can create a more equitable industry for everyone.

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Anthropic is having a month, with many recent developments in the AI space. Google is allowing users to change their Gmail address, and the Pixel 10a has made headlines for its design choices. Let's also take a look at the retro tech that's experiencing a resurgence in popularity.

Maggie Nye is a Podcast Producer for TechCrunch based in Denver, Colorado. Previously, she worked as the Brand and Content Manager for BUILT BY GIRLS, where she developed an interest in tech and a passion for creating equitable and welcoming professional tech spaces. You can contact or verify outreach from Maggie by emailing maggie@techcrunch.com.

Isabelle Johannessen leads the Startup Battlefield Program at TechCrunch, scouting top founders across 99+ countries and preparing them to pitch on the Disrupt stage in front of tier-one investors and global media. Before TechCrunch, she designed and led international startup acceleration programs across Japan, Korea, Italy, and Spain—connecting global founders with VCs and helping them successfully enter the U.S. market. You can contact or verify outreach from Isabelle by emailing isabelle.johannessen@techcrunch.com.