Why the Startup Community Should Care about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

June 3, 2021

DEI is a trending topic from the boardroom to the breakroom, but as part of the startup community, why should you care? Diversity, equity, and inclusion is often overlooked in the startup community as the workforce size can be relatively small, however, there is still a valuable way to be impactful while ensuring DEI best practices.

12% of venture capitalists say that their firm is willing to reduce its investment in a portfolio company because it is insufficiently diverse, and 36% say their firm holds their portfolio companies accountable for achieving and maintaining diversity.

In December 2020, Nasdaq filed a proposal with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to adopt new listing rules related to board diversity and disclosure. If approved by the SEC, the rules would require most Nasdaq-listed companies to have, or explain why they do not have, at least two diverse directors, including one who self-identifies as female and one who self-identifies as either an underrepresented minority or LGBTQ+.

So if you’re a startup or part of the community and have not made DEI a priority, you may want to reconsider.  Don’t know where to start? In this webinar led by serial entrepreneurs, investors, and Certified Diversity Executives, learn how to leverage DEI to positively impact your bottom line.