The May 25 killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis sparked ongoing demonstrations and social unrest across the U.S., bringing racial inequality back to the forefront of our collective conscious. Many difficult questions have since emerged regarding how our country must address systemic racism and identify the areas where more work needs to be done.

Earlier this month, GeekWire released a podcast on “Race and Tech: Where Can We Go From Here?” The podcast – hosted by Marilyn Strickland, former CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce – featured a panel discussion between local business leaders Adriane Brown, venture partner with Flying Fish Partners and a board member for Axon and eBay; Dave Cotter, Leafly chief product officer; and Matt Oppenheimer, Remitly CEO.

The podcast explored the steps that tech and business leaders can take toward building equity and dismantling systemic racism, with an aim to answer the question, “What can those in the tech industry do to address some of the disparities around race and inclusion?”

Take Ownership of Company Culture

A recurring theme among the podcast speakers was that change “has to start at the top” of any company. Brown said she was “heartened” by the outpouring of messages and personal statements from CEOs across the country and around the world. She said the attention to the killing of Floyd helped usher in a response that “really honed in the broad acceptance that we have a crisis in America.”

She said business leaders looking to make a difference must take ownership for the culture of their companies, which requires conversation and a culture where a lack of diversity must be called out. This includes evaluating what your company is buying and from where. Neglecting to keep diversity top of mind and examining these areas, she said, only leads to a shortcoming of products and offerings to customers.

“Study after study has shown that diverse teams, diverse boards [and] diverse groups produce better results consistently,” Brown said. “But when you don’t insist upon that as a leader, then you’re holding your company back and allowing excuses to get in the way of better performance.”

Listen, Learn and Keep Diversity In-House

Cotter highlighted the importance of listening and learning among tech leaders and CEOs. He said that in his experience, diversity measures within the tech industry are often outsourced to a chief diversity officer or a consulting firm. A commitment to diversity, he said, requires CEOs and C-Suite executives to determine how to incorporate diversity measures into their company’s daily practices and overall culture.

“This is not a moment in time. This is something that’s been escalating for 400 years,” Cotter said. “You shouldn’t outsource [diversity]. You can’t treat this as an objective or as an initiative. This has to be met with the same intensity and depth by which it traverses backward, which is 400 years.”

Cotter said that going through the exercises of asking questions like “Have I really learned?” and “Am I really listening?” will help create nuances and specifics around what actions a company must take. He cautioned against acting too quickly to launch initiatives around diversity, stating that the absence of making a concerted effort to listen and learn will hinder the impact of diversity initiatives, reducing them to merely activities.

Provide Anti-Racism Resources to Employees

Oppenheimer referred to the recent focus on dismantling systemic racism as a “wake-up call for many companies across the board to do more.” While he stated that diversity, equity and inclusiveness is deeply embedded in the DNA of Remitly, which is a digital remittance service that helps people send money abroad and serves immigrant customers, Oppenheimer acknowledged that there is room for more work to be done at the company. He said one of the main actions that Remitly employees are taking right now is to better understand how to listen, as well as how to better understand themselves.

Prior to the recent demonstrations, Remitly invested in promoting diversity by hiring a director of diversity, equity and inclusiveness, who has established affinity groups at Remitly for listening and engagement opportunities. Also, to promote anti-racism awareness and education, the company tabled a teambuilding event and gave employees a half-day to do their own anti-racism work or advocacy, with the company providing a list of resources. Oppenheimer started a book club with several employees to read “So You Want to Talk about Race” by Ijeoma Oluo.

“I’m really grateful. Because we’re a mission-driven company, we have a team that really cares about this issue and really wants to invest that time,” Oppenheimer said.

Learn the History and Don’t Be Afraid to Talk About Racism

Strickland asked each of the speakers to give their input on what individuals and organizations can do to combat systemic racism. Brown emphasized the importance of inspiring people to vote in local, state and national elections. Oppenheimer spoke to the importance of listening, learning and translating sentiments into engagement. He acknowledged that combatting racism can be a lifelong journey and requires a sustained effort, and that moving forward with an open mind is necessary.

Cotter encouraged people to strive for empathy. He said the sooner someone feels a sense of empathy, the more powerful and impactful they will be. He also encouraged tech companies to do what they’ve always done well: Get after finding a solution.

“What tech companies have demonstrated is that we know how to solve problems. Whether they’re for corporate customers, consumer customers, we know how to unlock experiences,” Cotter said. “I think as we start to get into the learning and the empathetic state, let’s go solve problems. That’s what we do, let’s just get after it.”

Strickland concluded with two important suggestions for people looking to make a difference: Learn the history of racism and don’t be afraid to talk about it.

“For folks who are not Black, talking about anti-Blackness does not make you anti-white or anti- anything else,” she said. “This is about trying to address the problem. Don’t be afraid to talk about it.”

To listen to the 18-minute podcast, visit https://www.geekwire.com/2020/us-dismantle-racism-10-steps-tech-business-leaders-can-take-toward-equity/.