Annual costs of work-related stress total $300 billion in the United States. However, the nature of managing teams, on top of performing within the organization, is exhausting. Often, companies find that leaders aren’t equipped with the knowledge to support employees’ mental and emotional well-being — which is why they’re turning to businesses like Peak Mind.
Founded by business owner and social scientist Alicia E. Mckoy, Peak Mind is a Black-owned tech startup focused on company-wide solutions to improve employee well-being, company culture and healthcare expenses. After more than 20 years in the interior design business, Mckoy had a realization that changed the trajectory of her career.
“Working as an interior designer brought me so much joy as I would reimagine and later recreate the aesthetic of a space,” Mckoy said. “But around 2019, right before the pandemic, I had a stark realization that no beatification of a space could alter the experience a person has if they’re not in a healthy mental state. Little did I know, that was the birth of Peak Mind.”
Peak Mind provides companies with a unique set of tools to empower workers to thrive while also equipping leadership with an insightful road map to safer workplace environments.
Through the application, employees have on-demand access to well-being coping activities that can quite literally help them find their calm in a moment of chaos. Through easy, science-based techniques, employees or diverse teams can participate in small actions from the convenience of their desk area or when gathered in large-meeting spaces.
Corporate wellness programs and tools lead to more energized and productive employees, and therefore a more productive company culture. Overall, corporate wellness programs result in a productivity increase of 5% or greater.
Peak Mind was recently one of the five, Black-owned businesses featured through the Business Equity for Indy (BEI) August Procurement Roundtable. When Mckoy was approached, she immediately felt this could be a platform to help inform companies across the Indy region, leading in the DE&I space, to ensure they were taking care of their own people.
“Just as a flight attendant would encourage travelers to put on their oxygen mask first, here at Peak Mind, we ensure that people are prioritizing their own self-care,” Mckoy said. “BEI companies are committed to advancing equity, but that work is cumbersome and can be overwhelming. We saw an opportunity to talk not only about Peak Mind’s diverse roots, but to shed light on how this tool provides essential support to those working in the DE&I space day in and day out.”
Through BEI, Black-owned businesses are leveraging opportunities to connect with various supplier diversity professionals looking to diversify their vendors. The procurement roundtable, which takes place quarterly, provides a platform for BEI companies and diverse suppliers to meet, get to know each other and, ideally, foster ongoing, mutually beneficial business relationships.
“Since the August Procurement Roundtable, we’ve engaged in conversations with a few Indy companies interested in exploring Peak Mind,” Mckoy said. “Opportunities like the Procurement Roundtable are a great tool for Black-owned companies to better engage with the corporate community.”
To learn more about Peak Mind, please visit the website. To learn more about BEI or to register for the next Procurement Roundtable, please visit the BEI website.
According to the Brookings Institute, there is an opportunity for Black-owned businesses to unlock some $700 billion in revenue if they were earning at the same level as their non-Black business owner counterparts. Entrepreneurship, for many Black business owners, represents far more than owning a business and living the American dream. For many Black Americans, entrepreneurship represents a way to disrupt systemic racism and discrimination. Through Business Equity for Indy (BEI), Black-owned businesses are able to realize their dreams while creating ripples of impact throughout the Indy region.
BEI is a joint effort, comprised of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), the Indy Chamber, and in collaboration with the Indianapolis Urban League, was created to grow a more inclusive business climate and build greater equity and economic opportunity for the Indy region’s Black residents. Specifically, the Procurement & Participation Taskforce was assembled to increase the launch, growth and success of Black-owned enterprises. While many Indy businesses have publicly committed monies to support Black businesses, most of them are not organically connected to Black people, places and businesses. Until now.
Through the Procurement & Participation Taskforce’s premier event, the Procurement Roundtable, hosted in partnership with Mid-States Minority Supplier Diversity Council and the Indy Black Chamber, supply chain professionals from across the region can foster direct connections with Black-owned businesses. At best, these relationships yield collaborative, multiyear, multi-dollar contracts that enable Black businesses to grow and scale. At a minimum, they create awareness of Black-owned businesses that exist across the Indy region.
In May, the Procurement Roundtable debuted a new, in-person format that included a supplier meet-and-greet. The Aug. 25 event, hosted at Corteva Agriscience, will model the same format, including networking, brief remarks from Reggie Williams, facilitator, consultant to corporate management, PRI and brief pitches from the five participating, Black-owned businesses. Those businesses are:
Inclusive business is, simply put, good for business. A robust supplier diversity program enables companies to prioritize innovation, offer options in securing goods and services, and can even drive competition between current and prospective vendors. However, to date, many companies still lack diverse supplier pipelines — thus missing out on opportunities for business expansion with the emergence of new consumer needs and shifting demographic realities.
According to a Department of Commerce study, the growing population of color will account for as much as 70% of the total increase in purchasing power from 2000 to 2045. Diverse-owned businesses are a driving force behind economic growth. They will continue to be a major segment of the U.S. economy in the 21st century as the transition toward a more diverse demographic majority continues.
Furthermore, commitments to supplier diversity on the local level create cascading impacts throughout communities. By investing in Black-owned businesses, corporations are empowering Black entrepreneurs to build their own wealth alongside their own legacies. They then hire Black employees. They fill gaps for Black consumers. They help keep monies circulating in Black communities and neighborhoods in meaningful and sustainable ways.
Programs like the Procurement Roundtable are critical for the business community because investments supporting Black-owned businesses are not just financial. Through the Roundtable, suppliers can learn more about doing business with Black enterprises as well as begin to forge new relationships with local vendors. At the same time, Black enterprises get ongoing coaching through Reggie Williams and opportunities to continue to promote their businesses to companies searching to expand their supply chain relationships. Best of all? The Procurement Roundtable is free to attend. We welcome the community to register to attend through the BEI website or to reach out to me directly at smurphy@indychamber.com with questions.
Stacia Murphy is director of equity, outreach and strategic partnerships at Indy Chamber.
As the co-founder and co-CEO of Be Nimble Foundation, Kelli Jones saw the need for more philanthropic support for Black organizations long before the pandemic tightened budgets.
Coming out of the pandemic, she’s seen the money and resources that Black organizations had been begging for.
“I think it’s disappointing that it took a pandemic and the impact of Black Lives Matter to spur action, but it is what we have needed for a long time,” Jones said. “We’ll never forget that many of the resources we’ve now received have come out of tragedy.”
Jackie Bouvier Copeland launched Black Philanthropy Month in 2011 to celebrate Black giving and promote funding in equity. Celebrated every August worldwide, this year’s theme focuses on rebuilding communities and creating lasting funding and racial equity for Black communities.
Black people give the highest proportion of their income to philanthropy, according to the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, but receive as little as 2% of the funding — which was an inspiration to create Black Philanthropy Month, Copeland said.
“The world is in trouble,” Copeland said. “And we can’t solve those issues with one hand tied behind our back, which is what happens when more than half of the population of innovators cannot get funding because of the color of their skin or their gender.”
Black philanthropy is a core component of Black culture, Copeland said. Even people who don’t have money to give find other ways to donate through giving their time, talent, resources and moral support, she said.
Black philanthropy is a mix of challenges and rewards, said Allissa Impink, director of family philanthropy and advisor for Glick Philanthropies. Churches and aid organizations participate in philanthropy whether they know it or not, and encourage Black job opportunities and support the community, she said.
“One of the things that really speaks to me, especially with philanthropy and supporting one another, I think about progress and community. Progress and community can be found just by trusting,” Impink said.
‘The gates are open’
Indiana is facing a teacher shortage with 2,300 open positions, and the number of Black educators remains low. In Indiana, Black educators make up only 4.2% of teachers. Educate ME Foundation is trying to help more Black educators get into the field.
After just two years in his own classroom, Blake Nathan saw a need for more teachers of color in the classroom, so he founded Educate ME in 2014. After applying for grants just to get school supplies in his classroom, Nathan said he felt the need to make systemic change.
Educate ME recruits more educators of color and provides them with supportive programs to continue education. The organization recently received a grant from Glick Philanthropies to increase the number of Black and brown educators. The grant will help aspiring educators with test fees and test prep, Nathan said.
“I have talked to deans of schools, HR departments, school districts and other organizations that are trying to combat the teaching shortage, and we’re all saying kind of the same thing,” Nathan said. “We have to get teachers in the classroom. We have to provide a pathway for them.”
The organization also offers test reimbursement for people who don’t pass the first time, which can cost up to $170 each time, according to the Educational Testing Service.
The average teacher spends more than $450 on classroom supplies, Nathan said, so Educate ME offers grants so teachers don’t have to spend their own money.
“The gates are open for people to answer the call to service and become a teacher to impact lives daily, and to create not just school-wide change, but community change by investing in educating our young people,” Nathan said.
Creating opportunity in a ghost kitchen
Be Nimble Foundation is another organization that uses philanthropic money to advance job opportunities. The focus of the organization is to train Black and brown communities for careers in the tech field.
Be Nimble recently received a grant for its Melon Ghost Kitchens & Virtual Restaurant Accelerator, which helps brick-and-mortar restaurants by creating more revenue and growth through the use of a virtual kitchen concept.
Black and brown chefs work out of a 5,000-square-foot kitchen space, operating their own business with the tools they need, Jones said.
Currently there are two restaurants operating out of the ghost kitchen: Burgeezy, an all-vegan burger company that makes burgers, plant-based chicken tenders and vegan fries; and Say Cheese, which makes a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches.
Jones said with the support of grants, Be Nimble can continue to focus on uplifting Black and brown people in the tech field and creating equity within the organization.
“We need foundations and organizations that are willing to contribute to those very much in the same way that we invest in startups or give business owners resources in order to scale,” Jones said.
Contact staff writer Jayden Kennett 317-762-7847 or by email JaydenK@Indyrecorder.com. Follow her on Twitter @JournoJay.
Four new booths in Indianapolis City Market will provide a space for Black restaurant owners to get their start. A new program with the Indy Black Chamber of Commerce and Bank of America launched Aug. 3 to bring more Black restaurant owners into City Market and provide them with guidance to continue their business after they leave.
The kitchen incubator called S.O.U.L (Supporting Our Unique Locals) was funded by a grant from Bank of America and will provide fully equipped kitchen spaces and help with setup costs. The four new restaurants are Naptown Hot Chicken, Chef Wuan’s Kitchen, Two Crazy Ladies and T Street Eatz.
The chamber saw a need for more vendors at City Market after seeing so many leave, said Anita Williams, Indy Black Chamber of Commerce board chair. So, they asked for an opportunity to put four caterers into the market to grow their restaurants. The kitchen will be available to Black caterers and food truck owners who need more space.
The program will also provide classes focused on food safety, menu creation and marketing, Williams said.
The goal is to create a “revolving door” for restaurant owners “to grow and outgrow” City Market, Williams said.
Tasha Claytor, a business owner in the program, was looking for a way to support her family during the pandemic. On top of being a full-time registered nurse, she was doing Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart to keep her family afloat.
That venture was put on hold when her grandmother, Alberta, died at the end of July. Two weeks later, a voicemail sparked inspiration.
“One day for her last birthday, I made some food for her,” Claytor said. “I was making a trip for her, a memorial trip, and I got a voicemail ranting and raving about how good my food was. And I was like, that’s it. I can cook.”
Taking bits and pieces of recipes from her grandmother and the excitement of presentation from her mother, Claytor created T Street Eatz.
Having a space in City Market will provide more stability for her business by allowing them to be open more consistently, rather than sporadically like they were operating before.
“This basically is to help build a foundation for our kids and then show that we can do it, we can own a business,” Claytor said.
Chef David Brown, owner of Naptown Hot Chicken, was also looking for his passion. His upbringing in Haughville has been an inspiration to continuously move forward, do better and stay local, he said.
Brown has been in the food industry for about 15 years after an eight-year stint in the Navy and Army. Going from a rescue swimmer to a chef brings on a different kind of heat, but he said it made for a smooth transition.
After serving, he got his master’s degree and searched for his next adventure. He wanted something easy but unique, he said. His twist on the Nashville Hot Chicken is a liquidized sauce instead of the original hot breading. He hopes to inspire others to “keep growing and keep going.”
“Always keep your goals, make big goals, accomplish those goals, and set more goals,” Brown said.
Contact staff writer Jayden Kennett 317-762-7847 or by email jaydenk@indyrecorder.com. Follow her on Twitter @JournoJay.
It’s an interesting time to be buying a home as markets across the country continue to experience historically low inventory and high demand. While the competition has been intense for buyers, there are signs that the real estate market could be cooling down as existing home sales continue to fall due to rising interest rates and other factors.
Before jumping in, prospective buyers should educate themselves on the process. Beyond the search, buyers need to think about financing, prequalification and closing costs to be in the best position to move quickly on the home of their dreams.
If you’re one of the many Americans in the market for a home, completing these three steps will help increase your chances of having an offer accepted.
Get Prequalified for a Mortgage Getting prequalified for a mortgage is an essential first step in the homebuying process. It gives you an idea of how much money you can borrow, which will guide your search for a home. It also shows sellers that you’re creditworthy and serious about purchasing the home. Lastly, being prequalified expedites your timeline for receiving a loan, which is enticing for a seller who has multiple interested buyers.
Take Inventory of Your Upfront Costs The next step in the homebuying process is to take inventory of the upfront costs, which is often one of the main challenges for homebuyers.
While there is no way to avoid a down payment, there are loan options available that require as little as 3% of the purchase price as a down payment for eligible homebuyers
There are also many location-based and lender-backed financial resources available to help level the playing field and assist with upfront costs. Chase offers Homebuyer grants up to $5000 that can be used toward a down payment and/or closing costs in eligible neighborhoods across the country. Qualified buyers can earn an additional $500 by getting a DreaMaker mortgage and completing a certified homebuyer education course.
Consult a Home Lending Advisor It’s also a good idea to consult a home lending advisor to walk you through some of the more complex details of homebuying. An advisor can help you understand technical details and key terms like upfront costs, market trends, property tax laws in different zip codes and fair housing rules, so that nothing comes as a surprise when it’s time to close on the home.
An advisor will also ensure you’re taking advantage of lender-backed resources available to help get you into your home on time. For example, Chase’s Closing Guarantee, commits to closing customers on their new homes in as little as 21 days or gives them $5,000 cash. The program offers buyers peace of mind, knowing that they can close on their new home without delay or receive compensation that can be put toward additional costs.
It’s in your best interest to shop around and find a lender who will help you find the lowest rates and fees. Prequalifying with multiple lenders can be a good way to check quotes, and it also allows you to keep a pulse on how the rapidly changing interest rates can impact the amount of house you can afford.
While the homebuying experience can be stressful, we’re here to help you find the best options available for you. There are also plenty of other resources available – especially if you are a first-time homebuyer – to boost your homebuying knowledge, like the Beginner to Buyer podcast, which offers prospective homebuyers a place to get answers to all their homebuying questions. Every episode offers conversations with real buyers and expert guests about each step of the process, from mortgage application to closing.
INDIANAPOLIS Ind. – Recorder Media Group and Indiana Minority Business Magazine have opened nominations for the 2023 Champions of Diversity Awards. In addition to celebrating all of the Champions of Diversity award winners, five distinctive awards will be considered: the Rosa Parks Trailblazer Award, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Award, the William G. Mays Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award, the Lifetime Education Advocate Award and the Diversity Choice Award.
“There are many individuals, organizations and businesses that are making an effort to impact Indiana’s minority communities,” said Robert Shegog, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper and Indiana Minority Business Magazine. “The Champions of Diversity awards highlight all of the people who have worked to advance equity in our state.
In addition, the event gives our partner organizations and businesses the opportunity to share the impactful work they are doing. Collectively, the event brings greater visibility to diversity, equity and inclusion advocates throughout Indiana.”
Now in its 16th year, the annual awards recognize individuals, companies and organizations that have exhibited a high level of commitment to diversity in the state of Indiana.
The Annual Champions of Diversity Awards Dinner will be held on Friday, January 13, 2023 at the Marriott Downtown Indianapolis, 350 W. Maryland Street, Indianapolis, IN 46225. A networking reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. with dinner promptly following at 6:30 p.m. The event will conclude at approximately 8:30 p.m. All times Eastern.
Individuals are nominated via an online application. Nominations for the 2023 Champions of Diversity Awards will be accepted through Friday, September 30 and are open to all Hoosiers; regardless of race, discipline, industry or background. Third-party nominations and self-applications are both welcomed.
Past Award Winners The Champions of Diversity Awards have recognized hundreds of diverse leaders over the past 16 years. Some of the past award winners include:
Civic and business leader Carolene Mays recently launched Black Leadership & Legacies Inc., a business designed to develop Black leaders for organizational leadership, board governance, legacy, wealth building and purpose.
Each cohort group will learn from a curriculum designed to help increase knowledge and refine leadership skills. They will connect with key leaders and participate in community service opportunities. The training also will cover issues such as education, health and political power and the effect on Black and other underrepresented communities.
“I am fortunate to have been at the tables of leadership for business, government, non-profit, and international organizations where too often the sentiment from other leaders is that they could not find Black Americans for leadership positions,” said Mays, president. “As a Black woman this is frustrating to hear so often since there is a lot of great Black talent available. After working behind the scenes for years to help people get into leadership positions, I decided to create a platform for leadership, governance, and multi-generational wealth training.”
Mays, former president and CEO of the Indianapolis Recorder, has an extensive and diverse history in both the private and government sectors. She recently retired as executive director of White River State Park Development Commission. She was appointed to the position by Gov. Eric Holcomb. Mays also was appointed to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission by Govs. Mitch Daniel and Mike Pence.
Mays also served three terms in the Indiana House of Representatives.
In addition, Mays is president of the Indianapolis Chapter of The Links Inc. and chairman of the Indiana University Lilly School of Philanthropy – Mays Institute of Diverse Philanthropy.
Mays will coach each cohort. Members of the inaugural class are:
Meaghan Banks, Pacers Sports & Entertainment
Tracy Black, Comcast
Karen Bush, GBKB Consulting
Porche Chisley, The Mind Trust
Denzil (Val) Crooke, Incentus Global
SaRita Hughes, City of Indianapolis City-County Council
Latrece Murdock, Simply Elegant Pastries
Lauren Peterson, The Mind Trust
Ericka Sanders, You! Yes You Project
Kisha Tandy, Indiana State Museum
Rev. Dr. Winterbourne Harrison-Jones, Witherspoon Presbyterian Church
Participation requirements: Be identified as Black or African American; 27 or older; employed and have a minimum of three years proven work experience in a full-time position in a for-profit business, not-for-profit organization, government sector or entrepreneurial venture; and a history of community involvement. The group will meet one day each month starting May 10 until December, with a wrap-up session in March 2023.
With its vivid colors, ripe fruit aroma and ability to induce nostalgia, sangria was the ideal place to begin my wine journey. Its sweet complexity makes sangria more than a drink. It’s a new creation from two different worlds that don’t just come together, they create something new. Sangria mixes classic wine with a new, needed flavor — just like my journey as a winemaker. Because let me tell you, as one of two Black winemakers in Indiana, I add a dash of flavor to an industry that doesn’t always jump to embrace diversity.
Sip & Share Wines is a boutique winery producing a diversity of artisanal vegan wines — from Conjure Zinfandel featured in Forbes Magazine to Awaken Sweet White and Abundance Sweet Red, the original sangria poured in mason jars with straws. Out of more than 11,000 wineries based in the U.S., less than 1% are Black-owned, Black brands. Only .01% of winemakers in the U.S. are Black women winemakers. That disproportionate share drove my passion for creating Sip & Share Wines and propels my desire to create a community for Black and Brown wine lovers who are often overlooked and underrepresented within the wine industry.
Historically, winemaking for women, specifically Black women, hasn’t received the attention it deserves. While advancements in equity and inclusion have been made, much work is still to be done. May 5-6, I will speak about my journey and the importance of supporting Black entrepreneurs at the Indy Chamber’s Women in Business Retreat. While we should continue celebrating the Indy region’s progress, there is still work to be done to achieve equity for Black entrepreneurs.
Disparities don’t just color the path of Black winemakers, they can be seen across industries. Black entrepreneurs face a slew of disproportionate hurdles that make it incredibly difficult to launch, scale and succeed in business. Access to capital is the No. 1 barrier Black entrepreneurs face. With a large majority of the wine industry having generational wealth or being self-funded, Black wine entrepreneurs saw a lack of inclusivity. As a result, Black winemakers were not highlighted, celebrated or exposed to the market. But it’s not enough to identify the source of the problem, we must act to solve it. Suppliers have the potential to make lasting changes to ensure the wine industry includes Black and Brown suppliers and distributors. But there must be an incentive to propel inclusivity into action.
By genuinely committing to inclusion through metrics, the small business community can help inspire change. Organizations like Business Equity for Indy (BEI) make Indianapolis a more equitable place for Black entrepreneurs. BEI focuses on increasing the launch, growth and success rates of Black-owned enterprises by facilitating relationships, creating opportunities and positioning suppliers to gain access to new business contracts. How exactly does this get done? By hosting events bringing together Black-owned suppliers to create an inclusive business climate. By building greater equity and economic opportunity for the Indy region’s Black residents and people of color. And by creating opportunities — opportunities like inviting one of Indy’s Black-owned winemakers to provide beverages at events with those suppliers. Join me on May 19 at the Indy Black Chamber of Commerce for the Business Equity for Indy Procurement Roundtable — I’ll see and serve you there!
The best way to create an equitable place for progress requires our community members and organizations to work together as collaborative partners — just like fine wine, brandy and fruit blend perfectly to create a refreshing sangria. Ensuring minority business owners get the resources they need is the first step toward meeting the needs of our Black business-owner community. Our communities, our regions, our wines and our recipes don’t improve over time if we operate the way we always have. Let’s unite, collaborate and create new opportunities and flavors along the way.
Nicole Kearney is the owner of Sip & Share Wines. Sip & Share Wines produces vegan wine and creates community for overlooked wine enthusiasts.
Finding and retaining talent is job No. 1 for the Indiana tech workforce, but the traditional education path is working for only a small %age of Indiana students and employers. Indiana must resolve its issues of access, opportunity and equity if it is to develop the tech workforce that companies must have in the coming years.
Modernizing our educational pathways will be difficult, and it won’t be helped by additional factors discussed earlier on TechPoint Index like the pandemic-induced Great Resignation, the wave of Baby Boomer retirements, and a poorly timed college enrollment cliff that alone were creating a perfect storm of tech talent supply and demand challenges. Our recent research with Fourth Economy and credible economic indicators, clearly show us an Indiana tech talent imperative: We must inclusively grow and develop the state’s tech workforce to 230,0000 workers by 2030.
To meet this imperative, we must correct generational imbalances and inequity by creating a more diverse and inclusive workforce. To do that, we must change mindsets and cultures. We must overcome obstacles along the talent pathway from our youths’ earliest exposure to training and education, to hiring and onboarding, and to supporting and advancing mid-career professions. We must modernize talent pathways and provide new talent on-ramps for candidates from underrepresented groups.
The tech industry nationwide has long grappled with an overwhelming lack of diversity among employees, executives, venture-backed founders, venture capital firms and board members. Despite recent efforts to increase diversity throughout the industry, tech still remains predominantly white and male. Participation rates in the tech workforce make this starkly clear:
Latinx workers represent only 3% of the overall Indiana workforce while constituting 6% of the Indiana population.
Black workers comprise just 7% of the Indiana tech workforce, while making up 10% of the Indiana workforce
Women currently comprise just 28% of the tech workforce in Indiana, while women make up 48% of the overall Indiana workforce.
The data is as clear as our imperative.
Indiana’s participation rates in its overall workforce reveal the progressive impact of discrimination and the blocks to opportunity. Tracking the progression of minority students over the prior decade shows this clearly.
Back in 7th grade, 19.6% of current college-age students in Central Indiana were Black or African American and 14.3% were Latino or Hispanic. Looking at Ivy Tech Community College enrollments in Central Indiana, 18.2% of enrollments are Black or African American and 8.6% are Latino or Hispanic. Yet, looking at software developers in Central Indiana, only 5% of developers are Black or African American and only 2.1% are Latino or Hispanic.
From middle school into the workforce, barriers and lack of access progressively reduce the participation rates of women and minorities in the tech workforce. This pattern shows that there are breakpoints all along the education and talent pathway and shows just how much work needs to be done.
One of the challenges to developing a more inclusive and diverse tech workforce comes from the fact that the initial on-ramps into most tech roles have been uni-dimensional. As with most professional fields, tech has used university degrees and credentials as the primary educational pathway and gatekeeper to jobs in tech.
As a result, the many systemic, unconscious and sometimes deliberate barriers to college enrollment and attainment for underrepresented groups have served as participation limiters for minorities in tech and tech-enabled roles.
Data from the Indiana Commission on Higher Education shows that 23% of Hoosiers complete a college degree on time, but only 11% of Black and Latinx students complete a degree on time.
At the same time, the tech workforce increasingly requires a higher level of training and specific technical competency.
Indiana’s post-secondary attainment patterns mirror national trends. Over the past several decades, racial and ethnic disparities in higher education enrollment and attainment have increased, along with gaps in earnings, employment, and other related outcomes for communities of color, according to the U.S. Department of Education report on “Advancing Diversity and Inclusivity in Higher Education.
The share of the population with a high school diploma has risen over time for Hispanic, Black, white and Asian adult U.S. residents, the gap in bachelor’s degree attainment has increased for both Black and Hispanic adults compared with white adults. Specifically, the gap in bachelor’s degree attainment has doubled, from 9% to 20% for Hispanic residents since 1974 and from 6% to 13% for black residents since 1964.
The participation of underrepresented students of color decreases at multiple points across the higher education pathway including at application, admission, enrollment, persistence and completion. As the report notes, “a smaller proportion of Black or Hispanic high school graduates than White graduates enroll in college, and more than 80 percent of Hispanic, Black and Asian students have a gap between their financial need and grants and scholarships, compared with 71 percent for White undergraduate students.
“Degree completion rates are lower among Black and Hispanic students than White and Asian students. Nearly half of Asian students who enrolled in postsecondary education complete a bachelor’s degree, compared with fewer than one in five Hispanic and about one in five Black students.”
Nationally, research shows that 10 out of 16 million Black workers currently active in the labor market possess relevant skills obtained through routes like military service, certificate programs and community colleges that qualify them for higher-paying jobs.
Yet, when it comes to accessing well-paid, family-sustaining career opportunities in the tech sector, these high-potential candidates are left sitting on the sidelines. Research shows that when an employer requires a bachelor’s degree screen for a job, they screen out 70% of Black workers. In fact, nonessential degree requirements exclude two-thirds of all adults in the U.S., regardless of race, from securing a job that pays a family-sustaining wage.
Jeff Ton, an Indianapolis-based and nationally recognized expert on technology and business leadership, says these barriers persist through the hiring process and into minority career experiences.
Jeff Ton
“We have a talent gap in tech with more jobs than people to fill them. We have to expand the funnel to bring in more diverse professionals,” he said. “This is not just a hiring problem. This is also a retaining problem. Our diverse colleagues are not staying. They are leaving because they don’t feel included, they don’t feel seen.”
One way Indiana is widening the traditionally narrow pathway to tech is a collaboration among the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, Ascend, EmployIndy, TechPoint, Conexus and other organizations called the Modern Youth Apprenticeship Program. This effort provides expanded opportunities for Indianapolis high school students to learn about tech careers, gain necessary skills, and follow new pathways into success following graduation.
Another is the nationalOneTen coalition, which launched in October 2020. OneTen has a bold goal of hiring 1 million Black Americans without degrees into family-sustaining, livable-wage jobs in 10 years. OneTen encourages signatories to embrace a “Skills First” hiring philosophy for at least 5% of their jobs; build apprenticeship programs as a way to train this targeted talent to prepare them for the available jobs; and re-credential existing jobs to open more opportunity for the targeted community.
In April, Eli Lilly and Company launched Phase 1 of its Skills First agenda by launching a Professional Apprenticeship Program. This program aims to train individuals without a four-year degree and offer them permanent jobs at Lilly. The first 10 apprentices work in Human Resources and Lilly Research Labs. The second apprentice cohort begins in August, with 15 additional apprentices working in various company departments. This program offers the opportunity for underrepresented groups to be able to close socioeconomic gaps.
This spring, Lilly in its second Skills First program, called Technical Pathway Program, focuses specifically on IT skills enabling outcomes for various capabilities across the Information and Digital Solutions (IDS) function. IDS is made up of traditional IT, Advanced Analytics & Data Science, and Digital Health positions. Its goals are to:
Enable new entry level pathways to jobs in IDS at Lilly through intentional training and development, wrap around support, and a focus on skills development;
Partner with a talent developer to develop a diverse pool of workers experienced and/or certified within required skill sets to work in the Indianapolis area; and
Hire qualified individuals into a training program with the pathway to professional careers at Lilly.
TechPoint member Salesforce launched its Talent Alliance to directly address the diversity gap. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff notes “Salesforce is committed to empowering people from every background with the skills they need to build careers and thrive in the digital economy.”
The Salesforce Talent Alliance connects employers to Salesforce candidates and brings new talent into the ecosystem, emphasizing building a diverse workforce that reflects society around the globe. Salesforce partners commit to hiring new Salesforce professionals and incorporate inclusive hiring practices. Employers are connected to certified minority candidates through workforce development groups, educational institutions, and career changers through LinkedIn and career fairs. Job seekers are trained to become Salesforce-certified professionals, with an emphasis on underrepresented groups in tech including Black, Latinx, Indigenous, multiracial, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, veterans and military spouses with the goal of building a more diverse, inclusive and equitable workforce.
Early stage companies in the Indiana tech ecosystem also recognize the value and importance of anchoring on diversity. Darrian Mikell, co-Founder of Qualifi, says diversity is one of his company’s strategic advantages. Having diversity is hard-wired into Qualifi’s DNA and its operations, he said.
Darrian Mikell
“Diversity is integral to who we are as a company and we truly see it as a differentiating factor to our success,” he said.
The early successes of TechPoint members show that we can overcome our diversity challenges. Straight-forward steps like skills-first hiring can make a major impact. National research and local experience demonstrate that skills-based hiring is five times more predictive of a person’s future performance than their education, and two-and-a-half times more predictive than their prior experience. Skills-based hiring diversifies talent pools, accelerates the hiring process and increases the likelihood of retention.
Job descriptions that use gender-neutral language lead to 42% more responses and a two-week faster hiring time than those that use masculine language (e.g., assertive, dominant, competitive). Women tend to apply to jobs only when they meet 100% of the job requirements, while men will apply if they meet 60%. Similar gaps exist for candidates of color. And, workers who strongly agree that the job description was a good reflection of their job are 2.5 times more likely to be engaged as an employee.
There are many barriers to overcome to achieve the imperative of developing a workforce of 230,000 by 2030. Fortunately, Hoosier tech leaders and entrepreneurs are innovators and barrier busters.
TechPoint is taking the lead to ensure that Indiana’s tech community works together for the greatest impact and that we identify and address diversity gaps, and we are encouraged by initial actions, response and support.
Please continue to let me know if you know of other programs we can support or promote or if you have additional ideas.
Dennis Trinkle is executive vice president of TechPoint’s Talent Programs and Pathways.
