Diversity & Inclusion
in a Startup Hub
Understanding Your Ecosystems Needs
How do we define underrepresented communities locally?
Are there goals around serving underrepresented founders?
How does that differ from community to community?
“
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It’s always important to be mindful of a variety of factors when creating a strategy. D&I needs are defined by the unique historical, political and cultural aspects of specific locations.
In this deck you’ll find frameworks like Harvard’s ‘PESTEL analysis’ and Kapor’s ‘Leaky Tech Pipeline’ which will help you map opportunities and gaps for improvements in D&I within your ecosystem.
Each of these factors intersect with individuals and groups in different ways.
Primary dimension for measuring diversity are normally physically obvious
Other secondary dimensions are more subtle. Socio-economic factors often determines access to opportunities. False/dangerous assumptions often conflate with lack of access to these opportunities with ability or motivation, thereby reinforcing a cycle where underrepresented groups remain underrepresented.
Use the diagram to the right to clarify what criteria you use to concentrate your efforts in your D&I initiatives.
Source North Central University
What defines an underrepresented minority?
Use the “PESTEL framework” to consider D&I Needs in your ecosystem
P
Political
Government Policies
Political Stability
Level of Involvement from Gov. Bodies
Supports Available
Processes Involved
E
Economic
Workforce Education
Economic Growth
Disposable Income
Unemployment Rates
Employment Opportunities
S
Social
Population Growth Rate
Age Distribution
Lifestyle Attitudes
Cultural Influences and Norms
T
Technology
Research & Development Activity
Ecosystem Maturity
Technological Awareness
Technological Change & Automation
E
Environment
Geographical Location
Weather/ Climate Stability
Accessibility
Environmental Policies
Pressure from NGO’s
L
Law
(Anti) Discrimination Laws
Government
Religious
Corporate
PESTLE analysis of Ireland’s Ecosystem
Desktop Research (~30 mins)
Technology
25% tax credit against R&D, 24 top pharma companies, top 10 digital. STEM education entrepreneurial education very low, especially among females
Environmental
Stable weather, behind on EPA targets, relatively accessible in terms of infrastructure however low representation of disabled peoples in tech
Law
Democratic, liberal leaning, peaceful society, centrist government, employee protection laws in place
Political
Stable government, strong supports in general for entrepreneurship and well developed third level institutions.
Economic
Unemployment rate of 4.6%, 42.86% 25-54 years old, above average education, low corporate tax
Social
Life expectancy of 82, population of 4.6m, growth rate of 1.32%. Activities are often alcohol centric. 1/7 people in Ireland 15-24 are minority ethnicity.
Summary of Ireland’s Ecosystem
Insights regarding D&I challenges in Ireland in tech and entrepreneurship are:
Youth & STEM, Women in STEM, Disability Access - new focus on cognitive difference (mental health & High Functioning Autism in particular).
For this reason our hub is targeting the following:
Priority Groups | Priority #1 Gender | Priority #2 Disability | Priority #3 Culture | Priority #4 Youth |
Description | Girls in STEM (secondary) Working Mothers (highest drop off) Women in Tech Gender Orientation & Tech | Mobility Visual Hearing Cognitive (mental health, inclusion & HFA) | Race/Ethnicity Religious Orientation Immigration Status Language & Communication | Youth In STEM Youth Entrepreneurs |
Addressing D&I Across Tech
Areas to focus on
The Kapor Center for Social Impact identified these key areas for their impact on D&I across tech
This is a helpful way of looking at the overall tech ecosystem to understand how your hub can play a role in supporting D&I at each level.
Capture What You’re Doing Already
using the Kapor Model
Education & Youth Support
Tech Workforce
Entrepreneurship & VC