Diversity at SendGrid

Today we are taking the next step in our diversity efforts by releasing our demographic figures. We may not be the first to do this, however we are glad to be part of the movement in the tech industry to make it more diverse and inclusive. By becoming transparent with our figures we hope to not only positively influence the industry as a whole, but also hold ourselves accountable to continually measure and take steps to improve.

We have a multi-pronged strategy to help change the diversity imbalance both internally at SendGrid and in the industry as a whole:

Community – We are very active in championing various groups across the diversity spectrum. Our primary activity is towards the women-in-tech community, and are grateful to partner with such groups as Girl Develop It, Women Who Code, Railsbridge, The Girly Geeks, and The It Girls. All SendGrid employees, but specifically our technical female employees, are encouraged to serve as positive role models and extend their influence by actively participating in these communities.

Culture – To foster inclusivity and awareness, we educate our employees on why diversity matters and hold trainings on unconscious bias, discrimination, and harassment. We also hold periodic roundtable discussions, modify our office environment, and constantly analyze our recruiting and hiring process.

Cohorts – Taking our Community strategy to the next level and with respect to our gender focus, we have been fortunate to develop an amazing relationship with the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) and are proud members of their Leadership Team, Pacesetters Group, and Entrepreneurial Alliance. This allows us many opportunities to not only have a deeper level of participation, but more importantly, be accountable.

We have room for improvement championing other under-represented groups, but we’re implementing our strategy across these areas as we speak.  An example of a recently built partnership with amazing promise is with the Flatirons LGBTQ Tech group.  We are excited to see how that specific relationship and others, evolve.

In closing, diversity and inclusion at SendGrid does not mean ticking the boxes or adhering to quotas. Instead, we see it as not only the right thing to do, but an integral part and essential to the continued success and maturity of our company, industry, nation, and world. We’re proud of the work we’ve done thus far, realize that we have a lot of work still ahead (it’s a marathon not a sprint), and most importantly are committed to seeing change!