Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at Sand Hill Angels
Sand Hill Angels is passionate about creating an inclusive ecosystem within our membership, partners and portfolio companies, as a means of promoting and celebrating diversity, equity, and inclusion. We likewise encourage our applicants to embrace our inclusive approach.
We understand that the entrepreneurial process is already challenging, and the additional barriers that diverse entrepreneurs face often adds even more obstacles.. We seek to help break down those barriers by promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the following ways:
Committing to inviting underrepresented founders and CEOs to participate in formal pitch events, and when appropriate, serving as valuable mentors.
Committing to an inclusive organization through culture development, policies, and practices including unconscious-bias awareness and diversity, equity and inclusion related education throughout the organization.
Implementation of a formal discrimination / harassment policy and a process for anonymous reporting of any issues related to discrimination and/or harassment. View here.
Implementation of transparent and public self-reporting of diversity metrics for the organization and portfolio companies as well as a public commitment to specific diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.
Encouraging our partners, portfolio companies, and their boards to take similar actions to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in their own organizations.
What is DEI?
Diversity is the presence of differences that may include race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, language, (dis)ability, age, religious commitment, or political perspective.
Populations that have been (and remain) underrepresented among practitioners in the field and marginalized in the broader society.
Equity is promoting justice, impartiality and fairness within the procedures, processes, and distribution of resources by institutions or systems. Tackling equity issues requires an understanding of the root causes of outcome disparities within our society.
Inclusion is an outcome to ensure those that are diverse actually feel and/or are welcomed. Inclusion outcomes are met when you, your institution, and your program are truly inviting to all. To the degree to which diverse individuals are able to participate fully in the decision-making processes and development opportunities within an organization or group.
Used with permission of: Luster, S. ed. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion eFieldbook. 1st ed., Kansas City: Extension Foundation, 2019.