Alley is committed to amplifying the unique voices, experiences, and career advancement of women, Black, indigenous, people of color, LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities. It is our responsibility to address the shortcomings in the technology industry so we can begin to include and diversify not only our employee base but also the communities we invest in.
To this end, we are proud to partner with Out in Tech — one of many first steps toward seeking greater diversity, equity, and inclusion at Alley. Out in Tech is the world’s largest community of LGBTQ+ tech professionals that seeks greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Founded in 2013, Out in Tech now has more than 40,000 members in 16 cities globally. Out in Tech volunteers have collectively devoted over 10,000 hours to help groups fighting for LGBTQ+ equality worldwide and to mentor LGBTQ+ identifying youth.
In addition to the network and community Out in Tech provides within our industry, they also hold focused programs to help create social change in the world at large. 2020 was an opportunity for us to participate in their Digital Corps and their Mentorship program.
The Digital Corps is a one-day volunteer opportunity we encourage anyone at Alley to participate in — and all are welcome. Out In Tech gathers LGBTQ+ activists and social entrepreneurs from around the world that need help with their web projects. The volunteers then work together to provide web services and a free WordPress website for grassroots organizations. It’s an amazing opportunity to share our expertise and skills to help further social change in our community.
Out in Tech U’s Mentorship Program pairs LGBTQ+ youth with tech professionals from Out in Tech’s membership and sponsor organizations. Mentees learn a mix of technical and professional skills needed for launching a successful career, and mentors get an opportunity to share their experiences with the next generation of tech professionals.
Recruiting and retaining women, Black, indigenous, LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities is one of the biggest challenges facing our company and others today. We see it as our responsibility to help decenter the dominant culture in tech by tackling these challenges directly. Our partnership with Out in Tech will work on expanding a peer network for sharing best practices, exploring emerging topics in workplace belonging, providing opportunities for mentorship, and building a community that better represents the depth and breadth of the world around us.
We were excited to participate in the Digital Corps and Mentorship programs this year and look forward to continuing our partnership with Out in Tech and staying involved with their programs. Working with Out In Tech is just one of many ways we are looking to fulfill and embody our DEI pledge; you can learn more about our other efforts in this post.
For more information about Out in Tech and joining Qorporate, its corporate council, visit outintech.com/qorporate.