A letter from our CEO to the team at SnapEngage
As we face unprecedented waves of social and economic turbulence, I urge all of us to use this moment as an opportunity to inspire positive change in our communities and in ourselves.
So long as racism remains a stain on our collective humanity, we cannot call ourselves truly human. SnapEngage supports the global peaceful protests and calls for reform.
A commitment to diversity is not new for us, it is a core value. We have always been a diverse, international team and we reject any form of racism. SnapEngage was founded on diversity by two foreigners who came to the United States. We are happy we built a team with people from all over the world, regardless of their nationality, skin color, religion, or sexual orientation. Promoting cultural exchanges and creating community within SnapEngage has been a core value for us from the beginning.
In the light of recent events around George Floyd’s murder and protests all around the world (the Black Lives Matter movement is supported by protests across our Boulder, Colorado and Berlin, Germany offices), we need to reinforce our core values. There are a couple things we could act on right away, and there are things that we must continue to have at the heart of our company: Respect, Open mindedness, Willingness to support each other as equals. When we do this, we each do our part in making our world a little better.
1. We will be reaching out and offering our software for free to the following organizations:
https://www.blackgirlscode.
2. Charitable contributions. We will set up an annual budget to donate to one of these charitable organizations. Even in trying times (COVID-19) and even though we are a small company, our contribution will make a difference.
3. We are encouraging our teams to take advantage of an important company benefit: Service Days. For example, Black Girls Code and Hack The Hood look for experienced coders who want to mentor underrepresented youth of color. We will also look to volunteer at upcoming opportunities in Denver.
4. The leadership team will recommit to driving real results around diversity, inclusion, open communication, and tolerance. Not just at SnapEngage, but in our communities as well.
If you are looking to support the community, here is another idea: support Black businesses. Your money is powerful. Where you spend and how you spend could help change the tide.
Here is a list of Black-owned businesses near our Boulder, Colorado office.
Here is a growing list of Black and Brown businesses near our other office location Berlin, Germany. The map is provided by a website called Black Brown Berlin.I am inspired to see so many people around the world exercise their constitutional and civil freedoms to stand up for what is right.
Thank you,
Sofia Rossato
SnapEngage CEO
Curious about the organizations mentioned above? Learn more here:
1. https://www.code2040.org/
Code2040 is a nonprofit activating, connecting, and mobilizing the largest racial equity community in tech to dismantle the structural barriers that prevent the full participation and leadership of Black and Latinx technologists in the innovation economy.
2. https://www.blackgirlscode.
Black Girls Code has a vision to increase the number of women of color in the digital space by empowering girls of color ages 7 to 17 to become innovators in STEM fields, leaders in their communities, and builders of their own futures through exposure to computer science and technology. To train 1 million girls by 2040.
3. https://www.hackthehood.org/
Hack the Hood serves under-resourced youth of color, ages 16-25, who are interested in pursuing tech-related careers, but who do not yet have access to the resources they need to succeed.
