Supplier Diversity
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iversity in STE A M www.diversityinsteam.com
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iversity and inclusion in the tech space has been a hot topic for some time now. While some are still learning, others are crushing it. One company at the forefront of innovative Supplier Diversity programs and other inclusion initiatives is Proximo, an information solutions firm that, amongst other services, provides data analytics, integration and predictive analytics to its clients. We decided to chat with Proximo's CEO, David Ricciardi, about what they find works. Diversity in STEAM ( DISM ): What separates Proximo from the competition in terms of supplier diversity and DNI (diversity and inclusion) initiatives? David Ricciardi (DR): Well, this is interesting when we talk about the STEAM space and our competition, since it's such a broad cat- egory filled with many companies. Proximo is squarely in the data and analytics seg- ment of STEAM, and, in that area, you'll see a ton of small, niche companies, specialists as well as big players with mature D&I and Supplier Diversity programs - think Accen- ture and IBM. We may not compete for the same contracts, but we do compete for tal- ent, both vendors and people. So, we emu- late the big players to differentiate from the competitors in our size category. We built a good Supplier Diversity program, where were always looking for new diverse ven-
Welcome to Our Tech Talk!
Interview with David Ricciardi
dors to add value. We routinely exceed 33 percent diverse spend. In the talent space, we've struggled more, which I think a lot of companies have, to find diverse tech talent. So again, we've started to emulate what we see larger companies do, otherwise we're ishing from the same candidate pools everyone else is - and where, in STEAM, diverse talent is under-represented. We've launched intern programs where we include HBCUs for recruiting, and experiment with jobs sites that cater to specific populations. Again, I hope this helps differentiate us - if we find that next great person to join the team by looking where no one else did, it'll give us a leg up in the market. DISM: What makes supplier diversity so important to your company and why should your industry focus on it more? DR: Oh, this is a great topic. Id say the same things many companies with good Supplier Diversity programs would say - that it lets us find vendors that can deliver value. Simply put, a bigger pool of vendors offers more choices. I'd just be hurting my business if I limited my options to the small set of people in our immediate circle. We've found vendors we can use, or partner with, that have brought innovative ideas. Some- imes, it provides talent around a specific job. For instance, right now were building a platform that needs to be accessible, so we're using a company to help us test that has staffwith a wide array of disabilities, minimizing the chance we'll miss something and thus le@ing us deliver a better product. We also have a line of business that is spe- cifically focused on diversity analytics, and we very intentionally ensure that all vendors we use that touch those projects are certi- ied diverse. We've got to walk that walk, as it were. So, all of this is a long-winded way of saying if we can benefit from supplier diversity, you can also benefit. And it also positively impacts society and the economy, as we're helping to create and maintain jobs - and STEAM can have an outsized impact as, in our industry, the jobs are generally well paying. DISM: How do you (or could you) help your clients use data and analytics to create more inclusive professional environments and reach a more inclusive customer base? DR: Analytics can be a powerful ally in this. We have customers that have wanted to demonstrate internally that there are diverse suppliers in specific commodity ar- eas. After all, there's always nay-sayers out there. So, we blend data from public data sources to show numbers of diverse sup- pliers and then if they over or under index against a benchmark for utilization. We've got another client that wanted to see if their engagement with diverse suppliers led to more home ownership in those diverse communities that they serve as customers. Yet another had been advocating to their suppliers to hire veterans in their workforce, and we provide data and analytics to show how successful they were. There are so many ways we can help clients show their impact and help guide their efforts. DISM: What strategies have worked best for you when it comes to creating inclusion that other companies in your field should be implementing? DR: I can speak to what I think is working for us, although I want to be clear I dont think we at Proximo have solved the issue of inclusion. This is always a work in progress, and probably always will be. And Ill focus my answer to share what I can with my fellow diverse small businesses. On the sup- plier side, inclusion means more than your tribe, whatever tribe that is. While bringing in vendors like you may technically count as diverse, theyre not diverse if theyre the same as you. Look far and wide. There're many suppliers out there that can help you add value, you just need to put in the effort to find them. And effort is key. They just don't show up at your door. And if some do and they're not the right fit, you can't just say well, I tried. Inclusion takes sustained work. It needs to be part of the process. On the workforce side, in a STEAM field, I haven't figured out the formula yet, but I do think you need to look at those in college. I am seeing more diversity in tech then I've seen before - certainly a lot more than when I went to school many, many, many years ago. But this means you've got to invest in employee development. So again, no easy answer. It takes work. But if I didnt believe the work was worth it, I wouldnt be talking to you now.
PHOTO CREDIT: DAVID RICCIARDI, PROXIMO
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