Mass Technology Leadership Council calls on its members to double states Black, Latinx tech employees as par – MassLive.com

Massachusetts largest group of tech companies is calling on its members to double the percentage of Black and Latinx employees in the state by the end of the decade.

Introduced on Monday, the 2030 Challenge by the Mass Technology Leadership Council aims to push the percentage of Black employees at tech companies in Massachusetts to 10% and Latinx workers to 14%.

While MassTCL specifically mentioned Black and Latinx workers, the organization will continue to strive for gender equity within the tech work-sphere asa well.

According to the MassTLC, the Massachusetts tech sector does not adequately reflect the diverse population of the state.

More than calling for change, the MassTLC is asking its more than 450 members to commit to The Tech Compact for Social Justice, which outlines 12 steps to accomplish its 2030 Challenge.

So far more than 60 companies have agreed to the commitment.

This is a time when people are speaking out and we, as leaders, need to listen to them, CEO of MassTLC Tom Hopcroft said in a statement. This is how change happens, and it is why we launched The Tech Compact for Social Justice. We recognize that Boston and the tech industry have more to do to support and encourage the inclusion of black, Latinx and Indigenous people and we accept our responsibility to do more to make change at the company and community level.

By agreeing to the Tech Compact for Social Justice, companies commit to introducing or expanding educational programs and opportunities that promote diversity. The compact states companies should invest in students of color to create more diversity in developmental programs too.

They also commit to creating more diversity within leadership and board composition.

The CEO of companies will be evaluated on racially diverse hiring, leadership development, and promotion, the compact says.

By June 2022, companies that join the compact agree to self report demographic data of employees and hiring practices including at the leadership level and promotions. Reporting data will also include self reporting on racial diversity initiatives in purchasing and procurement as well as aggregate pay parity.

Outside of the day-to-day operations, the compact calls for companies to leverage products and communications to support communities of color. Companies will also advocate for public policies that support opportunities for people of color.

More than 60 companies have already signed on including Akamai, iRobot, TripAdvisor, Verizon and Wayfair.

At Akamai, diversity is a mission-critical goal, executive vice president and chief human resources officer of Akamai Technologies Anthony Williams said in a statement. As long-time active members of MassTLC we are proud to join forces with them to create long-term change in the Massachusetts technology community. By pooling resources with other companies, we harness our collective influence for greater impact.