Behind the Effort to Make Startup Boards More Inclusive

Written byU rvashi Verma

Published on Nov. 26, 2019

Diversity, equity and inclusion is a problem that the tech industry seems to talk a lot about, but hasn’t yet figured out how to fix. In an effort to bridge that gap, a group of powerful stakeholders in the Chicago tech ecosystem are taking a closer look at the issue with a hyperlocal focus and an eye toward actionable next steps.

Chicago’s existing tech workforce, much like Silicon Valley’s, is predominantly white and male. Women fill less than 10 percent of board positions, and African Americans and Hispanics comprise a scant 2 percent of board members in startups funded through the city’s venture ecosystem, according to data released by Chicago Blend in partnership with The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago.

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