Sand Hill Angels’ Focus on Diversity, Equality and Inclusion
Sand Hill Angels’ Focus on Diversity, Equality and Inclusion
Sand Hill Angels is one of the oldest and largest angel investment groups in the United States. For much, if not all of that time, we have focused on being diverse – both in membership and in the entrepreneurial businesses in which we have invested. Personally, as someone who identifies as diverse – I’m gay – my observations during 5 ½ years of membership are that we are diverse in both aspects, and I have not felt discrimination either blatantly or indirectly.
I am the self-appointed, volunteer Sand Hill Angels’ Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) champion. To codify what we have been doing and what we want to do in the future, we have five objectives as our guiding light. They are:
To show leadership among angel investment groups, and more broadly, throughout the world, that we promote and celebrate diversity, equality and inclusion.
To assist Sand Hill Angels to be the best it can be.
To show leadership to our portfolio companies in helping them be the best they can be.
To encourage entrepreneurs who identify as diverse to apply and know they will be supported and will not experience discrimination.
To encourage prospective members who identify as diverse to join and know they will not experience discrimination.
We also have a Sand Hill Angles Equality Statement on the About page of our website, and on our website in the section where entrepreneurs apply for funding so that we encourage entrepreneurs who identify as diverse to apply.
Likewise, it is on our website in the section where prospective members apply. We want all prospective members who otherwise meet our qualifications to feel comfortable applying.
I’m aware that not all people believe that a focus on DEI is the right thing to do because it points out differences rather than similarities. In my opinion, diverse thinking, diverse points of view, and diverse organizations all bring multiple perspectives which collectively create better outcomes for our members and our portfolio companies. Everyone wins.
When I’m asked what diversity means to me, I’ve answered the same way for the past 30 years. To me, diversity means “walk a mile in my shoes.” It is by telling our unique stories that we will fully understand each other, how each of us sees the world and how each of us is made to feel by others. That is how I embrace diversity and that is how I have experienced my colleagues at Sand Hill Angels embrace diversity as well.
We are always looking for ways to reinforce our commitment to DEI to build on the success we have compiled over the past 20 years. We are continuously looking for new ways to improve our diversity mix and our commitment to equality.