Grappling with bias in the tech industry

Hi there,

Last week we committed to opening up our podcast to voices that we feel need to be heard as the movement for racial justice continues to gain momentum. This week, Deena McKay, a technologist, speaker, and founder of the Black Tech Unplugged podcast interviews startup lawyer and Columbia Law professor Lynnise Pantin on the biases that course through the tech industry.

This momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement is one that must keep flowing into the future. So, as part of our journey to become strong allies, we are making a commitment to use the Inside Intercom platforms to reflect the diverse communities that we serve and are part of. This means seeking out more people from underrepresented communities to join our podcast and contribute to the blog.

We’d like this to be the start of a dialogue with all of you. If you’ve read a resource on the topic of becoming an ally, on systemic racism and injustice, or on breaking apart bias in the tech industry that you’ve found helpful, will you share it with us? We’ll add those additional resources to the reading list we published last week.

In support,

Alexa Collins

What we've been writing

DEE REDDY

Inside Intercom X Black Tech Unplugged

Deena McKay, creator of the Black Tech Unplugged podcast, takes over the Inside Intercom podcast and interviews Lynnise Pantin on the biases at play in the tech ecosystem.

PAUL ADAMS

Product Judgment: How some people can repeatedly create product success

Product Judgment is a complex topic and one that is often poorly understood by many. Our SVP of Product shares how he learned to have strong Product Judgment and provides tips so that you can, too.

ALEXA COLLINS

Strategies for building a resilient business

Industry leaders from companies like SimpleLegal, Yotpo, and Frontify share insights for how to craft a business resilience strategy – one that deeply considers the needs of employees.

JOHN COLLINS

Reading list: Reflections on the fight for racial justice

We paused our usual publishing schedule last week to pause, listen, learn, and take action in our own ways. Here are some of the resources that were shared internally at Intercom as many of us sought to educate ourselves and become better allies.

What we've been reading

Maintaining professionalism in the age of black death is….a lot →

“Whether the powers that be hear or acknowledge their chants is one thing, but it’s the community formed by the injustice of another black death that acts as a temporary solve. And while some of us take to the streets, the rest of us have to hide these shared feelings behind professionalism."

Reflections from a token black friend→

“It suggests that my blackness is a burden, when in fact, minimizing my blackness was most often my burden.”

From Fyre fest to Theranos, the invisible racial subtext of raising capital →

“I see firsthand how entrepreneurs of color with great ideas, hustle, grit and actual products struggle to find mentorship and financing for their ventures. Quite simply, these talented, ambitious entrepreneurs do not have the same access to capital as their White counterparts.”