Contact:
Derek Turner
Derek@kaporcenter.org
323-388-9441
Eric Wingerter
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Kapor Center for Social Impact Responds to Twitter’s Diversity Numbers
 
The Kapor Center for Social Impact has issued the following statement in response to Twitter’s diversity numbers released this afternoon.
 
The numbers show that Twitter, like other major Silicon Valley companies, is overwhelmingly male, with only 2 percent of its work force black and 3 percent Latino.
 
“Genius is relatively evenly distributed throughout the population, yet the proportion of black and Latino men, or women of all backgrounds, remain shockingly low in tech,” said Freada Kapor Klein, Co-chair of the Kapor Center for Social Impact. “Fortunately, years of research have taught us how to fix the problem. It’s just a matter of having the will and the resources to make the change.”
 
The Kapor Center has designed research-based programs to address the “leaks” within various stages of the tech pipeline, as well as practical steps to mitigate hidden bias in the workplace.
 
“We talk about the meritocracy of Silicon Valley, when really it’s a mirrortocracy, as people tend to hire people who look like themselves at greater rates than other sectors,” said Mitch Kapor, Co-chair of the Kapor Center for Social Impact. “This homogeneity is extremely limiting for tech and, left unaddressed, will cap the growth potential for our industry.”
 
After releasing its own diversity data last month, Google announced a partnership with the Kapor Center to help Google and Silicon Valley improve workplace diversity.
 
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The Kapor Center for Social Impact pursues creative strategies that will leverage information technology for positive social impact. We primarily work with underrepresented communities, focusing on gap-closing endeavors. Learn more at www.kaporcenter.org