Readers' Voices: Diversity in tech starts from the top
An entrepreneur on why Silicon Valley needs to shift the conversation on minority outreach.
Add Duane Johnson's voice to those making the case for diversity in Silicon Valley. As an African-American tech entrepreneur, he knows the importance of diversity for his company and his career. But he also says a diverse workforce is just good business.
After all, the United States is on track to become a majority-minority nation by 2040. Companies will have to reach out to blacks and Latinos to be competitive, Johnson says. He, along with the Rev. Jesse Jackson and others who have called out tech companies for lack of diversity, applauded Intel's announcement this month that it will commit $300 million to significantly increase its number of black, Hispanic and female workers by 2020.
However, the nation also needs to have a conversation about how to open the spigots of capital to minority entrepreneurs, Johnson says. If minority owners succeed, they in turn will hire more minorities. That's a top-down approach to increasing diversity.
What other insights did this entrepreneur have about how to increase diversity in the tech industry and why it's important? Listen to this installment Readers' Voices with hosts Eileen Rivers (Web and social media editor for USA TODAY's Editorial Page) and Michelle Poblete (USA TODAY's Your Say editor).
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