by Emily McDonnell

ALONE. LOST. CONFLICTED. CURIOUS. GRATEFUL. HOPEFUL.

These are a few of the reflection words that were shared at the end of the GENDEX kick-off evening. While they feel intense, they do justice to the complexity of the topic of diversity, because let’s face it, there’s no clear definition of what the word means. There’s no standard agreement on how organisations should address it, and incredibly limited data on how we can track it. But what was clear, is while the topic can be divisive, it is a topic that deserves more attention.

THE EVENT

On a cold, rainy late April evening, around 20 individuals from VC, entrepreneurship, academia, policy and consulting gathered at the Best Nights VC office in Mitte, with high hopes and limited knowledge of what was to come (myself included). All we knew was that Founderland was officially launching GENDEX, and wanted to spend a few hours connecting and exploring the topic over sharing plates by The Night Shift.

Rather than an informal discussion in small groups, we held one large conversation, which created a sense of intimacy and vulnerability I’ve rarely experienced at events where you don’t know the other attendees. After a round of sharing why diversity and inclusion are something close to each of us, it became clear that even within a room where people would all consider themselves working to create a better world through their work, the topic is a loaded one.

THE BIGGEST ISSUE: NO CERTAINTY AND NO CLARITY.

What actually is diversity? What’s the vision? Where are we taking it? How can allies really participate? Why should companies care? Where do we get data? Why would we track it? Does it really have an impact?

After sharing GENDEX’s mission –  to act like the B Corp for diversity in European innovation, by building an index to bridge data gaps, creating access to diverse talent, ensuring evidence-based decision-making, and generally building a more inclusive ecosystem – the table was quiet.

“Wow, that’s a lot,” came one voice from around the edge of the candlelit table. The round nodded in agreement. “And you want to do that by the end of December…?” In short, yes.

There is a clear consensus that while DEI is crucial, the term has become polarising and is at risk of losing its meaning. This is similar in many ways to what has happened with CSR and ESG, with companies ticking boxes for the sake of it, to try and create a better public profile while taking little-to-no real action. With diversity, equity and inclusion, we must avoid falling into this trap.

As guests shared personal experiences of rolling out (or trying to) CSR, ESG and DEI in the workplace, the dialogue emphasised the need to shift from viewing DEI as an ideological concept to integrating it as a practical, common-sense part of business strategies. But how?

Luckily for us, the guests were not just passionate, but full of ideas, too.

SOLUTIONS AND STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE DEI:

There were a significant number of potential strategies and solutions ping-ponged around the table in just a few hours, but the standout solutions were:

Keep it simple and go step by step. The topic of DEI is complex and deep; for many, it’s hard to know where to begin when approaching it, and many fear making mistakes. We need to find a way to simplify the DEI processes and make them less daunting. For instance, creating manageable, small steps to help people dip their toe into the water.

Make it measurable, keep it simple. While DEI can often feel qualitative, we know that what gets measured gets done, especially within an organisational context. It was proposed that GENDEX create impact-centric KPIs that will demonstrate the positive benefits to a company when DEI is core to a business. Attendees suggested that, in addition to creating traditional business KPIs, we could measure aspects like psychological safety, inclusiveness of the organisational culture, and the creation of safe spaces as indicators of DEI progress. At GENDEX, we can be active in highlighting the organisations that are successfully implementing DEI, use data and statistics to hold actors accountable, and show DEI’s positive impact on the bottom line.

Ensure active buy-in from key organisations and allies. Similarly, it was evident that GENDEX cannot and will not connect with everyone within the coming months, therefore it’s key to identify a target audience who can benefit from, and expertly manage, the tool. Guests identified impact investors, Series B tech companies, and sectors like education and state-funded organisations as primary targets for initial DEI efforts. Finding allies and potential GENDEX champions will be essential to ensuring that the tool is not only tried but fully implemented and managed. These champions will also be valuable in shifting DEI from a set of KPIs to a lived culture.

As glasses ran dry and the evening drew to a natural end, a final thought arose: while a GENDEX certification should be something that organisations are required to earn, it should also act as a show of dedication to improving DEI. The topic is a difficult and loaded one, and rather than creating something that potentially pushes people who fear that their organisation won’t be listed as GENDEX DEI certified, the tool should show a commitment to progress and thus be worn as a badge of honour.

Thank you to all the guests for their openness and honesty. We’re truly grateful and excited (if not a little overwhelmed) to get started.

It’s clear that one of the first key steps is creating a concrete, measurable definition of what DEI is, and outlining how – by harnessing it – organisations can develop a better culture, happier employees and better returns.

What do you think? We’d love to hear from you and your organisation on how you approach the topic of DEI, and what you would need in order to push the topic further in your work. We can’t wait to have you join the conversation.

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