SACE 2023: Shaping a New Digital Reality with DEI

I recently attended the fifth annual Sadie Collective conference.

The conference focused on the interaction of technology growth with socioeconomics and how this overlap inevitably impacts digital communities and the B2B software buyer market. In this article, I highlight my takeaways from the conference and how it is pertinent to focus on inclusivity in the digital world. 

What is the Sadie Collective, or SACE 2023?

The Sadie Collective is an organization set out to honor the legacy of Dr. Sadie T.M. Alexander by helping mend the gap for black women in economic-related fields. The theme for SACE 2023 was the economic intersection of growth in the digital world. 

Topics discussed during the conference included “the impact of trade in a digital economy towards marginalized communities“ and “what the emergence of technology means for black women. “

My overall takeaway from the conference was how integral it is to include black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) women in technology to drive companies' and economies' success, thereby connecting to G2's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) related to the G2 value of authenticity.

Meeting halfway—the growth of technology with socioeconomics

During a breakout session at the SACE event, software developer Sheena Allen went into great detail, breaking down the future of economic and technological trends with black women at the center.

Some of the interesting and key technology trends that she mentioned are:

“Seat at the table” versus “create your own table”

This theory presented how many qualified BIPOC women may feel it is difficult to be promoted or move into executive roles at many tech companies (earning a seat at the table).

Therefore, creating your own table through active entrepreneurship is the alternative. It is a fact that entrepreneurship accelerates economic growth. The trend that the tech industry may witness in the future is rather than being stalemated; many BIPOC women may move forward by investing in themselves and being the head of their own table.

“Unbanked and underbanked”

Allen highlighted what it means to be an unbanked versus an underbanked citizen. Unbanked citizens are those who do not have any form of a bank account, while underbanked are those who have a bank account but lack access to mainstream financial services. This topic was a key point to the discussion as many people from marginalized communities may find themselves in either demographic.

The trend predicted to alleviate this burden is the rise of equitable financial services as software. An example used was Capway, a mobile app that helps create financial access as a financial service provider. However, in the B2B market, I think of financial wellness software, where the main objective is to help companies equip their employees with financial management education and help alleviate financial stress.

These trends not only show that digital transformation is occurring at a rapid pace but also that BIPOC women are at the center of it and are equal leaders in this area. For example, 6 of the top 10 global software companies have a BIPOC woman on their executive or senior leadership team. 

This cements that providing representation within companies matters, and if the representation is not evident, take the opportunity to create your own table! 

Bold solutions for a broken system

According to Zippia, the tech industry accounts for 7.9% of the labor force in the United States. Despite the substantial influence and contribution of the tech industry, Black Americans only hold 7% of jobs, proving that much more work needs to be done to ensure DEI in companies. 

If the tech industry intends to grow to its fullest potential, a new digital reality must be shaped. 

Continuing to build upon the industry’s diversity metrics in correlation to skillsets is crucial. For example, at G2, diversity is measured not only as gender and racial variables but also includes experiences, socioeconomic status, and even tenure by some definitions.

The chart above highlights data as of the end of Q4FY23. It illustrates how the G2 Senior Leadership Team (SLT) is predominantly women identifying, allowing G2 to shape a new reality of what leadership looks like in the tech industry. 

This diversity within our SLT is one of the reasons G2 has remained a resilient company during these economic hardships. Even Forbes noted that G2’s conscious company culture is one key factor to our platform's success.

Mirroring the diversity and authenticity of B2B software reviews that G2 provides regarding the B2B buying process, G2 aims to develop and grow their DEI efforts suiting a successful future. 

This dedication to diversity and inclusion illustrates G2’s conscious leadership, where growth follows when others can identify and connect with the people within the organization they work with.

What does diversity have to do with B2B software?

For me, diversity is the practice or quality of being unique, and that's what sets you apart.

Even in choosing B2B software, diversity is exceptionally prevalent. For example, for talent acquisition teams seeking qualified professionals, it’d be worth exploring G2’s Diversity Recruiting Software category. This form of recruiting software removes unconscious bias that may be hard to identify during the recruiting process. 

Additionally, G2’s Diversity & Inclusion Consulting Providers category lists consultants who help identify issues and create an actionable plan for change for the company based on market presence. 

However, technology can only be as good as the team and companies behind them. It is time to go further than automation advances in today's digital age.

Edited by Jigmee Bhutia