Achieving DEI in Tech Vendor Selection
Description
Many organizations do not have a formal vendor evaluation process, and even more do not have a universal DEI requirement around that assessment. Especially within the technology space which has lacked in provider diversity, organizations by and large support white, male, heterosexual, cisgendered owned or led businesses. It is important we shine a spotlight on the need to be intentional in how dollars are being spent on all vendors – tech included.
In this session we would discuss the imperative for more representation among an organization’s vendor partners, practical tips for including a formal process around assessment that includes DEI parameters, and feature several incredible BIPOC, women and LGBTQIA+ nonprofit technology providers that deserve more visibility.
Session Type
30 minute sessionLearning Outcomes
- Have a better appreciation for the imperative and opportunity for more representation in the vendors they pay.
- Incorporate a DEI lens into the vendor selection process
- Lift up the diverse talent in the vendor landscape and spread the word in their own communities
Target Audience
Anyone involved in evaluating outside vendors.Tags
Speakers
Mitch Stein
Founder & CEO
MPowerUs
Mitch is a fanatic about impact with a strong belief in the scalability of social entrepreneurship. He’s on a mission to boost nonprofit impact by harnessing the economic engine of the sector to create shared digital infrastructure with the MPowerUs marketplace.
Prior to founding MPowerUs in 2020, Mitch was an experienced nonprofit fundraiser, board member and spent 7 years in investment banking at Goldman Sachs.
Kellie Brown
Founder/CEO
SpreadKarma
Kellie Brown is a crowdfunding consultant and social entrepreneur who has worked to leverage partnerships, philanthropy, and fundraising efforts for underserved and underestimated communities in Philadelphia and Baltimore for over a decade. She is the CEO/founder of the online fundraising platform, SpreadKarma.org. SpreadKarma® empowers positive social impact in underserved and marginalized communities through crowdfunding.
Kellie is also the co-creator of Spread Good Karma Day, August 1st, which kicks off Black Philanthropy Month. Last August, her team rallied volunteers and partnering organizations to help serve 150 families while delivering groceries and meals in Baltimore city. SpreadKarma® was recently listed as one of 20 promising tech startups to watch in Baltimore by Technical.ly. Other exciting news for SpreadKarma® includes the acceptance into Johns Hopkins Social Innovations Lab Accelerator that is running simultaneously with InnovationWorks-GSBI’s Accelerator. She’s the winner of the Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) Foundation Pitch Competition as well as a finalist in the Attman Competitive Business Prize Competition and the Rise to the Challenge Pitch Competition hosted by the University of Baltimore. SpreadKarma® helps individuals, social entrepreneurs, nonprofit organizations, and businesses build stronger communities.