Partnering with Advancing Women in Product and Code2040 to Effect Change in the Tech Industry

With offices in both San Francisco and Seattle, Sift Science is surrounded by some of the greatest thinkers and doers in the industry. A tech ecosystem’s strength and sustainability depend in part on its connection to its surrounding community. We’re committed to cultivating relationships with local movers and shakers — one way we can do this is by sharing our space with them and magnifying their points of view and perspectives.

Recently, we opened up our San Francisco space to two organizations doing important work at the intersection of social justice, equality, and technology: Advancing Women in Product (AWIP) and Code2040.

In June, Cameron, one of Sift’s recruiting coordinators, partnered with Code2040, an NGO headquartered in San Francisco that empowers and fosters the next generation of Black and Latinx software developers. One of their most prominent programs is their Fellows Program, which connects college-aged CS majors and engineers with focused mentorship as well as an internship at a cutting edge tech company.

Sift volunteered our office space in San Francisco to host Code2040’s Summer Mentor Manager’s Training. As managers prepared to welcome in their Code2040 Fellows, they received management training on issues related to diversity and inclusion. This daylong training brought in over 50 engineering managers from across San Francisco, raising awareness on how they can best support and foster an environment of inclusion and belonging.

Rachel, a member of our recruiting team, teamed up with Advancing Women in Product (AWIP). They are a mentorship and networking organization on a mission to empower the next generation of women product leaders. In an industry with a historically imbalanced ratio of men and women, AWIP creates opportunities for aspiring and growing product managers to network, learn from, and teach one another.

In July, we partnered with AWIP to host the event, “Technical Skills for Product Managers Decoded,” an interactive workshop aimed to help product managers build confidence around technical product management. Over 40 attendees gathered at our San Francisco office and watched product managers and engineers – including our very own Megan Mann (Product Manager) – walk through a spec exercise.

The tech field is growing and shifting quickly as new tech emerges and becomes more vital to the economy. With these changes comes the even more crucial need to focus on building an environment, a business, and a culture that reaches out into our community. Diversity, inclusion, and belonging are key to Sift. By supporting organizations that empower women and underrepresented minorities, we’re working to build a diverse workforce that’s representative of the world around us. This is only the beginning. We aim to be an active voice in this movement that’s righting the imbalance of representation in tech.

Photo credit: AWIP Team and Linh Tran, Brielle Butler