On our continued commitment to anti-racism and allyship

The murder of George Floyd by a police officer in May of 2020 shined a centuries-late spotlight onto systemic racism and oppression around the world. Over fourteen months later, and despite a recent conviction in the case, it’s plain how much work is still to be done for all people, everywhere, to have the opportunity to live freely as they are. 

At Sift, we’re committed to regularly examining our standards of diversity and equity to ensure that our actions live up to the promise of those standards. During the month of June—LGBTQ+ Pride Month in the United States, and an important time to remember and share Black history on Juneteenth—we’ve focused our internal DEI efforts on intersectionality and its key role in breaking down barriers to inclusion and opportunity. 

Today, we reflect on where we were as a company one year ago, what actions we’ve taken to support marginalized communities, and what we’re building for tomorrow.

JEDI at Sift: A space for education and growth

Sift employees are always encouraged to be forthright, and after having many tough conversations in earnest about the challenges of marginalized communities, how we can uplift and support under-represented employees, and how to examine representation within the company, Sifties formed the JEDI Group. 

This internal organization is dedicated to justice, equity, diversity, and integration (JEDI), and is spearheaded by non-HR employees with the support of Sift’s People Team and other administrative, executive, and legal teams. JEDI’s mission is to close the gap in representation and equity at Sift, in our respective communities, and across the broader tech industry through employee education, volunteer opportunities, charitable donations, hands-on workshops, onboarding lessons and discussions, and events featuring professional and community guest speakers.

Finally, JEDI pushes for hands-on action. One of the most effective ways to ease the many challenges facing social justice organizations and initiatives is through financial donation. This June, JEDI invited employees to donate to the following organizations, with Sift matching a portion of any funds received:

• The Trevor Project. The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25. 
• The Bayard Rustin Coalition. The Bayard Rustin Coalition (BRC) embraces advocacy and education to effect social change through the honoring of a sociopolitical dynasty that is rooted in the Black and same gender loving experience.
• Entre Hermanos. Entre Hermanos came into being by the initiative of a group of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Latinos and Latinas that saw the need for social, educational, and health support services in their community in the spring of 1991.

These donation rounds occur every month, with benefiting organizations rotated to ensure maximum impact. 

Recruiting Oversight, DEI Onboarding, and Continuous Communication 

In our ongoing efforts to integrate DEI at the core of everything we do, our recruiting, onboarding, and internal communications have evolved to reflect more precise consideration of bias reduction and open feedback. This includes enhanced anti-bias training, pipeline target demographics, transparent and data-driven recruiting, regular analysis of team equity and diversity, inclusive onboarding, and regular communications with employees about the company’s overarching DEI goals and efforts.

Moving forward, we will continue taking action on both the executive and employee side of our business to build programs and pipelines that scale these efforts across the company and throughout our operations. 

In just the past year, we’ve been honored to host speakers from various disciplines and industries to share their perspectives on leadership in tech, spirituality, race and the criminal justice system, art and historical remembrance, and entrepreneurship, all through the lens of social justice. 

We’re dedicated to having uncomfortable conversations, reflecting on mistakes, and putting thoughtful solutions and programs in place to better serve our employees and surrounding communities. Going forward, we’ll continue to invite leaders and creators from all walks of life to inspire and educate us through their unique experiences, listen to their lessons and stories, and examine how our company can best reflect our values and commitment to positive change.