Blog
January 30, 2020
Cultivating a Diverse Team
At Attain Partners, we know that our people are our greatest assets and equality in the workplace is non-negotiable. All of our team members are valued for who they are and the unique contributions they bring to our company. Through our core value of Have Absolute Integrity, we act with honesty and respect for one another—no exceptions.
But Attain Partners doesn’t stop there. We do our best to cultivate a diverse team by supporting initiatives such as Women of Attain Partners, a company-funded group to encourage networking, mentoring, and career growth. We are also a proud sponsor for Amplify, to bolster its vision to create a world where underrepresented people have equity and representation in all areas of technology. We have proudly supported Amplify as a sponsor since 2017 and have been their Platinum Partner since 2018.
What is Amplify?
Amplify is a volunteer-run 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering underrepresented voices in technology (e.g.: women, trans, nonbinary, LGBTQIA+, people of color, differently abled, neuro-diverse) and those who support them to become fearless leaders. They do this through education, awareness, and community-building programs. Amplify has more than 5,000 members in the Power of Us Hub. Key programs include Regional Community Groups, virtual Study Groups, Mentor Circles, and the Accomplices Town Hall. Amplify drives awareness and action through dialogue at Salesforce Community Events such as Higher Ed Summit, Norcal Dreamin’, Midwest Dreamin’, and Dreamforce.
Team Attain Partners had the good fortune of attending “Drive Awareness AND Action for Diversity & Inclusion at Educational Institutions” at the Salesforce Higher Education Summit 2019. The session was led by Amplify Board members, as well as Joanna Iturbe, Director of CRM Strategic Initiatives, and Stephanie Gillin, Associate Dean for Administration for the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder. Joanna and Stephanie presented a fantastic case study on how the Leeds School of Business incorporates diversity and inclusion into all aspects of their constituents’ journeys. University of Colorado Boulder has been pursuing diversity, equity, and community engagement initiatives since 1974. Since then, they have continued to evolve and improve their planning models, initiatives, and core values. In 2017, Leeds launched the “End the Gap 2020” initiative to create gender parity across all CU business programs by 2020.
The University of Colorado Boulder is a leader in the effort to foster more diverse and inclusive Institutions—Attain Partners is proud that Leeds School of Business is our client.
“As a key member of the Salesforce team at Leeds, part of what has kept me here is Leeds’ ever-evolving quest to better serve all members of their community and to create a more equitable workplace. I share the same values as my workplace, and decided to join the Amplify Board in 2019, in an effort to empower more diversity in leadership.”
— Kelly Hamilton, Salesforce Business Solutions Architect, Amplify Board Treasurer
You Can Make a Difference
We encourage all Higher Education Institutions to strive to be more inclusive and diverse. Even if you aren’t part of an official diversity and inclusion team, you can make a difference. Below is a list of questions to consider:
- Is there an office on your campus that supports diversity from an employment perspective? (This is usually an HR office.) Do you know how to reach the correct point of contact at that office?
- If a member of the University (Faculty, Staff, or Student) wanted to discuss diversity, equity and inclusion concerns, where on campus would one start?
- Is there a transparent process that helps identify if an experience a member of the University had qualifies as a violation (without knowing about the 12 protected categories: Age, Disability, Equal Pay/Compensation, Genetic Information, Harassment, National Origin, Pregnancy, Race/Color, Religion, Retaliation, Sex, and Sexual Harassment)?
For more information about Amplify, or to make a donation, please visit the Amplify website.
For more information about diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at Higher Education Institutions and in the workplace, please refer to the following resources:
- University of Colorado Boulder IDEA Plan: Draft
- University of Colorado Boulder Resources (By Topic)
- Women Matter: Ten years of insights on gender diversity
- Women in the Workplace 2018
- Preservation or Transformation: Where’s the Real Educational Discourse on Diversity?
- Racial Capitalism
- The Browning of America and the Evasion of Social Justice
- Amplify – Resources
- Inclusion Resources
- Measuring Diversity and Inclusion Meaningfully
- 2019 Workplace Equality Fact Sheet
- She Geeks Out
Recommended Trailhead Modules
- Business Value of Equality
- Culture of Feedback
- Diversity and Inclusion Strategies
- Impact of Unconscious Bias
- Inclusive Leadership Practices
About the Author
Marisa Lopez is a Senior Business Development Manager at Attain Partners focused on enabling Higher Education Institutions and Nonprofits through the power of the Salesforce platform. Marisa has been an active member in the Salesforce ecosystem for more than 13 years and is passionate about enabling the social sector through digital transformation. She is also the President of Amplify.
