Supporting an Inclusive Workplace With Kanarys Co-Founder and CEO Mandy Price
On this episode of How I Launched this, Stephanie (@stephr_wong) and Carter (@carterthecomic) are excited to welcome the CEO of Kanarys, Mandy Price. The Kanarys platform is the first technology platform that fosters collaboration between companies and employees on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. Through gathering anonymous employee data, the Kanarys platform brings about lasting change in DEI by helping companies get the specific data and insights they need to diagnose, prioritize, and optimize DEI efforts.Mandy starts the show by distinguishing between diversity, equity, and inclusivity, stressing that these should be the goals of every workplace. Diversity, the mix of different social and ethnic backgrounds,is important. But equally important is an environment where each person has equal access to resources and feels welcome and nurtured within the company. Her unfortunate experiences with inequity in office settings sparked the idea for Kanarys. By giving employees a mechanism to voice their concerns, report instances that make them uncomfortable, and more, Kanarys empowers employees to effect change in work environments. Managers' jobs are also made easier, as the platform gives them the data they need to find and fix DEI issues and bring about change. Later, Mandy describes the process that brought Kanarys to their current platform and details the user experience. The company dashboard offers insights and support to give businesses the best chance at change, while the employee dashboard provides a safe space for discussions on equity and inclusion. She outlines the types of data Kanarys collects and how, and explains how this process has evolved over time. Kanarys also helps companies with implementation plans once data is analyzed. Mandy talks about her personal journey and how it influenced her entrepreneurial path. She smiles talking about the Kanarys team and how important it is to find employees who believe in your mission. To wrap up the show, Mandy offers valuable advice on how to build and run a powerful team and tells us about the new Resource Center they've just released.Episode Links:KanarysKanarys Resource CenterGoogle For Startups AcceleratorGFS Black Founders Fund Blog GFS Black Founders Fund Recipients Kanarys on TwitterKanarys on LinkedIn