Two details companies often flex regarding their growth are the rate at which they’ve grown and how many employees they’ve added during that period.
Noticeably absent, however, are the intentional steps companies are taking to invite diverse voices to the table.
But that can’t be said about BCG Digital Ventures and Lukka, two NYC-based tech companies that both launched six years ago and now have local teams of 50 and 40, respectively.
As BCG has grown, the company has created and published DEI statements and coupled those with internal actions, including commitments to hiring, promoting and retaining Black employees as well as defining clear DEI metrics.
“External statements mean nothing if you aren’t committed to improving diversity, equity and inclusion within your organization,” Eyana Carballo, a manager of global business development and technology investment, told Built In NYC.
At Lukka, the crypto services and data firm has launched a mentorship program for underrepresented colleagues to help ensure they feel comfortable making their voices heard as the company grows.
“Our goal at Lukka is to ensure that the diversity we practice does not restrict individuals and does not reward and promote conformity,” Zain Ahmed, a product manager, said to Built In NYC last winter.
Learn more about both companies below.
What they do: Born from The Boston Consulting Group, BCG Digital Ventures innovates, incubates and invests with partnering corporations from 55 disciplines. In six years, the venture firm has helped launch more than 100 startups.
Recent Launches: In September, BCG and Shell launched Studio X, an open global innovation studio focused on creating new exploration energy products for Shell. Prior to that, BCG worked with Founders4Schools to roll out Digital Boost, a platform that connects small businesses and charities with experts to help them digitize their business models amid COVID-19 challenges.
Inclusivity Efforts: Eyana Carballo’s title at BCG reads manager of global business development and technology investment, but in addition to her core responsibilities, she also leads BCG’s Global Black Employee Affinity Group. As the group’s leader, Carballo has co-authored a firmwide commitment to hiring, promoting and retaining Black employees.
“The most impactful DEI initiative I’ve led is supporting, navigating and educating BCGDV through the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd,” Carballo told Built In NYC. “I provoked discussions of Black Lives Matter at work and shined a light on the injustice and inequality Black people around the world face on a daily basis. Fortunately, I was able to leverage data sourced from BCG case studies and articles to quantify the ROI of this work, in addition to coordinating panel discussions highlighting the lived experiences of senior Black BCG advisors.”
What they do: Launched in 2014 as Libra, Lukka aims to bridge the gap between traditional financial operations and the more modernized ones offered by cryptocurrencies. Its services include crypto tax reporting, reference and asset pricing data services and a digital library of content from industry leaders.
Inside Lukka’s Tech Toolbox: Engineers build on languages like Golang and Kotlin while using AngularJS and Spring frameworks and databases that include Redis, Kafka and Docker.
Supporting a Diverse Workplace: With any new technological solution, like crypto, people have a lot of questions. One of Lukka’s jobs is to anticipate what questions people will ask, which they try to do by stacking their team with people from diverse backgrounds, Zain Ahmed, a product manager, said. To support new colleagues from underrepresented communities, Lukka pairs them with a mentor who has been with the company for a long time or who has deep industry experience.
“These mentors provide support and promote participation and growth,” Ahmed told Built In NYC. “We promote an open culture where anyone can talk to anyone, provide input, share ideas and ask for help.”
Additionally, as part of Lukka’s plan to create spaces that promote inclusivity, the company dedicated a private area for employees to practice daily prayers as well as a mother’s room.
