“Great people beget great companies. Our collective success will be defined by the diverse team we build and the culture we foster.” – Motive Founder and CEO, Shoaib Makani
Motive is proud to be a supporter of Base10 Partners’ newly announced Advancement Initiative, whose mission is to align the success of technology companies with wealth creation for underrepresented minorities. The Advancement Initiative is part of Base10’s VC Diversity Pledge and will include donating 50% of the fund’s carried interest directly to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The Advancement Initiative will provide meaningful support to university endowments and create impactful student scholarships across the country.
In addition to the Advancement Initiative, Base10 announced the creation of a first-of-its-kind program to feature year-long, on-campus training for HBCU students. The program will include internships and full-time placement programs on 13 HBCU campuses nationwide and seeks to nurture up to 1,000 students annually over the next five years. Courses will focus on software engineering, design, entrepreneurship and venture capital.
Motive’s participation in the Advancement Initiative is representative of our larger and long-term commitment to diversity, which we know is vital to the success of our employees across the globe, our customers and our company. A key component to Motive’s core values and mission is grounded in our belief that diversity drives innovation and improves an organization’s ability to adapt to rapid change. In 2020, Business Insider recognized our efforts by naming us one of the top 25 best large companies for diversity, according to employees.
Motive’s commitment to diversity going forward
This year, we are doubling down our efforts by growing our inclusive Employee Resource Groups and creating unique events focused on fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the company. These events have increased our reach in underrepresented groups and accelerated the careers of our employees. Additionally, we’ve placed an emphasis on training and development for all hiring managers on best recruitment practices, unconscious bias, and inclusive leadership.
“Motive will continue to partner with standout organizations to reach our ultimate goal of driving toward an internal demographic mix that reflects the communities in which we work and foster an inclusive culture to value and leverage that diversity,” said Kelly González, Motive’s Director of Employee Experience, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. “Most recently, embracing remote work has afforded us the opportunity to diversify our candidate pool and hire the best — regardless of location. In line with our core values of seeking improvement and creating trust with one another, we insist on equity and inclusion of our teammates and ensuring all voices are heard.”
As Motive continues to grow, we look forward to sharing more on our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the company. We invite you to join us at Motive’s LinkedIn and Medium platforms where we regularly share updates on our colleagues’ successes and our company’s endeavors to make our workplace and the industries we operate in more inclusive for all.
About Base10 Partners
Base10 is a San Francisco-based early-stage venture firm investing in automation for the physical economy. Founded by Adeyemi Ajao and TJ Nahigian, the firm focuses on automation impacting many sectors of the physical economy, including transportation, hardware manufacturing, logistics, and construction. Portfolio companies include The Pill Club, Chili Piper, Popmenu, and Pangaea. Connect via base10.vc.
