Blog
How Women in Tech Are Transforming Philanthropy
Mar 31, 2023
Sadie Koeppel
Kristina Newton, Founder & CEO of HYPE, and Ayanna Lott-Pollard, Executive Director of Resilient Coders, joined Salesforce Women’s Network and Philanthropy leaders for a Women’s History Month webinar
Led by Salesforce’s Susi Collins (Senior Director of Equality Programs and Strategy) and Becky Ferguson (COO of Salesforce Foundation and SVP of Philanthropy), the webinar featured two Salesforce Catalyst Fund grantees: Kristina Newton (Founder and CEO, HYPE) and Ayanna Lott-Pollard (Executive Director, Resilient Coders). The conversation dug into the importance of investing in underrepresented leaders, challenges and opportunities for women founders, and how to advance gender and racial equity through philanthropy with an intersectional lens.
Introducing two Salesforce Catalyst Fund grantees driving change at the community level What Role Can Organizations Play In Advancing Underrepresented Communities in Tech?
“You can do hard things. Let's look at all of the hard or difficult or challenging things you've done in your life and see that this is just one other potentially hard thing you can master and you can overcome.”
What role can organizations play in advancing underrepresented communities in tech?
Kristina emphasizes the importance of what it means for an organization to be a true partner: “The reason why partnership is important for organizations like HYPE is because [we work] with middle and high school girls...our partners may not see or experience what they believe advancement looks like for a few years down the road. Computing and tech fields are the fastest growing and high paying...Young Black girls are being left out of opportunities for economic mobility and sustainability. The issue doesn't suddenly start in corporate America. We have to start with our 12-year-old nieces at the local public school who may not even step into a job for five to ten years down the line.
I am grateful for organizations like Salesforce and the Catalyst Fund that allow us to partner in the ways we understand that we needed funding. [A true] partnership doesn't put limitations on how and where and when we use the funds, but says I see how you know and understand the communities you are part of, [and] we want to partner with you and support the work you are doing....We are here to elevate the work that you are doing in the community whether it gets done in a day, a year or...ten years down the line.”
Kristina Newton, Founder and CEO of HYPE
“Persist. Persist. Persist. Do not quit. If you go into the room and don’t see someone who looks like you, find the room, find your people. [Y]our purpose...is bigger than any obstacle you can face.”
Ayanna Lott-Pollard, Executive Director of Resilient Coders
Ayanna reflected on corporate philanthropy as an opportunity to improve the future of the workforce: “It is an opportunity to remove the paper ceiling so people can get the skills to do the work. They are contributing to society and contributing to the tech industry....Some of our professionals are now leaders. They are now influencers. They are now hiring managers. They're now creating opportunities for people who look like them. They come back to their community, and they help the current cohorts come through classes.
[Our] communities have been able to create pathways, alternative talent pathways for young adults ages 18 to 30 [who] may not have a degree....In five years or six years when there will be so many automated jobs removed from the industry, we are preparing leaders to take space and to take that professional first step to be the folks who are creating change in problem-solving for organizations for years to come. We can do that because of philanthropy.”
What is your advice for the next generation of women and girls of color in tech?
“Persist. Persist. Persist. Do not quit. If you go into the room and don’t see someone who looks like you, find the room, find your people...Don't quit. The very serious impact of racism and bias and equity is a distraction to keep you from doing your work and keep you from becoming all you know that you can be. So understand that your purpose...is bigger than any obstacle you can face.” - Ayanna Lott-Pollard, Executive Director, Resilient Coders
“You can do hard things. Let's look at all of the hard or difficult or challenging things you've done in your life and see that this is just one other potentially hard thing you can master and you can overcome. [Don't let] something being hard or new or challenging stop you, ever, because you have many examples of hard things you have done, and you can continue to do hard things.” - Kristina Newton, Founder and CEO, HYPE
Business as a platform for change
Susi Collins cites Salesforce’s philanthropic efforts as one of the reasons why she joined the organization. “Corporations have the responsibility to support nonprofits in the communities they serve. I’m proud to be a part of a company that values investing in businesses like HYPE and Resilient Coders to create a more diverse tech industry.” The driving force to give back and support local communities played a deep role in the entire panel’s discussion of equality and philanthropy.
Both Kristina and Ayanna started in the corporate world before choosing a career in nonprofit. Their personal values to make a difference, give back, and lift up their communities drive them to continue their efforts. The leaders shared a moment they had witnessed their efforts pay off: the life-changing impact on their students when each individual realizes a career in tech is within reach.
Inspiring stories of the programs’ successes are powerful evidence of how HYPE and Resilient Coders are improving the lives of program participants and the future of the tech talent pool. Salesforce’s Catalyst Fund continues to empower organizations like these— and just announced a partnership with ten more — to support the work of changemakers like Ayanna and Kristina and the communities they impact.
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