In underserved populations, barriers to technology can hinder people from learning tech skills that are crucial for success in today’s economy and put them at a distinct disadvantage.
The highest-paying jobs for the coming generation will be in technology or will require the use of technology in a meaningful way. Within the tech industry, there is a significant lack of diversity in comparison to the population as a whole.
Of particular concern is that the percentage of women and minorities in tech (compared to the distribution in the overall population) has actually been declining since the mid-80s, per sources such as NPR, Wired, and U.S. News.
We aim to bridge the digital divide by provide access to technology, education, and mentorship to those facing barriers to the tech industry. These strategies serve our goal of increasing diversity in the technology industry as a whole.
Whitney French, who was a Senior Product Designer at Bingo and an inspiration to everyone she touched, passed away suddenly in 2017. She was incredibly passionate about giving more women the opportunity to make an impact in digital design and supporting their education and development. In Whitney’s honor, Bingo created an annual scholarship that supports women in the field of digital user experience and design.
In 2017, Bingo joined the Pledge 1% network, a national coalition of companies dedicated to doing well by doing good. As part of our commitment, Bingo will be working to provide our world class digital services to leading nonprofits at substantially reduced costs.
Pledge 1% is a global movement to create a new normal where giving back is integrated into the DNA of companies of all sizes. Pledge 1% encourages and challenges founders and companies to pledge 1% of equity, profit, product, and/or time to causes of their choosing. Over 3,000 companies in 80 countries have joined the movement, including Twilio, Glassdoor, Box, Yelp, General Assembly, Docusign, Salesforce, Atlassian, Techstars, and now Bingo.