Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion (Dei) Manager

About Activate Global

Activate empowers scientists to reinvent our world and address climate change by bringing their research to market. We partner with leading funders and research institutions—including a groundbreaking new partnership with the National Science Foundation—to offer the Activate Fellowship, providing the funding, technical support, networking, community, and time that scientists need at the outset of their entrepreneurial journey.

The results are game changing: Activate Fellows have launched 106 new companies since 2015. These companies have raised more than $1.3B in follow-on funding, created more than 1,200 U.S.-based high-tech jobs, reached scientific breakthroughs, and defined new market categories. Activate supports fellows in Berkeley, CA; Cambridge, MA; New York, NY; and across the U.S. through Activate Anywhere.

Activate exists to create a better future, for all. In service of this purpose, we are building a foundation of equity and inclusivity across our business, including our operations, our fellowship, our partnerships, and our brand.

Position Summary

Activate is a leader in the science innovation space at bringing together and supporting diverse cohorts of entrepreneurial fellows. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Manager will help define what success looks like for continued growth in DEI for the Activate Fellowship, including applicant recruitment and selection, educational programming, community building, and fellow success metrics in the face of an inequitable entrepreneurship ecosystem. Reporting to the Chief Fellowship Officer as part of the Fellowship team supporting all Activate Fellows, this role will bring a DEI lens to all aspects of the fellowship and will collaborate with our local (i.e. Berkeley, Boston, Houston, and New York) fellowship teams to execute on our DEI goals. The DEI Manager will also spend a portion of their time as a thought partner to Activate’s People & Culture team, which has a strong commitment to and experience with cultivating DEI at an organizational level.

Primary Responsibilities

Activate Fellowship - 85% time

• Define metrics, set targets, evaluate experiments, and report on progress to measure the success of DEI efforts for the Activate Fellowship.
• Source DEI-focused educational speakers and content for fellowship programming.
• Regularly lead needs assessment for Activate Fellows from underrepresented communities, including incorporating external sources such as academic research and best practices from peer organizations with the perspectives of Activate Fellows and Alumni, to help the fellowship teams develop and deliver identified resources and programming.
• Consult with the education team on embedding a DEI lens throughout our fellowship programming.
• Consult with the local fellowship teams on sourcing diverse speakers for local programming and diverse potential advisors for the fellows. Consult with the investment team on building relationships with investors that have a track record of supporting underrepresented founders.
• Collaborate with the selection team to develop the annual plan for an equitable and inclusive fellow selection process for the Activate Fellowship, including training and resources for staff and other reviewers.
• Collaborate with the recruitment team to develop the annual strategy for successfully connecting with and communicating Activate’s fellowship opportunity to underrepresented communities, including building relationships with partner organizations to support the applicant pipeline.
• Collaborate with the recruitment team to design support for applicants from underrepresented communities throughout the recruitment and application process, such as developing targeted workshops and office hours.

Activate Staff - 15% time

• Offer DEI training opportunities for all staff and fellows.
• Serve as a leader and champion of DEI within Activate.
• Serve as a consultant to Activate’s People and Culture team on employee hiring, onboarding, experience, and development to support the growth and retention of a diverse staff at Activate.
• Co-leads Activate’s internal DEI Working Group

Core Skills And Competencies

• Five to seven years of experience leading DEI initiatives with a focus on both planning and execution, ideally in support of start-up founders and/or scientists.
• Has a passion for learning and self-development and supporting that journey for others.
• Understands the dynamics of power/privilege in the world through formal training, lived experiences, or a combination of both.
• Believes in the power of science innovation to combat climate change and create a more sustainable, resilient, equitable global economy.
• Has a successful track record of building and maintaining relationships with relevant networks necessary to DEI-focused training for staff and fellows.
• Ideally has familiarity with inclusive recruitment and hiring practices.
• Reflects on their own identity and is able to understand and model how that impacts their interpersonal relationships.
• Exceptional experience with program evaluation, metrics design, and data analysis, including proficiency in using technology and collaborating with IT professionals to develop and implement program evaluation systems.
• Skilled communicator who is able to work effectively with cross-functional teams and lead by influence.

Physical Characteristics of Work Environment:

• Typing and computer usage throughout the day
• Office-based work environment
• Flexible: Proximity to one of our in-residence communities (i.e. Berkeley, Boston, Houston, and New York), or ability and willingness to travel 5% of the time

Encouraging Applications from All Backgrounds

We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status. We will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. Activate Global, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.