Black History Month is an annual celebration of the history of the diaspora or migration of African peoples across the world.
While the event is originally intended to pay tribute to African American history, it has expanded to become a day to celebrate the growing diversity of Black America which includes Afro-Caribbeans, Afro-Puerto Ricans, Black Hispanics, and immigrants with African heritage!
Here at Jarvis, we’re commemorating the occasion by celebrating Black Americans’ history, cultures, and achievements. In celebration of Black History Month, Jarvis employees will take time to reflect on the success that the Black community have brought to the world.
Celebrating Black Excellence in eCommerce and Saas Space
In honor of Black History Month, we look at the Black community’s successes in the eCommerce and SaaS space. Some of the people and brands who have inspired us are listed below:
- Sam Bright, Vice President & General Manager of Soft Goods at Ebay, Inc. With over 14 years of expertise in the digital industry, Bright is a seasoned Silicon Valley executive well-suited to oversee eBay North America’s multibillion-dollar Soft Goods business unit.
- HellaBlack. An e-commerce marketplace designed for Black retailers and enthusiasts. The community-curated marketplace highlights and recognizes Black-owned companies and their conscientious customers.
- Vitae London by William Adoasi. A stylish lifestyle and accessories brand worn by icons such as Richard Branson. Their collections are consistently sold out.
- Bespoke Binny by Natalie Manima. Vibrant African-inspired printed homeware that has appeared in publications ranging from Etsy Editors’ Picks to Oprah magazine and House Beautiful.
We’re also excited to see Black-owned tech companies innovating and creating waves. Some of our favorite Black-owned SaaS companies and tech professionals are:
- Calendly by Tope Awotona. The most successful Black-owned SaaS company to date. Calendly is among the most popular scheduling platforms for businesses. As of January 2021, the company is valued at an impressive $3 billion. Founder and CEO Tope Awotona’s is one of the most inspiring technopreneurs in the country. He experienced hardship as a child growing up in a lower-class family in Nigeria, suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after his father’s murder, and even braved Ukrainian war zones to make his mark on the startup world.
- Craig Cuffie, Senior Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer at Salesforce. Cuffie oversees Direct and Indirect Sourcing, Procurement, Shared Services, Supplier Diversity, and Data Center Fulfillment at Salesforce, the leader in cloud-based customer relationship management software. Craig and his team manage $3.5 billion in procurement spending as Salesforce strives to meet its revenue growth target of more than $20 billion.
- HireHer by Ruth Chandler Cook. HireHer is a recruitment platform with a mission to harness innovation through inclusive diversity. They specialize in POC female tech talent hiring.
- Pindrop co-founded by Dr. Paul Judge. Pindrop is a security solution that detects and authenticates fraud in voice interactions.
- Frontdoor by Alain and Emilie Kapatashungu. Frontdoor is a vertical SaaS (Software as a Service) solution that assists real estate firms in automating and managing their most critical business interactions.
Educating Ourselves
While there is much work to be done in the fight for racial justice, our Talent Partners continue to advocate for a diverse workplace and improve the hiring process and diversity strategies to give better support to black professionals.
Our Talent Partners are taught how to remove biases in the hiring process, both internally and externally, for our clients to ensure the right person is in the right seat—regardless of race. Additionally, we encourage employees to be mindful of written communications, ensuring we’re using non-biased language.
The Importance of Celebrating Black History Month from a Recruitment Perspective
If the Black Lives Matter movement proved anything, it is that America’s long history of inequality is not a relic of the past. This movement has since opened many eyes towards Black Americans’ centuries-long struggle for equality and justice.
As recruitment professionals, it is our responsibility to establish the standard for eradicating prejudice and bias while also encouraging the inclusion of all workers.
Last Note
Here at Jarvis, we are more than recruiters. We are Talent Partners.
Building relationships are at the core of how we operate. This means we will take the time to get to know you – both on a personal and professional level.
You will not be a resume to us; you will become our partner in the search of finding you your next career jump at the most suitable company.
Get in touch today to partner with us to find your dream role.
