This past January, 1,600 of our Rapid7 “moose” came together in Boston for a global kickoff. It was the first time we’d ever hosted an event of this magnitude, with a shared focus on learning, experiencing, and setting the course for an incredible year ahead. Those few days together were filled with inspiration and insights from exceptional speakers, experiential hands-on learning, and a whole lot of fun. I left that event feeling like our company was well aligned and operating with more synergy than ever before.
And then March happened.
Rapid7 isn’t just our name; the notion of moving swiftly is embedded in our ethos. When the world began to fall ill, we were one of the first companies in Boston to send our people home to self-quarantine. Within days, we were able to onboard over thirty new hires without missing a beat, while still providing an impactful experience for them. During the following weeks, we all navigated our “new normal” and the host of challenges each of us uniquely faced. Surprisingly, I found we were thriving together in an even more meaningful way. We were collectively experiencing something challenging together, and miraculously, we felt even more aligned being separated than we had just two months before when we had all been together.
And then George Floyd was killed.
A nation woke up after hitting the snooze button far too many times. I don’t care where people’s politics are; basic humanity would suggest the systemic events symbolized by his death is a horrific mark on our collective soul. Over the past two weeks, as a nation, we’ve seen an incredible outpouring of solidarity from the broad community suggesting, “ENOUGH.” But it’s not enough. Posting support on social media is a wonderful sentiment, but it is not action and it does not drive change.
Two years ago, Rapid7 launched an effort focused on diversity and inclusion by striving to become 50|50 by 2020 within our own company. As an initial starting point, the first “50” to us represented the consolidation of both women and People of Color, whereas the other 50 represented our majority white male staff. Is grouping two minority groups together the right approach? Likely no. But what was most critical to us at that time was to move the dial in a very non-diverse field. We started by revisiting our hiring practices, and finding opportunities to cast a far wider net to our candidate pool. We thoughtfully participated in the Bloomberg Gender Equity Index to get a reality check on where we stood relative to other companies. We sponsored and spoke at LGBTQ+ functions and we partnered with organizations like Hack.Diversity, BUILD, BoSTEM, and the Boston Public Schools. Rather than just choose one or two “check the box” items, we spent our time and energy digging in and supporting these and other organizations, attempting to systematically disrupt the status quo and support their commitment to better the future for youth, minorities, and STEM programming.
Yes, we’ve moved the dial a bit, and are focused on hitting our end of year 50|50 goal. Currently, in the U.S., we have 12% People of Color, and overall 46% of our employees are women and People of Color / 54% white males. Perhaps just as important, we’ve worked hard to create a culture that gives anyone who joins us an equal opportunity to build the career experience of their lifetime. Yes, we’ve made strides. But it’s nowhere near good enough.
It’s taken me years to learn to ask for help. I love to collaborate on ideas and win together as a team, yet I’ve always believed that if I want to make a big change, I need to roll up my sleeves and go all in. And while I am proud of how my involvement in this work has become truly meaningful to me and hopefully to the organizations we support and to Rapid7, I’m just one person. And I need help.
It’s time to grab a shovel, friends. I love to see the positivity posted on social media, celebrating the solidarity for our black and brown people, as well as for the LGBTQ+ community celebrating PRIDE this month. It’s amazing to see the outpouring of love and support. But it’s not nearly enough; it’s time for all of us to do the hard work.
I’ve had numerous conversations with people - both within Rapid7 and outside - and they usually ask, “what can I do?” The simple answer is “Anything. Just don’t sit still.” Protest. Volunteer. Donate. Mentor. Hire and provide opportunities for amazing people who might never have the access. There are no right answers as to what you should do; just do something to promote positive change. If you truly care about what’s happening in our world, don’t sit by complacently, waiting for someone else to do the hard work. Don’t just post a message of support and then think you’ve done your part. Look in the mirror, do the gut check, and realize that all that extra time we’ve been given during this global pandemic was perhaps purpose built for us each to find a way to make a contribution to bettering the world in some way.
I’m calling on every person, every leader, and every corporation who has said, “this is not ok” to take action. Do some homework, invest some time and energy, and move the dial forward where it feels most authentic to you. Our tech community is changing the world with its innovations and brilliant ideas. It’s time we put those skills to use for a greater good of humanity too.
Christina Luconi is Chief People Officer for Rapid7. Follow her on Twitter: @peopleinnovator