Unlearning racism in venture building & investing :: with Lindsey T. H. Jackson

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Lindsey T. H. Jackson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsey-t-h-jackson/) and I discuss the journey of anti-racism and anti-oppression work in ourselves, in venture capital, and in startup ecosystems. We discuss the nuances of dismal representation numbers in venture; how to approach Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) conversations in the workplace and beyond; how to develop a regular practice to self-reflect, define your community, and “fail fast” on your own anti-racism journey; and how to encourage others to consider embarking on the journey themselves.

Visit https://satchel.works/@wclittle/ventures-episode-82 for detailed notes and links to resources (videos, articles, etc…) mentioned. 

You can watch this episode via video here.  

3:18 - Lindsey’s introduction, background, brief story, about LTHJ Global (https://lthjglobal.com/) 

10:30 - What got Lindsey into DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) consulting work?

13:30 - DEI & anti-racism work as intriguing to all entrepreneurs (it’s about collecting and responding to data, to work safer and smarter)

14:34 - Will’s journey coming from graduate work in a bioengineering lab, gathering and responding to data, influence from Dr. Viola Vogel as he got into venture building & investing.

17:13 - Common references to The Matrix in DEI work, why people ignore data, and listening to the market.

20:20 - Companies that make great products are made up of people. Importance of unlocking greatness in people.

20:56 - More diverse companies perform better. (Check out: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-numbers-dont-lie-diverse-workforces-make-companies-more-money-2020-07-30) 

21:56 - Unlearning racism; reflections from Will’s personal journey

23:54 - How does Lindsey start the conversation without triggering people who think differently?

28:30 - “Calling in” (instead of calling out) 

29:19 - Shockingly bad statistics regarding diversity in venture (see: https://www.wired.com/story/vc-pledged-better-diversity-its-barely-changed)

30:24 -  “Do a count in a given day: How many people do you engage with that are outside of your intersectional identity”

30:57 -  Identity as “Black”

32:52 - Dismal numbers in terms of percent of VC dollars going to businesses owned by black women.

36:04 - Cognitive diversity

36:29 - Recommended next steps to begin an anti-racism journey

47:32 - For people on their anti-racism/anti-oppression journey, what is Lindsey’s recommended way to talk about this with others and/or publicly?

51:15 - By the age of 5, black and brown children experience racism 5x/day, which increases in frequency as they get older.

51:11 - “How do I know I’m moving forward?” 

54:00 - Consider the venture of anti-racism. Consider unlearning racism as joyful and freeing.

56:05 - By nature, anyone who considers themselves an entrepreneur is well poised to unlearn racism.

56:46 - Lindsey’s work: https://lthjglobal.com/ // https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsey-t-h-jackson/ // Reach out and book her for a speaking gig // Subscribe to learn more about her upcoming book “Unlearning Racism” → http://eepurl.com/htLZyv