If Silicon Valley investors began diverting more of their energies towards increasing entrepreneurial diversity and inclusion, could this put their impressive track record of success at risk?
Are moves towards encouraging a broader demographic in this startup stronghold merely sentimentality masquerading as innovation-friendliness? Here’s a presentation of research which claims to have identified some disparities worthy of attention. The speaker argues passionately that addressing them would open up valuable new opportunities, rather than introduce unnecessary additional risk.
The video is of a talk from the Berkman Luncheon Series. Here is the description.
The Berkman Center Luncheon Series is a weekly series of informal luncheons and other meetings, providing students, fellows, faculty, and anyone who reserves a seat opportunities to discuss issues relevant to their work and to engage other leading thinkers and practitioners.
Here’s their description of this session. It was held at The Berkman Center, Harvard University, on July the 20th 2010.
Vivek Wadhwa will discuss his research on the backgrounds and motivations of entrepreneurs; what makes them successful; what inhibits entrepreneurs; the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs; the success of Indians in Silicon Valley and the dearth of women and minorities.
He mentions the Roshni Academy in the video. Unfortunately, their website was not online at the time of writing, but here is a video of his interview with an alumnus.
