The recent disturbing incidents of racial injustice and the subsequent demonstrations for change have prompted us at Banyan to take stock of our role as a startup company, the values we live by and what we’re doing about them. We’d like to live in a society where the color of your skin doesn’t matter, where everyone is treated fairly, where people can express themselves freely, and where everyone is given a fair shot to thrive.
We founded Banyan with a goal of creating such an environment where people and ideas could thrive. We started that journey by thinking deeply about what our core values are — including respect, integrity, and openness — to be sure we had our own north star and the people we brought into our community could be assured and confident that we would do everything we can to live up to our best intentions. We believe that is the best way to build a successful company to have a positive impact on society.
As we reflected on the events that recently sparked so much passion and activism, we realized that there are some things we can do today, even as a small company, that can have a positive impact on our community and beyond. We reconsidered our company’s business practices, processes, and interactions that make up the work environment and are taking some initial steps:
- We’re kicking off an intern program to proactively recruit from schools not traditionally sought out by silicon valley startups and train them for success.
- In order to ensure that our hiring and promotion decisions are consistent with our values, we’re undertaking specific training in these areas to do our best to eliminate bias.
- We’re also granting our employees time to participate in the causes and organizations important to them. And, we’re enabling our systems to make it easier for them to donate and support these organizations financially.
In the words of Gandhi, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”
We see Banyan as a place where any qualified individual, regardless of race, religion, origin or gender identity, can build a career and thrive. We think this is how we can be the change we want to see in the world. We will continue to strive to foster a culture that makes us feel proud to be part of Banyan.
Jayanth, Co-founder and CEO
