The Austin Mosaic Awards, which spotlights companies and individuals with the most impactful diversity and inclusion initiatives, are back this year and nominations are now open.
Once nominations are in, a committee of leaders and influencers with experience building diversity, equity and inclusion programs will examine the list and select 20 finalists that have demonstrated -- through anecdotes and stats -- their commitment to diversity and inclusion. It's open to companies large and small that are based in Austin or have a significant presence here.
The winners, selected based on a rubric scorecard filled out by judges, will be announced at a big celebration on Aug. 22.
Among last year's winners were Indeed, Galvanize, Chi'lantro BBQ, Threatcare and The New Philanthropists. The Mosaic Awards also honored four individuals for their work -- Angelica Erazo, Charlie Jackson, Gloria de Leon and Gary Bledsoe.
Mosaic Awards founders Janice Omadeke, who is also founder and CEO of The Mentor Method, and Naji H. Kelley, founder and CEO of BLNDED Media (which has an editorial partnership with Austin Inno), say the awards aren't a money-maker for anyone -- but they say it's important to highlight and celebrate best practices in the community.
"We’re looking at people from all walks of life, all professions – these are people making Austin as diverse and inclusive as possible," Omadeke said.
The founders want to keep the awards going until they reach their goal -- making inclusive hiring and retention programs so engrained and active across all companies that those best practices no longer need to be highlighted.
But we're a long way from that.
Omadeke said the awards are just a part of overarching need for more diversity and inclusion in the tech industry through action (not just photos of diverse team members and other marketing).
This year, the winners of each category will be asked to share best practices that helped them get nominated. Omadeke hopes those anecdotes will inspire others to adopt similar strategies or launch an even more impactful effort.
“The reason for it is to show other companies that think it’s too hard to change ... that it’s possible and it just takes a few actions to push the needle forward," she said.
The Mosaic Awards nominees and winners will also be asked to participate in quarterly round table discussions to share best practices and talk about where Austin is and where it’s going in terms of diversity and inclusion.
“It goes beyond the notoriety of the award," Omadeke said. "It’s about being able to be the tide the rises all boats and helps other companies reach those levels as well.”
