Venture capitalists invested $156 billion into entrepreneurs in 2022, but only a small amount was deployed to Native entrepreneurs.
According to a new report by the Kapor Center in collaboration with the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, Native Hawaiian, American Indian/Alaska Native, or other Pacific Islander founders received only nine investments in 2022. This means that only 0.02% of the total capital was invested in AI/AN and NH/PI founders in 2022.
Despite efforts to diversify the tech industry, little has changed in terms of representation at the board-, executive-, or worker levels.
Unfortunately, there is very little data available on Native tech professionals. Shockingly, none of the top 200 tech companies have board members of American Indian/Native Alaskan descent.
Two of the six largest U.S.-based tech companies that reported data have even decreased Native representation since 2018.
The Native Tech Ecosystem report highlights the barriers faced by Native Communities in the U.S. Tech Ecosystem and provides recommendations for action to address these concerns to build a more sustainable and equitable future.
Tribal Nations are key drivers of regional and rural economies and should be seen as critical partners in the future of the technology sector.
However, due to a long history of colonization, exclusionary policies, and current practices, Native communities continue to remain excluded.
As the tech sector continues to grow, it is important that Native communities are included in decision-making and leadership to ensure an inclusive and equitable path forward.
This report explores the current state of Native representation in the US, highlights the systemic exclusion of Native communities across the tech ecosystem, and provides recommendations for action.
The Native #Tech Ecosystem, our NEW report w/ @AISES spotlights the barriers faced by Native Communities in the U.S. Tech Ecosystem! Learn more about recommendations for action to address these concerns to build a more sustainable and equitable future! https://t.co/1XWP9oQBw8 pic.twitter.com/yY6ruaAlk6
— Kapor Center (@KaporCenter) October 17, 2023
Only 3 in 5 Native students attend a school offering computer science & only 1 in 5 high schools on reservations offer CS.
These findings come from a new @KaporCenter x @AISES report exploring the need to address systemic failures in building the Native tech ecosystem. pic.twitter.com/vKi2zbvQnS
— POCIT (@pocintech) October 18, 2023
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