PBN Diversity Equity & Inclusion 2023 Awards
Career Consulting: Tribe Academy LLC
BEING DIVERSE AND BEING EQUITABLE are the driving forces behind Tribe Academy LLC, a North Kingstown-based, for-profit startup that works to bridge the talent diversity gap by connecting diverse individuals with businesses, especially tech companies.
Nishita Roy-Pope, Tribe’s co-founder and CEO, says that when she helped launch the startup in October 2019, she recognized that no single company could provide the level of access and opportunity that the next generation of talent requires.
“I wanted to be able to use my broad … network to empower the next generation of diverse talent, including students and mid-career women,” said Roy-Pope, who worked for Dell Technologies for a decade before starting Tribe.
The name Tribe, Roy-Pope said, shows that the community of industry professionals is in a position of power to influence and lift up its members.
“It’s also a community within our members … focusing on those who are underrepresented and making sure they understand that these opportunities are meant for them,” she said.
Fully women-founded and women-led, Tribe has hosted programs for more than 500 participants since launching four years ago. More than 90% of those participants identify as people of color. Approximately half are women and nearly half are in science, technology, engineering and math fields. According to data from Roy-Pope, Tribe has played a key role in more than 75 students landing internships or full-time employment at Dell, Fidelity Investments Inc., Microsoft Corp., Amazon.com Inc., International Game Technology PLC and State Street Bank, among other companies.
Students of color matriculating at Tribe’s partners – the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and the University of Rhode Island – are invited to participate in Tribe’s array of engaging programming. Some 150 students, primarily from UMass Dartmouth, participated in Tribe’s Nov. 1 daylong career and diversity fair. The program included student competitions, diverse panel presentations and networking with senior executives.
“This is not a traditional career fair; it’s not just about getting the job,” Roy-Pope said, “but it’s about finding your courage, building confidence [and] developing the skills of the future … believing you belong in these companies and showing up in an authentic and powerful way. Tribe’s network of supporters wants to support the next generation in this much deeper way.”
Lynne Finnegan, experiential education coordinator in URI’s College of Business and the URI Tribe Academy champion, says Tribe offers students of color opportunities to learn from professionals who look like them and who hold senior leadership roles in top companies. Roy-Pope, Finnegan says, connects students with professionals who can offer advice on getting internships, preparing resumes, interviewing and, generally, whole career development.
Last March, 30 college students participated in Tribe’s STEM and Leadership Experience, an immersive two-day spring break program. Students evaluated a Rhode Island startup’s technology strategy, visited IGT’s Providence campus and worked on professional development skills.
“There’s a sense of belonging; students and professionals come back year over year to willingly participate [in these programs] as mentees or mentors and bring their own networks to participate,” Roy-Pope said.
With companies struggling to address diversity and people of color seeking access to professional pipelines, Roy-Pope embraces the “pay it forward” model. “This is about getting companies to look at the systemic issues that are preventing certain groups access,” she said. Tribe programs break down barriers and transform careers and life trajectories, she added.
Leveraging her corporate connections, Roy-Pope demonstrates “the value in putting fiscal and human resources into these engagements,” she said. “Companies choose to spend their time and resources with Tribe. Senior leaders spend an entire day with us, engage with attendees and activate their own internal networks. For many of our members, this [offers] an unprecedented access to corporate leaders,” Roy-Pope said.
Corporations also help underwrite the costs of Tribe programs, which are always free to participating students. Mid-career women pay fees to attend Tribe programs, and URI and UMass Dartmouth provide financial support and in-kind contributions.
“Students [who] have gone through Tribe programs … get corporate positions and then return to serve as panelists or mentors. It’s a full life cycle – from mentee to mentor,” Finnegan said.
