If your company hasn't been intentional about diversity and inclusion from day one, it takes focus and energy to catch up. Ragini shares her journey in launching a D&I council at fast-growing Affirm, and how it's helping the organization make significant progress.

1. How to Build and
Run an Effective
D&I Council
Head of Talent, Affirm
Ragini Holloway
@ragini_holloway

2. My journey

3. Where do I start?

4. Step 1 - Historical context

6. ❖ Unconscious-bias training in
2016-2017
❖ Diverse slate of candidates for
every opportunity by the end of
2017
❖ Intern class of at least 40%
underrepresented student talent
in 2017
❖ Educate people, especially those
from low-income communities, in
leading healthy financial lives

7. Step 2 - Ask for help

8. We want to help facilitate a
more informed conversation and
thoughtful strategy around
Diversity & Inclusion @Affirm.

9. Council Framework Checklist
● Define your role on the council
● Identify partners for key initiatives
● Establish accurate representation of all teams, levels and
current demographics
● Determine membership expectations
● Substantiate meeting cadence
● Track and communicate progress

10. Step 3 - Executive support

12. Step 4 - Mission & focus areas

13. Affirm’s D&I Mission
We believe every person has equal value, which is why we work so hard to
expand fair and transparent access to credit and to welcome every kind of person
and idea.
Our Diversity and Inclusion Council combats discrimination and promotes respect,
inclusion, opportunity, and community in our workplace.
The Council is comprised of four parts:
● Messaging & Metrics
● Attraction & Recruitment
● Inclusion & Retention
● Community Partnerships

14. Step 5 - Strategy

15. Messaging & Metrics
● Launch Survey
● Analyze and present data
● Monthly Newsletter
● Publish goals and data
internally on Wiki and
externally to public

16. Attraction & Recruitment
● Recruiting goals for URMs
● EEO reporting
● Historical candidate
application and data review
● Tools for sourcing URMs
● Eliminate bias
● Targeted university strategy
● Recruiting events

17. Inclusion & Retention
● Employee Resource Groups
● Diversity Awareness Month
● Speaker Series
● Workshops

18. Community Partnerships
● Partnership tied to our
company mission
● Celebrate PRIDE
● Volunteer @Affirm

19. 41 Affirmers
are on the D&I Council

22. Here are your 5 Steps...
1. Learn your company’s historical context
2. Ask others for help and establish framework
3. Get executive support and budget
4. Identify mission and focus areas
5. Build strategy, set goals and execute

23. Be open to feedback

24. To hear more from Ragini, watch
her dynamic Summit session here:
https://www.lever.co/resources/tale
nt-innovation-summit/diversity-
inclusion-forum
Ragini Holloway
Head of Talent, Affirm
@ragini_holloway