Who's Doing it Well? Warby Parker’s Racial Equity Strategy
One of the most frequent questions we receive — and try and answer at Holistic — is “Who is doing it well?” It’s always been really informative to hear the good ideas others have. After all, as we say, there’s no IP in inclusion. This feature will highlight creative ideas from other companies. Check out the whole list here or submit your own suggestion below.
TL/DR: Warby Parker's Racial Equity Strategy ensures measurable, meaningful action is taken to fight systemic racism.
Warby Parker lays out a strategy for what they will do to combat systemic racism.
Who: Warby Parker.
What’s the Big Idea💡: This month, they unveiled their action plan to combat systemic racism with various approaches. They laid out proposals for enhancing recruiting, training, and engagement, as well as plans for educational, economic, and political advancement. They provided transparency by listing the funds allocated to each of these initiatives and measurable goals to hold themselves accountable.
Why it Works: Their actions expand far beyond just prescription eyewear. Warby Parker has outlined their goals for increasing education opportunities for BIPOC, breaking down voting barriers, and ultimately reimagining the hiring process to recruit more BIPOC candidates in the tech industry. These changes mean more than just reworking their business; these affects will have lifelong benefits.
(Not So) Hidden Value: On the outside, an eyewear company like Warby Parker has little to gain from increasing national equity. But they’ve reported that 95% of children in low-income communities that need glasses don’t get them--proving that there is a necessity for them to get involved in the social justice sector. Additionally, they’ve expressed their desire to fight back against the systemic barriers in place that hinder the development of BIPOC in this country, and using their economic platform as a way to do so. Warby Parker is showing they care about more than just business, and want to combat a problem that affects their employees, their customers, and the rest of the nation.
Read Warby Parker’s Racial Equity Strategy here, and check out what they’re up to on Facebook and Twitter.
Written by Hayley Mirabile
Do you know a company who’s doing it well? Nominate them for a feature on the blog and show the world the good they’re doing for their people, the community, or the world right now!
