Diversity at Outsite - A letter from the CEO

Outsite’s mission has always been to create open and supportive spaces where people can connect and support each other, no matter what their background is. We believe people are at their best when they can live life on their own terms, specifically when they have freedom of movement, and equal access to opportunity. The protests against systemic discrimination of black people, across the United States and the world, continue to highlight the fact that not everyone has this freedom or access. We are all accountable for calling out racism, and making our society more just and equitable.

This week I've personally reached out to Members of our community to see how they feel, and we've had discussions as a team in terms of what we can do.

At Outsite, we support the Black Lives Matter Movement, and we are taking an active stance to play a role in creating a more equitable and just society.

While we pride ourselves on our diverse community, we know there's more work to be done. This is an ongoing commitment, and for Outsite spaces to be truly accessible to all, everyone needs to feel welcomed, safe, and at home.

Policy

We have, and have always had, zero tolerance for racism in our spaces. We plan to make this clearer, to show our spaces are safe for everyone.

We're a global team (of 21 people, there are 11 different nationalities), but it's not enough to assume a diverse team is completely free of implicit bias. We commit to educating ourselves and our team on becoming better allies by building, publishing and enacting a more robust diversity policy which addresses systemic discrimination.

Partners

We're re-evaluating the Partners we choose to work with, whether it's a photographer, an influencer, or an events collaborator - we can be more intentional on who we align with, and ensure we are working with people of diverse backgrounds, especially more minority business owners.

Community Initiatives

Our initiatives aim to support the local communities we operate in - we'll be seeking ways to work with more social justice groups and offering opportunities for our members to engage as well.

Language & Imagery

This is something we have focused on improving, but we realize there is still work to be done. Our community is not always reflected in what you see online, and we need to show more representation of the black community in our imagery.

We're here to listen.

We're open to the fact we might still have blindspots. There might be unintentional bias in the way we've previously worked, and this week has been the beginning of a longer process of unlearning.

We're committed to listening to our community and working with you on ways to address racism, to ensure Diversity is supported through everything we do, and to create Spaces where everyone can truly feel at home.

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Emmanuel