Intel is one of the titans of the tech industry, and as a result, it is in the unique position to blaze a trail for the rest of the companies in the field to follow. And now, at CES, Intel announced that it would actually be using that position to make a very positive difference- it announced it will be making concerted efforts to increase diversity in the technology industry, including a massive $300 million investment.
While there is a fair bit of diversity already in the industry- people of quite a few races have been known to make it big in multiple Silicon Valley firms, for example- there is still a long way to go. Women, for example, have an appallingly low representation in the field, and most of the higher positions still seem to all be taken up by white men.
“It’s time to step up and do more. It’s not good enough to say we value diversity,” Intel CEOC Brian Krzanich said, reports USA Today.
“This isn’t just good business. This is the right thing to do.”
The money will be spent over a period of five years, so we know that Intel plans on making this a sustained effort, instead of a flash in the pan. Hopefully, they are successful, and other companies follow their lead as well.