Genesis Garcia’s session focuses on equitable design and technology. Genesis elaborates that this needs to be the “bottom line” when it comes to equity in the field of design and technology. Black, Indigenous and People of Color have been leaders in the field for many years and Garcia believes it’s time to put this at the forefront of people’s minds when it comes to technology and innovation in this space.
To be able to put this into practice, Genesis goes on to explain that we need to have a diverse workforce. Having this diverse set of workers sit down together when making hard and fast decisions is key in keeping DEI at the forefront of innovation. More companies need to integrate these workers and listen closely to what they have to say. They have the lived experiences that are important in making these monumental decisions.
Speaking on how DEI is being integrated in today’s workforce, Genesis Garcia says that it’s a long journey and that it’s a marathon, not a sprint. It takes time for change to happen and it won’t happen overnight. When it comes to the DEI initiative, Genesis believes that there is always something to learn from. There is no hard and fast way to bring about change. Genesis Garcia states that even now at MIT Solve, they are still learning from the initiatives that they have implemented and making improvements from there. Garcia believes that there is always room for improvement and that there is a constant learning curve when it comes to these new initiatives. It is all a part of the process of change.
Garcia speaks on the fact that from 2020 up to the present day, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives have stalled, and for good reason. The Global Pandemic threw a wrench in the system that no one could have predicted, and there has been a lag in getting things back to normal. Genesis leaves us with her words of wisdom as she speaks on the future of DEI initiatives: “I think it’s time to make sure it’s a movement, not a moment and really ensuring that it’s continuous and that we’re still always trying to engage in those initiatives.”
