Vancouver, Feb. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clio, the leader in cloud-based legal technology, is proud to partner with the Black Professionals in Tech Network (BPTN), an organization advancing opportunities for Black technical and business professionals in order to bridge the tech industry’s talent gap. Together, Clio and BPTN will engage in an ongoing process of learning, discussion, and support, with a mutual commitment to fostering a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable future in North American tech.
Clio is striving to become an anti-racist organization and is actively working to identify and oppose unconscious biases and change the behaviors, beliefs, and systemic issues that perpetuate racist ideas, actions, and practices. To support these efforts, Clio is prioritizing company initiatives that drive Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Equity (DIBE), and tracking progress towards achieving this goal. BPTN’s mission and approach align with the transformation Clio aims to accomplish—both internally and within the industry.
“BPTN is helping to create an industry that is representative of the communities in which we live and work, and we are proud to partner with an organization that is having a deep and meaningful impact on our industry,” said Jack Newton, CEO, and Co-founder of Clio. “In order to create the kind of change we want to see in the legal and tech industries, we have a responsibility to continuously become more diverse and inclusive as a company, which is why Clio is actively taking steps towards becoming an anti-racist organization. Being an anti-racist organization isn’t something you just ‘become’ but rather, a series of choices, practices, and commitments you have to make on an ongoing basis. This is just the beginning of our ongoing commitment to create a more equitable future for all.”
Clio’s partnership with BPTN will help expand its ability to hire, retain, and promote Black talent—and it will enable Clio to connect with BPTN’s network of Black tech professionals and contribute to their career growth. In addition to providing Black developers, engineers, sales, and marketing professionals with access to senior executive sponsorship, industry training, and a strong peer network to support their growth and development, BPTN helps technology companies hire and promote Black tech talent through pipeline building and internal culture development.
Clio’s partnership with BPTN will include a variety of culture and learning sessions hosted by BPTN to provide insight into the Black tech ecosystem and equip employees with actionable takeaways to create and maintain a more diverse and inclusive company culture. These sessions will help Clio build corporate solutions that are practical, sustainable, and scalable across the organization and aligned with Clio’s larger strategic goals and long-held commitment to Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Equity. Clio leaders and the Talent Acquisition Team will also work directly with BPTN through a 6-month learning pod to identify talent acquisition goals and expand their networking engagement with Black tech professionals.
“We are delighted to partner with Clio and work together to move the needle in providing equal opportunity for Black professionals in the technology industry,” said Lekan Olawoye, Founder and CEO of BPTN. “As a leader in the technology space, Clio is paving the way for equitable hiring practices and setting an example for the industry as a whole.”
Clio has a vibrant culture for advancing diversity and inclusion and advocating for positive change within the company and community. Beyond the partnership with BPTN, Clio invests in company-wide educational workshops with leading external specialists, implements new technology to enable learning access, and actively looks for new ways to recruit, hire, and retain a workforce representative of the world in which we live. Clio’s executive leadership sponsors an employee-led DIBE Council, which oversees company-wide discussion groups on DIBE topics and leads the formation of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), which are safe spaces for members of shared identity groups within the company.
Embedded in Clio’s culture is the belief that diversity of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds is a necessity for all 21st-century companies. Clio’s partnership with BPTN adds to a number of organizations Clio supports that are helping to create a more diverse and inclusive industry, including: Pay Up for Progress, Equity Leaders BOOK Club, Get REAL, Launching Into Tech, Tech Loves Pride, Women in Tech Sales, Canada Learning Code, Women Who Code, and Chic Geek. Learn more about Clio’s commitment to diversity and inclusion and view current job openings at clio.com/about/values.
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About Black Professionals in Tech Network
Black Professionals in Tech Network (BPTN) is the largest network of Black tech in Canada, with over 10,000 members, and top 3 in the US. We bridge the “Network gap” in the tech industry by providing Black technical and business professionals with access to senior executive sponsorship, skills building and a strong peer network to support professional growth and career development. We facilitate exposure for tech companies to hire and promote Black tech talent through pipeline building, internal culture development and becoming an “Employer of Choice”!
BPTN’s Media Contact:
Garfield Dixon, Head of Marketing & Communications
garfield@bptn.ca | media@bptn.ca
About Clio
Clio, the leader in cloud-based legal technology, empowers lawyers to be both client-centered and firm focused through a suite of cloud-based solutions, including legal practice management software and client intake and legal CRM software. Clio has been transforming the industry for over a decade with 150,000 customers spanning 100 countries, and the approval of over 66 bar associations and law societies globally. Clio continues to lead the industry with initiatives like the Legal Trends Report, the Clio Cloud Conference, and the Clio Academic Access Program. Clio has been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies, a Deloitte Fast 50 and Fast 500 company, and, most recently, Company of the Year, Anchor Success by the British Columbia Tech Association. Learn more at clio.com.
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