Rapid Response: Finding untapped value in multicultural consumers, w/Blavity CEO and AfroTech founder Morgan DeBaun

Cultural Adaptation

Blavity's transition to a fully remote work environment highlights its commitment to cultural adaptation and employee well-being. Morgan DeBaun explains that the decision to move away from a physical office was driven by the desire to enhance mental health and generational wealth for employees, particularly women and people of color 1. This shift, although not financially motivated, has allowed Blavity to maintain a cohesive culture through intentional investments in people engagement and rituals.

We created a people engagement team. We have weekly rituals, like weekly trivia in slack.

--- Morgan DeBaun

The company has successfully fostered a sense of community and collaboration, even in a distributed setting, by organizing retreats and encouraging co-working vacations 1.

   

Engagement Strategies

Blavity employs strategic engagement methods to maintain employee morale and accountability in a remote setting. Morgan DeBaun emphasizes the importance of forming advisory councils to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments are met 2. By collaborating with top executives and dedicating time to DEI initiatives, Blavity holds organizations accountable and fosters an open environment for feedback.

When you're a CEO of a company like that, all you have is how much time you're able to spend on different issues and different groups of people.

--- Morgan DeBaun

This approach not only strengthens Blavity's internal culture but also serves as a model for other organizations aspiring to be more multicultural 2.