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We have work to do

Our vision has always been to improve the health and happiness of the world. A bold vision. But as we have educated ourselves and joined the global push for justice and equity for the Black community, it is clear that we have a lot of work to do in making this vision a reality.

Over the last week, we have spent time listening to our employees and members, learning from experts inside and outside our organization, and diving deep into our diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. We recognize that we must first become aware of and address our own unconscious biases. We have to unlearn years of structural enablers driving inequality and our role in this. We also need to be purposeful in ensuring our Black communities, who are seven times more likely to live in areas with limited mental health care, can access these critical tools and resources.

This is a long journey that requires a change both from within and through the power of our community. Nothing we do would be possible without the perspectives and support from our members, employees, and partners. We can do better, and while it will take some time for us to get it right, the work starts now. It starts with awareness and education. It starts by taking action, not just speaking words. It starts by holding ourselves accountable for real results. Finally, serious, authentic conversations are critical to have with ourselves, our organizations, and our families in actually making change happen.

Here are the steps we have taken so far on our journey to inclusion and equity:

Donations to advance the cause:

  • We have taken immediate action by donating to Black Lives Matter, Liberty Hill Foundation, and Community Coalition in Los Angeles to help combat racial injustice.
  • We are amplifying the impact of individual charitable contributions by matching all employee donations.
  • We are providing and encouraging employees to take paid time off to volunteer their time and support communities in need.

Committing to diverse product and content representation:

  • Our member community is diverse and should feel included and represented. Therefore, we will feature meditation teachers and experts who better reflect our member community and their unique voices. Our new Creative Diversity Director will be 100% dedicated to building inclusivity into our development process and ensuring that we hire and collaborate with a wide range of voices.

Unlocking access to mental health support:

  • COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted the Black community not only from a health perspective but from an employment perspective too. We have unlocked a free, specially curated “Weathering the storm” collection of meditation and mindfulness content in the Headspace app for anyone, anywhere to access.

Improving our hiring practices:

  • We are setting clear targets and accountabilities with concrete strategies to improve our hiring practices at both the functional and leadership levels. Success will be a diverse and equitable workplace on par with national demographics.

Training and education efforts:

  • We started with open and honest conversations with our employees, members, and partners to build stronger empathy. We launched an education series to address the structural aspects of racism as well as the dangerous implicit bias in most of us. And we are keeping the conversation going in each of our weekly All Hands.

It is our job to become a stronger organization that can change the ecosystem and narrative on diversity, equity, and inclusion. We know we can be strongest when we work as a community. We are here to be your partners, to share with you, and to learn from you. Conversations must continue.

© 2024 Headspace Inc.