The Silicon Valley convening of Culture Shift Labs was nothing short of electrifying. I’m incredibly honored to have joined entrepreneurs from across the globe, all sharing the groundbreaking innovations they’re driving. There are some rooms you can work your entire life to enter—I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to share our bullish perspective on wild-capture fisheries, genuine product innovation, and the role of technology, modernized supply chains, and an upskilled workforce in shaping a more responsible U.S. economy for seafood.
My first startup experience was in the Valley, and it shaped me in ways I’m still processing. I was wide-eyed, inspired by visits to our offices from 20/20, Colin Powell, and John Doerr. It was the first time I worked in NASA’s labs, the first time I worked on beta projects that landed with major customers like Google, and the first time I pulled an all-nighter (since college, anyway) for a presentation on my research. The buzz of a dedicated cadre of visionary, entrepreneurial changemakers in tech felt palpable—proof that we could indeed shape the world’s trajectory.
Yet, alongside the innovation, I personally witnessed the deeply entrenched issues in the Valley. As a young Black female engineer—the only person like me on campus and the only Black technical person, period—I consistently encountered and was disheartened by the stark realities of underrepresentation in an environment that was not eager to grapple with, much less resolve, the corrosive issues of sexism and racism. Ellen Pao vs. Kleiner Perkins was fresh on everyone’s mind, but it wasn’t nearly enough to shift the male-dominated, ego-driven culture that led to notorious failures like Solyndra and the mistreatment of Black workers in Tesla’s facilities. The lack of checks and balances in the unstructured world I was living in accelerated innovation but undermined social progress—and my life’s objectives—all at the same time. There is a significant loss of potential energy that can’t be properly converted from world-class talent to durable outcomes in environments like these. These experiences helped me cut my teeth and prepared me to continue fighting on a new battlefield: equal access to capital for high-performing ventures led by underrepresented founders, something Pescavore is equally fighting for.
This is why the work that Andrea Hoffman, Terell S. and their team are doing is so urgent. They’re helping to build a community and a high-performing culture that champions diversity, fosters progress, and reinforces recognition for those who don’t fit the typical pattern, ensuring that merit and innovation come from all corners of society.
I left the summit deeply inspired by the path ahead and hopeful for continued strides toward equity.
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