MKAI Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

We are aware that Data Science is underrepresented in certain regions and that there is currently an unacceptable imbalance of genders in the industry. It is our mission to promote and celebrate the ideas and work of those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds and showcase the brilliant female leaders in our industry. Sometimes we succeed in doing this, sometimes we fail. But we are always open to learning how we do this better and our partners (Pride in Business, The Bigger Pie, OpenEthics.ai) help us to improve and lead in this area. Whatever it takes, we want the AI industry to be more accessible, more inclusive, more equitable and more diverse. 

What this means in practice is that at every MKAI event and on every project we contribute to, you can expect to see more than one gender represented on the stage, from the leadership team, on the project team and in the audience. We will provide women and BAME leaders the time that they need to discover and validate if we are a good fit for them, without pressuring them to speak or to get involved. We will invite women and BAME speakers first because we know there are fewer in the industry, and we will encourage women and BAME members of our audience to ask questions and speak up. Our Founder Richard Foster-Fletcher, the MKAI steering group and MKAI associates all strive to be recognised as allies for BAME and women leaders in our industry, making sure that we walk the talk and take the time to truly understand the issues and challenges that people face.