We are thrilled to share insights from yesterday’s inspiring event, “Driving Diverse Digital Futures”,hosted by Workday, The Civil Service Race Forum, and Cognizant, and held in celebration of Black History Month. Our CEO, Dyann HewardMills, was honoured to join the phenomenal panel, including Ashley Ainsley, Yinka Okunlola and Christian Eduwa, to explore the vital connection between diversity, innovation, and technology. What followed was a discussion that provided powerful perspectives on how to build a truly equitable and inclusive digital landscape. 

Here are some of the key themes, personal stories, and calls to action we took away: 

  1. The crucial role of digital inclusion: The panel emphasised that innovation is meaningless if it excludes people. Personal stories shared highlighted the challenges of the digital divide. Key points include: 

  • Lack of digital literacy affects people of all ages and geographies, preventing access to essential tools and communication 

  • There is a need for more diverse education and training around digital tools for all ages and backgrounds 

  • Tools like AI-powered assistants can help tomaintain authenticity and an individual’s unique voice in written communication 

  1. Creating a culture of belonging: The panel also discussed practical, actionable steps for organisations looking to build cultures where people genuinely feel they belong. Key points include: 

  • Viewing the organisation as an "organism" and focusing on creating an environment of psychological safety. This involves identifying blind spots and building in support, like professional coaching, to help individuals thrive and connect 

  • Belonging is multi-faceted and not a one-size-fits-all approach. Organisations should go beyond a "tick-box" mentality and genuinely involve people in decision-making from the start, whether it is for an event or a major business direction. This will ensure their input is authentically considered 

  • Companies should do a better job of promoting affinity groups (or Employee Resource Groups) to new and prospective employees, making it intentional for candidates to see what support structures exist for people like them before they even join 

  1. Sustaining a diverse digital future: The discussion also touched on leadership responsibility, pathways into tech careers, and the future of AI. Key points include: 

  • Leaders have a responsibility to "give power away" through actively mentoring young talent, offering opportunities like internships and job shadowing, and consciously building an inclusive culture that provides equity of opportunity 

  • Attracting young talent requires modern, non-traditional thinking. This includes catching them young by going into schools to reinvent the curriculum and expose them to digital careers, and for organisations to offer more work experience opportunities to inform career decisions 

  • Leaders, particularly those responsible for oversight and governance, like Data Protection Officers (DPOs), must ensure ongoing accountability and transparency for AI tools. Just because a tool exists does not mean it should be deployed, especially if bias is built into the code 

 

Dyann spoke about her journey as a UK-qualified barrister who saw the emerging importance of data protection (which combines human rights and commercial applicability) and grasped the imperative to found HewardMills as a global DPO with a mission to deliver data dignity for all. At HewardMills, we champion the belief that a diverse digital future is a safer digital future. We are committed to continuing the conversation and the action beyond Black History Month to ensure technology is truly built for, and accessible to, everyone.  

 

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