Alliance of Channel Women Steps Up Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Focus

Alliance of Channel Women (ACW) has formed a new diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) committee to promote a more diverse channel.

The DEI committee supersedes the ACW advocacy committee. ACW created the new committee in response to the growing needs of ACW members and the channel community for DEI leadership and education amid heightened racial tension and civil unrest since last summer.

Raquel Wiley, a former ACW board member and TPx‘s senior channel marketing manager, heads the committee.

ACW’s Raquel Wiley

“ACW believes that we’re better and stronger together,” she said. “Through the DEI committee, ACW will work with our members and their employers, our sponsors and vendors to promote a diverse channel community that reflects the world in which we live and work.”

Tech Channel Goal

The committee seeks to help technology businesses recognize diversity as beneficial, nurture talent and advocate for individual growth. Furthermore, it plans to ally with industry groups like Xposure and others to inspire and facilitate change in the channel.

Telarus’ Amy Bailey

“ACW was formed to promote gender diversity and inclusion in the tech channel,” said Amy Bailey, ACW’s president and Telarus‘ senior vice president of marketing. “But the need is clearly much broader as is evident most recently by escalating violence and discrimination against people of color. To say this is not our fight is to abdicate responsibility for the welfare of our friends and colleagues who suffer – often in silence – at the hands of both malicious and unconscious bias. That’s why we’re standing up and speaking out for diversity, equity and inclusion of all kinds in the tech channel.”

In addition to Wiley, the DEI committee is led by two co-chairs. They are Jacqueline Steinberg, AT&T Alliance Channel‘s partner development manager, and Kelli McMillan, Five9‘s national partner manager. Former ACW advocacy committee members and a growing list of ACW members are also joining the committee.