Overview

In March 2020, Synapse set out our annual strategic objectives, one of which was a focus on diversity and diversification. As the nation finally began reckoning with systemic barriers to racial equality on the streets and in board rooms, we at Synapse also took a close and honest look at the need for greater equality and inclusion in the innovation community. We saw that Synapse had a unique opportunity to lead Florida’s innovation community towards more inclusive and diverse representation. We started by reaching out to diverse community members and leaders and really listening to their experiences, their needs and their suggestions. 

To truly create change, listening isn’t enough. Action is essential. In July 2020, Synapse established Inclusion Lives Here, a committee of Synapse Impact Board members focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. This committee was approved unanimously by the Synapse Impact Board. 

Synapse will continue to share the goals and actions of our committee in the hope that it will inspire others with specific, tangible steps each person and organization can take to create a truly equitable innovation community.

Inclusion Lives Here Committee Mission Statement

Synapse is committed to promoting a truly diverse, equitable, and inclusive ecosystem throughout Florida that will provide more equitable access to opportunities leading to more success for the entire community. 

Inclusion Lives Here Committee Charter

Diversity is one of Synapse’s core values. Now more than ever, it is apparent that diversity, equity and inclusion within Florida’s innovation community requires specific attention to be paid and a concerted effort made. Too often, parts of our community are overlooked and underserved. 

Synapse has formed the Inclusion Lives Here Committee including members from diverse backgrounds, industries, races, ethnicities and gender identifications. 

• Synapse is committed to being thoughtful and intentional about choosing speakers for webinars and events, ensuring equitable representation. The Committee works with Synapse staff to create meaningful content and programming that serves a diverse audience and helps Synapse to identify subject matter experts from a variety backgrounds on all stages, including the mainstage. 
• Synapse will continue to create content to further the educational resources available to our statewide community. The Committee will help Synapse to both identify inequities and propose solutions. 
• The Committee will work with Synapse staff to encourage partners to place DEI as a priority and assist them in doing so (e.g.: seminars/workshops for executives, accountability peer groups/roundtables, etc.)
• Synapse is committed to curating meaningful connections throughout Florida, based upon merit while looking to overcome any internal connection or relationship bias. 
• Synapse’s efforts will be transparent and the committee serves as a mechanism for accountability for achieving these goals, and identifying the short and long term goals which align with the Committee’s and Synapse’s overall mission.

Inclusion Lives Here Committee- 2020-2021 Objectives

Synapse is proud to make our goals and progress transparent through updates to this web page.  We hope in this spirit the innovation community will both help Synapse to achieve these goals and be inspired to take action in your own organizations towards a more inclusive and equitable innovation community.

Internal Short Term:

• Reviewing documented policies and procedures against internal goals to ensure an  inclusive working environment within Synapse.
  • While Synapse has never discriminated in hiring or vendor relationships, in 2021 Synapse has officially adopted a non discrimination policy. 

• Continuing to diversify the Synapse Impact Board and Board Committees.
  • Synapse has added 23 new Board member companies as of May 2021; 15 have appointed female and/or minority executives as representatives to the Synapse Impact Board. 42% of current members of the Synapse Impact Board are female and/or minority individuals.

• Develop procedures for ensuring that vendor applications/bids are made available to a  diverse set of candidates.
  • In submitting RFPs during the 2020 year, Synapse specifically sought out and submitted requests to diverse vendors for their consideration. 

External Short Term:

•  Identifying companies to make introductions for career and business sponsorship and/or investment opportunities for the community. 
  • Synapse is actively seeking these opportunities and has begun measuring and tracking introductions in Q2 2021.  

• Identifying and creating meet and greet sessions where questions can be  asked/answered for the advancement of all diverse community members. 
  • Synapse has created these opportunities throughout all of our 2020 & 2021 programming with intentionality, and will continue to do so:
    • Libate & Learn sessions (2020 & 2021 ongoing)
    • Synapse Converge (June 2020) 
    • Synapse Converge: GEW Edition (November 2020) 
    • Synapse Summit (March 2021) 
    • Successful DEI Initiatives in Action Community Conversation (June 2021)

• Securing sponsors and partners for Synapse interested in the diversity and inclusion space. 
  • Synapse launched the Inclusion Lives Here Committee in 2020, which includes representatives of current Board members as well as new companies and community organizations.
  • Several Impact Board member companies have led sessions and sponsorship opportunities specifically to advance DEI content, initiatives and opportunities.

• Fostering economic inclusion for Florida’s diverse innovation community via introductions for career entrance and advancement, mentorship, sponsorship and investors.
  • This continues to be an ongoing effort for the entire Synapse team both internally and externally.  A few examples: 
    • All Synapse programs feature subject matter experts from diverse backgrounds, elevating those perspectives as important contributions to the innovation ecosystem.
    • Synapse Summit 2021, our marquee event, featured our most diverse speaker roster to date: more than 60% of speakers were from diverse backgrounds including women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ subject matter experts.
    • Synapse earned a grant from Truist to enable Synapse Converge: GEW Edition to be hosted for free to the entire community.  Content was specifically geared towards minority community leaders with sessions around understanding the needs of women in business, the black community, Hispanic leaders, veterans, and creating a welcoming culture in the workplace.
    • Synapse Converge: GEW Edition included a 12-part “Start-Up Toolkit” series led primarily by faculty from Florida colleges and universities.  This remains accessible and free to the community on our website: https://synapsefl.com/startuptoolkit/
    • The ILH Roundtable hosted exclusively for Synapse Impact Board members on January 27, 2021 created opportunities for a candid conversation with Florida founders and ecosystem leaders about their experiences navigating professional opportunities.  Synapse continues to facilitate warm introductions to create economic opportunities, and seek out partnerships with organizations that are seeking this shared goal.

Internal Long Term:

• Continuing to diversify the Synapse Impact Board and Board Committees. 
  • This is an ongoing effort in conversation with existing and new board members. 
  • 2021 KPI: 46% of Impact Board representatives should be female, LGBTQ+ and/or BIPOC (representing a 10% increase; 42% of the current Board members are female, LGBTQ+ and/or BIPOC)

• Continue to improve upon vendor relationships. 
  • ⅔ of the vendors with which Synapse currently works are run by women and/or minority founders (6 out of 9).  8/9 have been long-term relationships (i.e. 2 years or more)
  • Synapse issued 1 RFP in 2020 for a PR partner; 3 of the 5 companies invited to reply to the RFP were run by a minority and/or female founder.  Synapse worked with two PR partners, 1 run by a minority founder.
  • As Synapse seeks new vendor relationships we will continue to seek diverse partners, and those who value and support diversity within their mission.

External Long Term:

• Improving partner relationships to ensure that the companies with whom we partner are  placing a high priority on diversity, equity, and inclusion. 
  • Synapse has been outspoken by prioritizing long term DEI efforts within the organization and sharing those goals publicly by creating a dedicated webpage and hosting conversations during our public-facing events including Converge in June 2020, Converge Global Entrepreneurship Week in November 2020, Synapse Summit 2021, our ongoing Libate & Learn series and DEI Community Conversations. 
  • We clearly defined those objectives for the Synapse Impact Board, which voted unanimously to include the ILH Committee and its founding members on the board.  The January 2021 ILH Roundtable was exclusively a learning opportunity for board members, with a professional facilitator.  
  • Synapse proactively requests that companies providing a speaker use those opportunities to “pass the microphone” to a subject matter expert from a diverse background.
  • Synapse creates opportunities for partner companies to speak about their DEI efforts in our programming.

• Continue to build upon and create new partnerships with sponsors and partners interested in the diversity and inclusion space. 
  • Synapse encourages all partners, sponsors and board members to engage in advancing DEI efforts.  Several existing partners requested to discuss their DEI initiatives including ERGs, supplier diversity, pay equity, recognizing unconscious bias, and other related topics.  
  • The ILH Committee continues to expand with new partners, both from current Board members and attracting new participants.

• Identifying and securing prospective educators and educational institutions to create  partnership and teaching opportunities. 
  • The 12-part Startup Toolkit was the first initiative to address this opportunity.  
  • Synapse aims to create strategic partnerships with Florida-based HBCUs and primarily Hispanic serving institutions in 2021.
  • Synapse leadership completed USF’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace Certification (May 2021). 
  • Synapse is collaborating with USF leadership to include their educational leaders in ILH programming and the committee. 

• Continue fostering economic inclusion.
  • Synapse will continue to proactively seek out and enthusiastically promote initiatives that accomplish this objective.  Examples include the Glaring Gap Summit and report led by Embarc Collective and the Minority Entrepreneurship Institute’s Florida pitch competition.

Committee Members