( 4 minutes read)
· Microsoft has announced investments to bring together more Black and African American-owned partner businesses into its U.S. partner community
· The partner-focused measures are among a number of commitments laid out by Nadella as part of Microsoft’s new US$150 million investment into its diversity and inclusion initiative
· The announcement comes after weeks of widespread protests of mistreatment and systemic racism against members of the Black and African-American community in the U.S
Microsoft has announced investments to bring together more Black and African American-owned partner businesses into its U.S. partner community.
The corporation has announced a US$50 million partner fund to assist such businesses with access to capital during their startup phase, along with US$20 million in financing for supporting cash flow requirements, according to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. The tech giant is also committing to spend US$3 million on training programs–including tech solutions, go-to-market readiness and financial management–for such partner businesses.
The partner-focused measures are among a number of commitments laid out by Nadella as part of Microsoft’s new US$150 million investment into its diversity and inclusion initiative. The announcement comes after weeks of widespread protests of mistreatment and systemic racism against members of the Black and African-American community in the U.S.
Microsoft also will increase representation and inclusion of the Black and Africans on its rolls. By 2025, company is committing to double the number of Black and African American individuals who are serving as managers, senior individual contributors and senior leaders in the U.S.
Meanwhile, in the next three years, Microsoft says it will also double the number of suppliers that are Black and African American-owned–with plans to spend an additional $500 million with those existing and new suppliers–while also doubling the percentage of its transaction volumes through Black- and African American-owned banks and external managers.
