Fixing Silicon Valley's diversity problem

[Commentary] The first step to fixing any problem is admitting you have one. Google just took a huge first step in acknowledging what observers of Silicon Valley have known for ages: The tech sector has a whopping diversity problem. The other big tech firms - Apple, Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo, etc. - should release their own diversity figures. All should get serious about fixing the problem.

How? Well, let's start with data, something the tech world is good at. Google's stats show Asians to be well represented, but lumping all Asians together is a bit like lumping all Americans together -- you lose a whole world of variation. Don't forget that the economic influence of any large company goes beyond its workforce. These companies spend many millions of dollars buying goods and services from outside suppliers. Does any of that money go to firms owned by women or people of color? We don't know. So tell us. And if your supply chain is as diversity-deficient as your workforce, do something about it. And finally, all of these companies need to understand that transparency and positive words are just the start. They need to make an ongoing commitment to bringing all of our communities onboard - not just to feel good, but because it's a business imperative in a nation where "minorities" will soon be the majority.

[Orson Aguilar is executive director of The Greenlining Institute]