Organisations that are addressing diversity challenges in the South West’s tech sector have been highlighted in a unique project.
For the past two years DisruptSW has showcased the most-innovative companies in the region with the 25 named in each list recognising firms taking a new approach to existing problems. They demonstrated this by showing how they are challenging markets through their people, products and potential. 
But this year the list, which is backed by South West law firm Foot Anstey and Bristol-based specialist recruiter ADLIB, has put diversity at its heart and is championing the organisations that are leading in making business more diverse.
The DisruptSW Diversity Edition index has been collated and curated based on nominations from key influencers and participators in the region’s tech and innovation space.
Among the Bristol-based organisations on the list are:
- Babbasa, the social enterprise that empowers young people aged up to 25
- Black Girl Convention, the movement to ensure that women of African and Caribbean heritage have a sense of home
- ForgeRock, which uses data-driven insight to help improve the customer journey using intelligent authentication
- GapSquare, the firm that has developed software for pay transparency, gender and ethnicity pay gap analysis
- Mogul Minded Group, an enterprise with a focus on social mobility and promoting businesses and entrepreneurs from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds.
- Innovation hub Engine Shed’s Diverse Workforce for the Future programme, which has been formed to help raise awareness of opportunities for young people and engage them with the workplace.
ADLIB managing director Nick Dean said: “We strongly believe changes need to be made to the way businesses attract, recruit and retain diverse talent.
“Our mission is to reposition the tech skills gap as a massive opportunity for diversity and inclusion.
“Building diverse and inclusive teams is proven to bring multiple benefits. From brand perception and increasing candidate attraction, bridging hard-to-find skill gaps, increasing staff retention and driving better business performance.”
Foot Anstey head of technology and partner Martin Cuell said: “The South West is emerging as a world leading hub for technology and innovation.
“We’re focusing on those businesses that are tackling the sector’s diversity issues head on. There are a wealth of businesses who are thinking differently about this problem and turning it into an opportunity.”
The DisruptSW was launched to coincide with this week’s Bristol Technology Festival.
Organisations chosen had to show their impact through developing products, services or solutions which either support and assist businesses within the region and beyond to address inequality and inequity within their organisations so helping to attract, sustain and optimise talent within business or have themselves developed disruptive technology or solutions within their own organisation which are innovative in addressing diversity issues.
They must have also demonstrated a clear roadmap and/or trajectory to optimise their products, services or solutions or internal structures to accelerate, promote and facilitate diversity.
