Supporting Partners And Building Their Allies

How one enterprise organization is supporting channel change through support of African American partners.

Confession: I consistently have no less than 20 internet browser tabs open at any given time. And while I may be occasionally overwhelmed with the amount of reading, analyzing, comprehension, and tasks that the open tabs potentially create, I will not – no, I cannot – close them. Yes, I need them all. Please tell me I am not alone in this.

Thank you. I needed that reassurance. Now something for you: You are not alone in your overwhelm while building inclusive leadership practices.

So often, when tackling the work of building equitable organizations it all comes down to the same question: there is so much to be done, where do we start? What tab can we close first? The tasks can be overwhelming, making the mission seem impossible. How do we right side injustice and historic lacks in representation while also keeping business profitable? How do we define equity? How do we retain the employees we have while validating the need for workforce diversification?

The challenges continue: pay equity and intersectional gender parity, racial inequities, lack of black, indigenous, and people of color in leadership positions, understanding ways that neurodiversity and varying ability impacts the ways we work, intergenerational leadership challenges. And these are just a few of the issues facing us when it comes to inclusion. Like I said, it’s easy to get overwhelmed just like when you have too many browser tabs open.

Cisco: Supporting African American Partners

Companies like Cisco are starting where they are with what they have. Attempting to address one tab: racial inequity and under representation in the channel specifically and technology in general.

Driven by their purpose to “power an inclusive future for all,” Cisco’s social justice arm started its five-year, $300 million journey in 2020. The “12 actions for social justice” originated their blueprint while exploring “new ways to address inequities, break down barriers, and create more inclusive opportunities for people to thrive” in African American (Black) communities.

According to their website, Cisco has increased its spend with a diverse supplier base by 108 percent, increased Black representation in non-executive roles by 73 percent, and donated $66 million to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) via software and services. And this is just the beginning.

Impact to The IT Channel

The African American Cisco Partner Community was established in 2022 and is the result of a $50 million, five-year commitment to build a more diverse partner ecosystem. Led by Jason W. Gallo, VP of partner go-to-market acceleration, and Andrico Spates, senior manager, global partner sales, the AACPC’s three-part charter aims to increase opportunities and accelerate financial growth for not just African American/Black partners, but the entire channel ecosystem. In a blog, Gallo stated that the AACPC has begun to connect and expand their businesses in innovative ways, aligning with market trends that support Cicso's social justice framework.

But there are more tabs to be closed in terms of building upon a sustainable social justice framework. In August 2023 the AACPC expanded its reach to include an initiative focused on building allies alongside African American partners. The first to join was reseller Trace3.

“Historically, DEI has been very talent-focused,” shared Joann Thach, Trace3’s senior director of diversity, equity, and inclusion. However, working with Cisco allows the organization to align its altruism with its business functions. “As a reseller, [in the ally program] we get to be involved in different parts of supply chains, which is aligned with where I see DEIB going.” Creating clear supply chain equity provides Cisco and partners like Trace3 the opportunity to address multiple tabs in the inclusion puzzle.

Cisco’s AACPC and Ally Partnership journey exemplifies a commitment to not only addressing existing disparities but also actively shaping a future where equity and inclusion are integral to the fabric of the IT channel. By fostering alliances, leveraging supplier diversity needs, and aligning with Cisco's overarching social justice framework, the AACPC paves the way for a more equitable and prosperous ecosystem, where the historically underfunded and under-resourced solution provider can thrive. As we look ahead, the AACPC's ongoing initiatives serve as a current and timely example of how the business of inclusivity aligns theories with practice, giving hope to one day closing tabs of injustice and inequity.