--- title: BETA 2021 DEI Progress Report description: A year ago, we made a list of commitments to increase diversity and inclusion at BETA. Today, we’re updating the community on these and making more. image: https://blog.beta.mn/hubfs/Screen%20Shot%202021-05-24%20at%204.31.14%20PM.png --- Close - Programs - [Twin Cities Startup Week](https://www.tcstartupweek.com/) - [Accelerator](https://www.beta.mn/join-a-cohort) - [Showcase](https://www.beta.mn/programs-showcase) - [Portfolio](https://www.beta.mn/portfolio) - [Partners](https://www.beta.mn/our-partners) - [Get Involved](https://www.beta.mn/how-to-help) - [Donate Now](https://donate.stripe.com/4gw9CLfHN5GN0RW144) [![Primary\_DkGray-Orange](https://blog.beta.mn/hs-fs/hubfs/Beta%20Logos/Primary_DkGray-Orange.png?width=200&height=50&name=Primary_DkGray-Orange.png)](https://blog.beta.mn/) [![BETA Logo-1](https://blog.beta.mn/hs-fs/hubfs/BETA%20Logo-1.png?width=200&height=50&name=BETA%20Logo-1.png)](https://blog.beta.mn/) - Programs - [Twin Cities Startup Week](https://www.tcstartupweek.com/) - [Accelerator](https://www.beta.mn/join-a-cohort) - [Showcase](https://www.beta.mn/programs-showcase) - [Portfolio](https://www.beta.mn/portfolio) - [Partners](https://www.beta.mn/our-partners) - [Get Involved](https://www.beta.mn/how-to-help) - [Donate Now](https://donate.stripe.com/4gw9CLfHN5GN0RW144) [Laura Beier](https://blog.beta.mn/author/laura-beier) May 26, 2021, 5:00:00 AM 3 min read # BETA 2021 DEI Progress Report [Previous Post](https://blog.beta.mn/beta-backers-sparks-connection-for-startups) [Next Post](https://blog.beta.mn/beta-alum-combines-personal-and-professional-experience-at-visana-health) This week marks the anniversary of the death of George Floyd, and a year of protesting, mobilizing, and working together to address racial injustice in the United States.  Around this time last year, BETA made a [statement](https://blog.beta.mn/we-will-do-better) addressing how the organization’s past actions and inactions negatively impacted Black founders in the Minnesota ecosystem, and made commitments to measurable actions to increase equity within the community.  These commitments included adding Black members to the [BETA Board](https://www.beta.mn/about), increasing the diversity on the Cohort selection committee, and implementing tools and techniques in our programming for hiring diverse teams. Since then, BETA has: - Added [Clarence Bethea](https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarencebethea/), BETA alum and founder of [Upsie](https://upsie.com/), to the BETA Board. - Added [Shonnah Hughes](https://www.linkedin.com/in/saasysistah/), founder of [Tech Teen Titans](https://www.teentechtitans.org/programs) and leader of [Women in Tech Diversity](https://women-in-tech.org/who-are-we/) and [PepUp Tech](https://www.pepuptech.org/), to the BETA Board. - Added [Aneela Idnani](https://www.linkedin.com/in/aneelakumar/), BETA alum and co-founder of [HabitAware](https://habitaware.com/), to the BETA Board. - Increased representation in Cohort content and increased topics on diversity and inclusion such as ‘Bootstrapping vs. Raising Capital’ by [Thompson Aderinkomi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/thompsonaderinkomi/), ‘Mission, Vision, Values and Why They Matter’ by [Elaine Rasmussen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/y-elaine-rasmussen-21b4ba3/), and ‘The Importance of Personal and Company Branding’ from [KNOCK, Inc](https://knockinc.com/about). - Redesigned its selection committee to include a mix of BETA team members, BETA founders, and local community leaders including Black and female experts. - Made commitments to increase diversity at [Twin Cities Startup Week](https://www.twincitiesstartupweek.com/), including requiring all sessions and events with 3+ speakers to have at least one woman and/or member of the BIPOC community.   And we’re committed to doing more. In July, the BETA Board will be addressing more actions for 2021 going into 2022 on how we can continue lifting up underrepresented founders, the Black tech community, and more — stay tuned for our next announcement. ## RELATED ARTICLES ##### [Laura Beier May 20, 2021, 1:47:11 PM 10 min read BETA Backers Sparks Connection for Startups As part of our programming to uplift Minnesota founders and propel startup growth in the Twin Cities, we hosted another BETA ... Start Reading](https://blog.beta.mn/beta-backers-sparks-connection-for-startups) ##### [Laura Beier Oct 1, 2021, 11:38:29 AM 8 min read Reconnecting at the Fall 2021 BETA Showcase After two years of Zoom meetings, virtual events, and socially-distanced happy hours, we were finally able to bring the ... Start Reading](https://blog.beta.mn/fall-2021-beta-showcase-recap) ##### [Laura Beier Aug 24, 2021, 2:00:07 PM 13 min read Announcing the Fall 2021 BETA Cohort! We’re so excited to welcome these 14 startups into the BETA family! Throughout the next five months, we’ll provide training ... Start Reading](https://blog.beta.mn/announcing-the-fall-2021-beta-cohort) [![BETA Logo](https://blog.beta.mn/hubfs/Beta%20Logos/BETA%20Logo.svg)](https://blog.beta.mn/) The Beta Group (BETA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing Minnesota's technology startup founders the resources + relationships required to scale their companies. Office Hours: 10 am - 4 pm, Mon-Thurs [![Beta-grey](https://blog.beta.mn/hs-fs/hubfs/Beta%20Logos/Beta-grey.png?width=66&name=Beta-grey.png)](https://www.beta.mn)  [![TCSW-grey](https://blog.beta.mn/hs-fs/hubfs/Beta%20Logos/TCSW-grey.png?width=105&name=TCSW-grey.png)](https://www.twincitiesstartupweek.com)    - Beta.mn - [About](https://www.beta.mn/about) - [Contact](https://www.beta.mn/contact-us) - [Subscribe](https://info.beta.mn/subscribe) - Programs - [Accelerator](https://www.beta.mn/join-a-cohort) - [Showcase](https://www.beta.mn/programs-showcase) © 2026 The Beta Group \- All rights reserved - [Terms / Privacy](https://www.beta.mn/terms-of-service-privacy)