Inclusion Is Everyone’s Responsibility
We are on a mission to improve patients’ health by accelerating life-saving R&D with AI. We believe that to achieve our mission, we must follow an interdisciplinary approach, which requires a team with a variety of expertise and lived experiences. Therefore, not only do we believe DEI is the right thing to do, it is an integral part of our business strategy, ingrained in our values, and critical for our success.
Work is a fundamental aspect of living a meaningful life, and as an employer, we aim to create an environment where employees feel safe and fulfilled. We acknowledge systems of oppression and marginalization exist in the world, and as a company, we work to interrupt those systems. We have a responsibility to build an environment for team members that is compassionate, understanding, and free from discrimination. Therefore, we expect every team member to actively embrace this, and engage across differences, strive to understand one another, and collaborate to make BenchSci antiracist, fair, and harmonious for all identities so that each person can do the best work [of their life].
Learn more about our commitments on our company DEI page and keep up with our progress and learnings through our annual DEI Impact Report.
Connect with others who share your perspective
BenchShe+
BenchShe+ focuses on the intersectional needs of women at all points of their careers at BenchSci. We welcome all to join in allyship of building an equitable future for women.
Prior to working at BenchSci, I worked for two other companies where I was the first woman to join the engineering team. Since then, I’ve been passionate about advocating for women in technology, and my favorite part about BenchSci is that it’s given me the opportunity to work with dozens of talented women developers every day. Through leadership in BenchShe+, I’ve been able to advocate for concrete changes to improve equity for women across the organization, and it’s been an amazing experience so far.
BenchShe+ is really a community within BenchSci that focuses on the needs of women at any point in their careers. Its purpose is to create a safe and empowering environment for women to connect, advance gender equity, and contribute to a more inclusive culture at BenchSci.
BenchSci is at the intersection of tech and science, which means, women are often the non-dominant population. BenchShe+ is a place where all these women engineers, scientists, and more can come together and support one another. Together we navigate different challenges that they're facing and create a community.
As a woman of color, a woman in science, and a caregiver, I have found a community at BenchShe+ where I can connect with others with shared intersectional experiences, and learn from those with identities outside of my own. This has allowed me to grow as a human, grow in my career, and expand my network at and outside of BenchSci.
Black@BenchSci
Black@BenchSci is a brave space where Black-identifying team members will be able to shed the armor often needed to navigate the everyday work landscape and show up authentically to share, collaborate, experience, and stretch both professionally and personally.
Amalia Ward
Project Manager | Black@BenchSci Community Manager
"ERGs are valuable to our organization, as they provide a space for team members to feel seen and empowered to share their unique experiences. By fostering ERGs at BenchSci, we embrace the power of diversity and inclusive thinking, which enriches our culture and enhances our collective knowledge."
Senior Data Analyst | Black@BenchSci Co-Chair
"I was drawn to get involved with Black@BenchSci because building community has always been one of my core values. I wanted to be a part of cultivating a space where people who looked like me could come together and feel that they could be themselves. Leaning into the people-first approach is a key component in the ERGs @ BenchSci, and that makes all the difference."
Senior Software Engineer 1 - Web Applications | Black@BenchSci Event Manager
"ERGs can drive change by fostering a sense of belonging at BenchSci. They provide a platform for members to share perspectives, promote inclusion, and influence organizational change through advocating for diversity and equity, providing valuable insights, and ultimately, creating a more inclusive workplace culture at BenchSci."
Internal Events Manager | Black@BenchSci Co-Chair
"There is an unspoken bond that naturally occurs when you find someone who looks like you, identifies as you identify, or has had similar lived experiences. The belonging and safety in that familiarity is exhilarating, and I am proud that we have intentionally created those opportunities here at BenchSci."
QueerSci
QueerSci strives to foster an inclusive workplace for 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals focused on community, culture, and careers, treating everyone justly through mindful equity.
After joining BenchShe+, I reflected on my identity and areas I wanted to celebrate and expand - QueerSci felt like a natural step. My queerness has traditionally not been something that was discussed at work, though it’s an important part of who I am and what values I hold, so making a place for 2SLGBTQIA+ community members to bring their whole selves to work is so powerful and meaningful. Being able to spend time during my work day encouraging and enabling queer joy is incredibly fulfilling.
Members of underrepresented communities have heard multiple versions of comments like “your personal life doesn’t belong in a professional setting” or “some people in our team are not comfortable with that, so please avoid bringing it up in work settings”. These comments are not only hurtful and isolating, but they take away one of the most powerful elements a team can have: diversity. ERGs are pushing the boundaries to celebrate the power of diversity in the workplace and beyond, and they help elevate previously unheard voices. This is definitely the work that I am most proud of in my trajectory at BenchSci.
Read more on our blog
Learn about and celebrate diversity
For our DEI endeavors to succeed, we must recognize and appreciate both the similarities that bring us together and the differences that make us unique. We organize educational opportunities for the company, such as speaker events to bring awareness and understanding of lived experiences from various identity groups.