Opening Doors for Everyone
Deepti Rohatgi’s spirit for social good began as a diplomat at the U.S. Department of State. At Slack, she opened doors for people with arrest or conviction records across the country.
Based in San Francisco, Deepti is the founder and former Executive Director of Slack for Good, an initiative at Slack that aims to increase the number of historically underrepresented people in the workplace. “Most people in the tech industry have no exposure to justice-impacted individuals,” said Deepti. “Slack for Good wants to change that.”
Before joining Slack, Deepti served as a diplomat at the U.S. Department of State. “I understand the regulatory challenges that tech companies can face when launching philanthropic projects,” said Deepti. “My role was to work through those hurdles to ensure that opportunities are available for everyone.”
Today as part of the Salesforce Foundation, Slack for Good is committed to supporting equitable initiatives that help democratically distribute the benefits of technology. In 2018, Slack for Good co-founded Next Chapter, an engineering apprenticeship program that helps previously-incarcerated people find long-term employment in the tech sector.
Most people in the tech industry have no exposure to justice-impacted individuals. Slack for Good wants to change that.
Nearly 1 in 3 adult Americans are burdened with the collateral consequences of an arrest or conviction record—and the felony box that asks if you have ever been convicted on a job application can be a life sentence in itself. But, with the help of programs like Next Chapter, companies are opening their hearts and minds to justice-impacted individuals. “Fair Chance hiring may take current employees outside of their comfort zones, but new perspectives ultimately create purpose-driven cultures,” said Deepti. “Next Chapter helps employers put equity and inclusion into action.”
