Starting in March 2018, a group of venture capital leaders recognized the transformative role tech can play in the outcome of a city. Seeking to make a positive contribution for all Angelenos, these VCs along with the Annenberg Foundation and the Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti began to convene tech industry leaders around an industry-wide effort to benefit the city of Los Angeles.

These convenings evolved into PledgeLA, a collective of over 200 VC firms and tech companies that hold each other and the region accountable to measurable growth in diversity, equity, and community engagement each year.

Los Angeles represents one of the fastest-growing technology hubs in the country. Known for its remarkable diversity, LA holds incredible untapped potential that, if activated, could transform the future of the global innovation economy.

PledgeLA seeks to redefine what it means to participate in the tech industry. We envision a tech industry that supports all corners of the city, employs its residents equitably, and gives back by helping to solve the city’s most pressing issues.

PledgeLA is fostering the growth of a region-wide culture of accountability in diversity and equity work by deploying our annual company and staff-level surveys to help track LA’s progress and challenges. In many cases, these data have never been collected, and certainly not on an annual basis. Each year, we’ll anonymize this data and present it at the regional-level, highlighting pain points and areas of success for LA tech.

Beyond our accountability work, PledgeLA also connects civic, private sector, and non-profit partners to increase access to jobs and capital for underrepresented communities. In alignment with this effort, we provide our members with aligned community engagement experiences and vetted resources to help them set and achieve goals around diversity and social impact.

PledgeLA members commit to measuring and improving community engagement and increasing diversity, equity and inclusion at all levels of their organizations and investment decisions. The core of this commitment is participating in our annual company and staff-level surveys, or sharing anonymized equivalent data.

After becoming a member, organizations grant their permission to be listed on PledgeLA.org and other online and promotional materials. Once a part of our community, we encourage members to engage as best suits their unique needs and goals – from mentorship to volunteering to strategic planning resources, we are here to help! Reach out to [email protected] with questions.

Survey results are published following the close of PledgeLA’s annual survey window at the end of March each year. Our members can flexibly launch their staff-level surveys from September to February, depending on their preference.

PledgeLA never releases identifiable information about members or their teams in our annual reporting. Our reports are fully anonymous, and track high-level trends and patterns in LA’s tech and VC sectors. For more about our surveys and what we track, visit the Accountability page.

Yes! PledgeLA adheres to a collective action model, which means our community engagement is harnessed through partnerships with organizations making a difference throughout Los Angeles. If you are a LA-based non-profit organization, accelerator, or incubator who’d like to connect to PledgeLA members, please contact [email protected]. We’re actively looking to connect our members to opportunities for providing mentorship, volunteering, board service, thought partnership, impact investing and charitable donations.