While much can be done internally to advance DEI, firms like CAIS, an alternative investment platform based in New York City, are also actively engaging with external organizations to make a difference.
CAIS is in the midst of a growth spurt and has recently expanded from 40 employees to 200, bringing dozens of women into fintech, said Abby Salameh, CAIS’ chief marketing officer. The firm’s commitment to DEI has resulted in a 63% increase in diversity, with 41% of female new hires in 2021 coming in at the vice president level or higher.
“We made a mindful effort to recruit from firms who had a diverse candidate pool,” Salameh said. “We wanted to move the needle. As a female in the C suite, I know the importance of role models. There was no one like that when I was coming up.”
CAIS has worked to move that needle by working with organizations such as the Mom Project, which helps women reenter the workforce, and Mogul, a software platform that specializes in diversified executive searches, including people of color and talent from across the globe.
The firm also hosts a virtual speaker and event series called CAIS in Common that focuses on minorities and technology while also highlighting that “we all have so much more in common than differentiates us,” Salameh said.
Contact Morgan Von Ahsen, senior vice president, at mvonahsen@caisgroup.com to learn more about its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.