Latinas in Tech recognizes Airbnb with inaugural ‘Company of the Year’ Award

Latinas in Tech has honored Airbnb with its inaugural Company of the Year Award, which recognizes an employer who has gone above and beyond in creating an inclusive workplace for employees and external communities. We are excited by this honor, and proud to share with our community.

“Airbnb has redefined what we’ve come to expect from what a great company should embody, and we congratulate them on a well-deserved win. Latinas in Tech encourages companies to become pioneers when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).  Airbnb’s approach to DEI is outstanding, and it is our pleasure to honor Airbnb as a role model for other companies to follow,” said Rocio van Nierop, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Latinas in Tech.

“Airbnb and the technology industry as a whole are better for having a diverse workforce, with Latinas contributing and leading across teams and functions,” said Nate Blecharczyk, Airbnb co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer. “We strive to be a company where employees of all backgrounds and experiences can thrive and feel like they belong. We appreciate Latinas in Tech’s acknowledgement of this work, we know there is much more to be done, and we are committed to continuing this progress.”

Airbnb is focused on connecting people around the world and within our company, including multiple recruiting and retainment efforts to help members of the Latinx/US Hispanic community thrive: 

• Working to increase diversity of employees through recruitment efforts 
• Increasing our investment in professional development, mentorship and sponsorship for employees who identify as Latinx, through leadership development courses for members of our employee resource groups and our Global Diversity ambassadors, the McKinsey Hispanic Leadership Academy, and our internal sponsorship program.
• Supporting the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and signing the Hispanic Promise, the first-of-its-kind national pledge to hire, promote, retain and celebrate Hispanics in the workplace
• Supporting our Latinx employee resource group, Juntos@, with sponsorship from executive staff and company funding
• Partnering with companies owned by minorities, women, veterans, members of the LGBTQ+ community and people with disabilities through Airbnb’s dedicated Supplier Diversity program.

Latinas in Tech also recognized Airbnb for the company’s support of Airbnb.org — an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization — that provides temporary housing for thousands of people in times of crisis. Most recently Airbnb and Airbnb.org announced that Airbnb.org will be offering free, short-term housing for 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine.

*Image features a Latinas in Tech virtual panel featuring Airbnb employees Marisa Moret, Anne Diaz and Jessica Hernandez.