An exciting announcement—New Strategic Advisor to StartSteps

StartSteps is thrilled to announce that Sarah Cordivano, DEI expert and author of the “Practical DEI: How to Succeed at an Impossible Job,” is joining us as a strategic advisor! ??

With a rich background of fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in roles at Springer Nature, Zalando and Lunar Ventures, Sarah brings a wealth of experience and insight to our team. Her commitment to these principles aligns seamlessly with StartSteps’ mission to serve underrepresented and underserved populations through education. Sarah’s arrival marks a significant milestone in our journey to make quality education more accessible and inclusive, and we couldn’t be more excited for the journey ahead.

Meet Sarah:

Sarah Cordivano (she/her) is an expert in the field of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, with a focus on implementing successful DEI strategies and developing initiatives to create more inclusive workplaces. Sarah’s professional background in Data Analytics offers a grounded approach to implement measurable and impactful DEI work. 

Sarah’s background goes beyond her professional experience. She is a believer in establishing good practices early on in growing organizations, supporting them to consciously define their culture and processes to be inclusive from the start. She has dedicated her time and energy to support the ecosystem of people working in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion through mentoring and sharing best practices and guidance in her writing and interviews. In recognition of her work, Sarah was awarded the 2023 Xena D&I Leader of the Year. Sarah’s perspective is both broad and multifaceted, making her an excellent fit for StartSteps.

Why Sarah and StartSteps:

Sarah’s arrival to StartSteps is a testament to our commitment to serving underrepresented and underserved populations. Her personal commitment to helping early-stage startups thoughtfully incorporate DEI into their work, coupled with her passion for education, perfectly resonates with StartSteps’ mission.

As an education company, we strive to bridge the gap between opportunity and accessibility, and Sarah’s extensive experience and unique perspective in driving DEI initiatives will undoubtedly bolster our efforts. Sarah understands the power of education and the role it plays in creating an equitable environment, making her an ideal fit for our advisory team.

Her professional work helping organizations develop and deliver on their own strategic vision on DEI through community-driven approaches mirrors the ethos we hold at StartSteps—to bring about impactful change by integrating diverse perspectives and fostering an inclusive culture. Sarah’s role will not only enhance our understanding and commitment to equity but also inform and inspire the educational opportunities we provide to our community.

We are excited to leverage her expertise to further our mission and create meaningful learning experiences for the populations we serve. This collaboration will undoubtedly contribute to StartSteps becoming an even more diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning environment.

A Word from Sarah:

”I am so pleased to begin working with StartSteps. In the past, I had the chance to collaborate with them to create opportunities for women to transition into technical roles at Zalando. As I got to know their team, I was, again and again, impressed by their mission to chart new routes for people who were previously excluded from traditional pathways that lead to technical careers. 

I am inspired by StartSteps because they bring simplicity and clarity to the very daunting experience of embarking on a new learning journey. I love their focus on helping migrants and women unlock opportunities that are so often obscured by bureaucracy and society’s barriers. They make all of this possible by developing meaningful partnerships with corporates, education providers and government institutions. The bridges they build help people access education, knowledge and, ultimately, life-changing professional opportunities. I have seen first-hand the impact these opportunities can have for under-estimated people. Their work gives me hope for the future.

I am putting my time and energy into supporting StartSteps because I believe in their mission and have seen how it can change lives. I am looking forward to working with the founders of StartSteps as they shepherd their company through a period of exciting growth.”

? Conclusion:

We are thrilled to welcome Sarah Cordivano to our team. With her guidance, we are poised to enhance our approach to DEI and look forward to the profound impact she will undoubtedly make.

Join us in welcoming Sarah to StartSteps and embracing the transformative journey towards diversity, equity, and inclusion ahead.