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Staying ahead of the curve and finding smart ways to grow are core Genius Sports values.

We believe in better together and know that talented people, sharing common values, diverse ideas and a collective vision lead to greater success. Diversity and inclusion are at the centre of this innovative spirit, and we are committed to taking genuine and meaningful action to continue progressing on both fronts.

Through our ESG programme, Beyond the Lines, we ‘go beyond’ what is required to help drive positive change for our communities, stakeholders and the planet. Under this programme, we carry out tailored initiatives that target our goals, measure our impact and embody our values.

One of our initiatives is a collaboration with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the United States. In 2023, we will be working with HBCUs to establish an internship programme and have recently hosted a virtual career day, providing practical hints and tips for students preparing for life in the job market after college.

Joshua James, Senior Talent Acquisition Partner based in South Carolina, has been leading this new initiative alongside colleagues in our Race Equality Affinity Group. In this interview, we caught up with Josh to find out more.

Many people outside the US may not be familiar with HBCUs. Could you give us a quick introduction to them?

“Of course. HBCUs first started out almost 200 years ago. At a time when African Americans were unable to pursue a degree at historically white institutions, they were created to help equip these students with a proper education.

“Thankfully, if you fast forward to where we are now, they have come a really long way to compete with the world’s top universities. There are now over 100 HBCUs in the US and they take real pride in their history and legacy.

“It may surprise people that some HBCUs now enroll up to 40% white students too. So, they are continuing to evolve as they uplift Black culture and traditions, while they are responsible for 25% of all STEM degrees for African Americans.”

How is Genius looking to work with HBCUs this year?

“Like many companies, we’re always considering what steps we can take to diversify our workforce. One of these is to create educational partnerships with HBCUs, which help not only to create a more inclusive place of work, but to engage students and give them experiences they can value post-graduation.

“Right now, we’ve got a couple of initiatives we’re creating with Howard University School of Law (one of the nation’s top 50 schools) and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (which graduates more software engineering students than any other HBCU).

“We recently hosted a Genius Sports Career Day as part of our Black History Month initiatives. We met with HBCU students via Zoom, talked to them about Genius and gave them an introduction to our hiring process. We also showed them a Technical Coding Assessment (the initial tests we send to our candidates) and told them what we like to see on resumes and LinkedIn profiles.

“Meanwhile, we’re partnering with Howard to create a pilot for a new internship program at Genius, with the opportunity for a student to work with us full-time for a summer and potentially be hired once they’ve graduated. I think these initiatives are awesome, because we’re truly seeing a positive change in our workforce as a by-product of our D&I initiatives.”

What impact do you think our D&I initiatives can have at Genius?

“Representation really matters, and it’s been great to see the company seeking to create an inclusive place of work, which in turn helps to support positive relationships and fosters communication. I think we’d agree that a communicative, positive environment is one we’d all love to work in!

“That doesn’t just start with the recruitment process itself; it begins with understanding where there’s a lack of diversity within your organization in the first place, which I believe Genius has done a great job at identifying.

“We have great champions of D&I work across the company, from our People and ESG teams to our senior leaders, who are really engaged and passionate about the subject.

“They understand that along with inclusion, diversity leads to creative problem-solving, better decision-making, and even enhanced productivity and customer experience.”

You can find out more about Black History Month at Genius Sports and our race equality affinity group here.

Black History Month is celebrated in the US throughout the month of February (and in October in the UK).

It’s a significant event for those involved in our Beyond the Lines programme and diversity, inclusion and belonging agenda – and particularly so for our team of employee volunteers, who make up our D&I race equality affinity group.

Currently 11 members strong, the group represents a wide range of functions, departments, locations and racial backgrounds. Their purpose is to work together to generate and implement ideas which they believe will foster more awareness and understanding of the issues faced by black and ethnic minorities at work and in society generally.

To get a better insight into what drives them – and to put in extra hours beyond their day jobs – we asked what Black History means to them and what impact they hope their actions will have on the wider employee community at Genius Sports.

Here’s what they had to say.

Learning from the past

When we asked the group what Black History Month meant to them, they all agreed it was a good opportunity to reflect, but most importantly learn by celebrating the achievements and talents of the black community, both past and present, close and far.

Josh, a Senior Talent Acquisition Partner based in South Carolina, said “I think it’s an event that helps make people reflect on American history and particularly how divisive our past has been. It’s important that we learn from it, so we don’t repeat it.”

Iliya, who works in our legal team in Sofia, Bulgaria, described it as a special month for acknowledgement and appreciation. “I think it’s a good reminder for why diversity is good.”

Each of them talked about the importance of being more aware of key moments in black history and why they are so significant. “It’s amazing how many people are still so unaware of important historical events related to Blacks in America – and around the world for that matter.” added Josh.

Harriet, from our Talent Acquisition team based in London, England, thinks “to be an ally for black people in today’s world, you have to understand the history first. It’s only then that you can help shift the narrative.”

Be part of the change you want to see

What motivates our affinity group members to go beyond the lines of their day-to-day roles to help Genius become a more inclusive place to work? Josh summed it up nicely by explaining he just wants to be part of the change he’d like to see happen.

For people like Iliya, who’s inspired by Black leaders like Dr Martin Luther King Jr, he sees it as a great opportunity to help fulfil his own personal mission of “fighting against racism and all forms of discrimination.”

For Nathalie, who works in our People Business Partnering team based in London, England, she talks about wanting to help others who share similar experiences to herself. “Being black, I have experienced my own difficulties and struggles, and I want to be part of a group where I feel comfortable sharing these – and learning from others.”

Harriet added “I want to ensure Genius is a genuinely inclusive place to work. I’d love to see everyone feel comfortable with bringing their true selves to the office – not just the parts they feel they should.”

Hopes and dreams

Reflecting on the changes they would love to see in the workplace, the group all agreed that progress would be measured by seeing better representation, particularly at a senior level. However, in the short-term, they’d love to see the wider employee community improve their own awareness and understanding.

“I hope my fellow colleagues will use this month to be more curious and more aware of unconscious bias, which we can all be guilty of. I’d urge everyone to be more vulnerable, ask questions and really listen to others, even if they think and look different to you.” Said Josh.

Iliya hopes colleagues will use this month to find time to read and educate themselves more. “Even taking 15-20 minutes out of your usual day to participate in the events and activities groups like us are organising will help. I hope in the longer term we can help increase people’s confidence in discussing such topics, so they don’t feel scared about hurting others’ feelings or saying the wrong thing.”

Nathalie agrees that she’d love to see colleagues take more time to do some learning on the subject. “There are so many ways to learn which can be really fun – there are several great books, videos, films and podcasts out there!” she also hopes that by accessing resources like this, people will not just think about the topic every February or October, but every month.

How is your workplace tackling issues around race equality and representation? Have you been celebrating Black History Month at work? Is racial equality a part of your Diversity & Inclusion programme?

We’d love to hear from other organisations on similar journeys to Genius Sports. Let us know by leaving us a comment on our social media platforms such as LinkedIn.

In March 2023, we launched our first Women’s Mentoring & Coaching Programme.

Traditionally, women have been under-represented within both the sports and technology industries. As such, you can probably guess that we are all the more determined to increase the number of female employees in our industry – particularly so in more senior roles.

We designed and implemented our Women’s Mentoring and Coaching Programme to help invest in our female talent, and support and encourage more women to grow their careers at Genius.

The programme had two main goals: to upskill our female talent and to build a sense of inclusion.

“We wanted to help our female employees grow – by gaining new and developing existing skills and contacts across the business, to help their career development at Genius,” said Jasmina Khaira, one of the authors of the programme.

“The other objective was to create a deeper sense of connection and unity amongst our female employees. The programme provides the opportunity to build relationships with female and male employes across the company, potentially in functions they do not always work across, to add to and develop a supportive community,” Jasmina continued.

The pilot programme had 132 male and female employees participate last year with mentors (both male and female employees) and mentees (only female employees) matched up across the company. The mentoring sessions were complemented by six group coaching sessions led by Executive Coach, Lisa Quinn. The sessions were designed around topics such as imposter syndrome, people pleasing, and having difficult conversations.

“The Genius team were really clear that they wanted the workshops to be an opportunity for women in the programme to get a chance to connect with each other, and to be offered some practical insights and tools that they could apply in their working lives,” said Lisa.

“Our aim was to give everyone some time and space to step away from their busy roles and to realise that other people often experience the same challenges that they do – that if you experience Imposterism for example – that you are not alone.

“Each workshop included tried and tested coaching tools – such as open questions and practical frameworks, and we encouraged participants to think in ways that perhaps they hadn’t been asked to before. Small breakout rooms created intimacy, so everyone got a chance to connect with and share with colleagues, in a safe space. Each workshop included a section on application – encouraging participants to think about how they wanted to apply what they had learned in the sessions,” Lisa added.

Although the programme was designed for mentoring female employees, male employees were encouraged to become mentors and join the group workshops too, with the aim of increasing allyship across the business and support their professional development too.

“We are really delighted that we will be running the Women’s Mentoring & Coaching programme again in 2024 after a successful pilot last year,” said Amy Lazell, who helps run the programme. “We are currently in the enrolment phase, with a view to launching in March in line with International Women’s Day. We are looking forward to working with Lisa Quinn again and tackling new coaching topics, based on feedback and requests from current participants.”

Leidy Sandoval, one of the 2023 participants, commented: “It has been immensely valuable to me, offering not just professional development but also a really supportive community. Discovering that I am not the only one facing challenges has been a huge relief; realising others are navigating similar paths creates a powerful sense of unity. The feeling of ‘we are in this together’ makes the whole experience truly special.”

Have you been a mentee or mentor before? How did you find the experience? Did it help you with your career and professional development goals? Visit our Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn Life pages to find out more about this and other initiatives we are investing in to help our female employees discover and grow their genius.

As part of our Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) programme, Beyond the Lines, Genius Sports provides all staff with one extra day of company time annually to volunteer for a charitable cause.

Beyond the Lines amplifies our innovative, high-achieving spirit to drive positive change in our communities, for our stakeholders and for the planet. You can learn more about the programme here.

Geniuses have volunteered for a wide range of causes, from tree planting to disability sports coaching and supporting disaster relief. Three team members from our Italy office, Emanuela, Davide and Matteo, used their Volunteer Day to support their local community following catastrophic floods in Emilia-Romagna in 2023.

Emanuela tells their story below.

How did you decide on taking your Volunteer Day?

“I first heard about Volunteer Day when we celebrated Genius Volunteering Month in September! I’ve always been interested in taking part in some kind of volunteering initiative, but in Italy there aren’t many charities that allow you to do so for just for one day without having proper training.

“But last year, a catastrophic flood occurred in Emilia-Romagna, the region where I live, leaving over 36,000 people homeless. It was the worst flooding for 100 years, as 6 months’ worth of rain fell in 36 hours.

“Tragically, 14 people died, with the floods causing over 305 landslides and damaging or closing over 500 roads in the region. The situation was critical, and people from all over the region and elsewhere soon began to join forces to help the clean-up operation.

“So, along with some coworkers, we decided we needed to help. We asked if anyone else from our team was able to join, and off we went.”

How did you spend the day itself?

“Early in the morning we drove to Castel Bolognese, a small town 1 hour 30 minutes from our hometown, that suffered major damages. We joined up with other volunteers at the meeting point and were divided into groups. We had to bring our own equipment, such as gloves, shovels, boots and anything we could to help.

“The first mission was helping a lovely elderly couple to clean up a flooded area in their house. We dismantled rotten furniture and emptied an entire room packed with books. The man was a university lecturer, so you can just imagine how many books he owned and how much he cherished them. We moved them all from the ground floor to upstairs in order to save them and prevent further damage.

“The couple were so lovely. We talked for a while and they were so grateful for our help; it was a really touching moment.

“The second mission was quite moving too, as we were sent to a house that was completely unrecognisable as it was caked in mud. We spent the rest of our volunteering time there, clearing away debris from the whole house, including a stable where the mud came halfway up your leg. We worked alongside firefighters with fire hoses, brooms and shovels to clear the area for the residents.”

How proud are you of the impact you and the team had?

“I am very proud of what we did. Although it was a very emotional day, it made me think about how lucky I am and how important it is to give back and help people in need, in any possible way. This could be something as simple as making someone laugh or physically helping them to do something.

“I’m very happy to have had the chance to share this experience with some members of my team too. It meant a lot for each one of us and I think it was also an important bonding opportunity.”

Would you recommend taking a Volunteer Day to your colleagues?

“Definitely. Our case was a bit tricky, because there wasn’t a charity in charge of the operation, just groups of people gathering and willing to help.

“Since the flood was obviously unexpected, we didn’t have the time to submit our volunteering request within the usual notice period. However, the Beyond the Lines team were really helpful and efficient and got back to us in no time with a positive outcome.

“It is fantastic that we have the opportunity to volunteer, and I recommend all Geniuses to go out and take their day too. No matter how big or small of an impact you make, it is an experience that can change somebody’s life and will enrich yours in so many ways.”