June 29th marks the first anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision overturning affirmative action in college admissions. The impact of this decision has resulted in numerous companies pausing or eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and programs along with a rise in discrimination lawsuits against these programs and policies.

Marketing professional Karen Baker shares her story of starting her own company at just 24 years old to leading the social impact practice at Boathouse Group and how family legacy of civil rights activism has deeply influenced her approach to business, underscoring the need for inclusive representation in the industry.

Over the past year, the ad industry has witnessed a deprioritizing of DEI initiatives through a series of events: CMOs are back to focusing on hard-hitting business goals, brands are hesitant to use LGBTQ+ marketing and the data shows women make up 37% of the industry employees, still down from 50% before the pandemic.

The tech industry bursts with innovation. It is acclaimed for its creativity and breakthrough approaches to solving age-old problems. And yet paradoxically, here in 2024, it still struggles with diversity and inclusion – especially when it comes to leadership.

By staying ahead of the curve, you can proactively adjust strategies and allocate resources accordingly. This may involve reallocating budgets, exploring alternative platforms, or investing in new technologies to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape.

A successful partnership between corporations and nonprofits should involve more than minimal sponsorship. Too often, corporate partners sign up to give advice and approve content but never put up the dollars to campaign successfully for the change they claim to be seeking. Expecting a nonprofit to front the marketing and communications costs at the level and reach needed to make a real impact is unrealistic.

There’s an urgent need to address ethical considerations in AI implementation within social media due to its pervasive influence on content, opinions, and user actions.

Creating ethical AI is an issue for all – not just tech, says Karen Baker, Boathouse co-founder and president. To bring ethics into AI development, Baker looks at the need to incorporate design justice to disrupt data injustice.