GoodNews_Danzine

DIVERSITY
DIVERSITY
Unapologetically
Supportive
DAN PEARLMAN — GOOD NEWS
Bradford Shellhammer
BRADFORD SHELLHAMMER
VP, BUYER EXPERIENCE,
EBAY FOR CHARITY,
GM, EBAY NYC
Why does diversity matter for a
company like eBay?
eBay as a company is founded on
the idea of economic opportunities
for all people and inclusive entrepreneurship.
The construct of diversity
is literally in our DNA, a company
founded by immigrants. We are in 180
countries, so the concept of different
people connecting with other different
people is in our corporate mission.
In addition, we are a progressive
company by design. We had always
that inward and outward expression
of diversity as part of why you come
shop here and be part of our team
or part of our community. And eBay
is extremely vocal about political
issues that matter to underrepresented
groups. We are unapologetically
supportive of things like “black
lives matter” and gays and lesbians
and other groups both internally and
externally.
Does eBay support these
underrepresented groups?
We give money to people that want
to change the world, want to build
businesses, and want to do awesome
things. Our charitable arm is very
much focused on the intersection of
diversity and entrepreneurship. It is all
about supporting underrepre sent ed
minorities and groups: it’s black business,
its women’s business, its developing
nations business, its gay and
lesbian and transsexual business, and
that’s all outside of our actual business
which anyone can set up shops and
start making money off.
What does diversity mean for
you personally?
I am a flamboyant, outrageous, in
your face, unapologetically gay person
who somehow figured out a way
to crack a fortune 500 company and
influence it, which maybe in this day
and age doesn’t seem too crazy. But
my personal journey to get here and
the people that doubted the seriousness
of what you do because of the
way you look, the way you talk or the
way you act wasn’t always as easy as
it is today. So, I try to be this super authentic
person where what you see is
what you get. Literally for my friends,
my boss, or my mother – it’s the same
person. Diversity is a personal word
for me, and it means a lot of different
things. I’m going to be awarded from
a big gay, lesbian, queer, and transgender
technology company for my
life’s work. I’m currently a bit nostalgic
about the fact that someone is giving
me an award for paving the way. I just
did my job, but I guess, I did it in a way
that it allowed other people to have a
little bit easier step behind.
Do you have a simple advice how
people can foster diversity?
That it comes down to empathy and
kindness. The little thing of work we
ask people to do is to think twice so
that other people don’t feel uncomfortable
and that’s the least everybody
can do.
DAN PEARLMAN — GOOD NEWS
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DIVERSITY
DIVERSITY
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