Yu has watched FreeWheel grow since she helped co-found it in 2007, and this past year was no exception. In the last 12 months under Yu’s leadership, FreeWheel teamed up with DISH to create a new industry solution, unveiled Open AP 2.0, and partnered with A+E Networks for a unified video ad management platform. A big part of FreeWheel’s success comes from its commitment to hiring women and minorities, with women now making up more than 30% of FreeWheel’s engineers. “Due to this success, we have been applying these lessons to other groups, such as Black engineers and all people of color, by creating personalized individual development plans and enhancing targeted recruiting plans for these engineers,” she says. Yu serves as a mentor in the FreeWheel Mentor program and an active member of Comcast’s TECHWomen organization.
How have you been a champion of diversity & inclusion in your professional life?
At FreeWheel, creating a culture of inclusion, where people can celebrate who they are and be valued for it, is key. It’s not a platitude, it’s a business imperative. It’s critical that we have a workplace culture that recognizes the importance of different kinds of people, backgrounds and cultures, as well as the different types of thinkers, problem solvers and leaders. We want to ensure that we have different perspectives represented when solving complex problems and create opportunities for people to make an impact at every level. Inclusion drives innovation. It’s that simple. For many years, I have been personally championing the efforts on recruiting and developing female engineers as part of FreeWheel’s proud culture in diversity and inclusion. Through several years of continuous efforts, FreeWheel has reached 30%+ female engineers in its engineering population, which is a stat we proudly publish and maintain. Due to this success, we have been applying these lessons to other groups, such as Black engineers and all people of color, by creating personalized individual development plans and enhancing targeted recruiting plans for these engineers, for example.
