The Why: Parker is on the steering committee responsible for creating Comcast RISE, which recently expanded to support all small businesses and will extend to Baltimore this year. He’s been a big advocate for driving adoption of the Affordable Connectivity Program within the Beltway region and he serves on the board of directors for the Living Classrooms Foundation, which provides more equitable education, workforce, and health and wellness opportunities in Baltimore and D.C.
He Says… “Through inclusive recruitment and partnerships, we’re not only attracting diverse talent but also providing them with opportunities for growth and development.”
Place I would like to retire: NYC because I’m a foodie. No better place in the world where you can live and have so many world-class restaurants in walking distance.
What practices should be adopted to make the hiring process more inclusive? We know that a diverse, equitable and inclusive company is a more innovative and successful one. At Comcast, we’re: Forging new and fostering ongoing strategic partnerships with universities, community organizations, civil rights groups and nonprofits to continue diversifying our candidate pipeline through Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Women’s Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions; Partnering with local governments to help create an equitable workforce in the communities we serve; Providing employees with coaching and mentoring programs as well as visibility and support through company-wide Employee Resource Groups.
How has advocating for DEI benefited your company or department? Comcast’s commitment to championing diversity and fostering inclusion goes back to our entrepreneurial roots and Ralph Roberts’ vision to build a company where all employees felt heard and inspired. Our long-term commitment to DE&I has benefited our company in numerous ways, including the continued improvement in diversity within our workforce. Through inclusive recruitment and partnerships, we’re not only attracting diverse talent but also providing them with opportunities for growth and development. In addition, through programs like Comcast RISE, which was formed in November 2020 to help small businesses hardest hit by COVID-19 survive and recover, and Project UP—Comcast’s $1 billion commitment to connect people to the Internet, invest in access to digital skills and strengthen pathways to economic mobility—we’re reinforcing that our commitment to DE&I runs deep and is a core company value.
