Making Tech More Inclusive: The Hustle Crew Story
At Namecheap, it’s always fascinating to learn about how our customers use the domains that they register. Abadesi Osunsade registered a .CO domain with us back in September 2016, and created hustlecrew.co, with the mission to make tech more inclusive.
Digital innovation and diversity are subjects close to our heart, and we couldn’t wait to find out more and share their story with you. So here we go…
What Does the Hustle Crew Do?
The Hustle Crew works with young professionals, tech companies, digital agencies, university staff, student unions, schools, and non-profits to promote and facilitate greater inclusion. They provide talks, training, books, and podcasts and have worked with giant brands like Google, Pinterest, and the BBC.
Their mission is to make the tech industry more inclusive and diverse, to allow everyone an opportunity to succeed.
How Did It Start?
The moment Hustle Crew was devised was when Osunsade realized that many of her high achiever male friends, who graduated the same year as her, with the same grades (or lower), at similar companies were earning 2X – 3X more than her. She was gobsmacked — where did she go wrong? She had negotiated every salary she was offered, asked for pay rises at regular intervals, and most importantly worked hard.
Osunsade soon realized that there was more to the business world than she had learned at university.
For a start, there were unseen discussions with colleges and informal mentors that people with privilege had more access to than others. She knew she had to find a way to democratize access to this information. A way to give more ambitious, talented individuals a place to thrive.
The Problem with Privilege
One of the biggest obstacles Osunsade faced was that “People from privileged backgrounds and differing demographics didn’t think that they needed to make their organization more inclusive when in reality, they desperately needed to”.
“Not everyone understood the mission at first, but I’ve learned that sooner or later they eventually do. A handful of supporters identified that I was onto something early on. Their conviction fueled mine and their unwavering support stopped me from quitting. Their network became my first clients. Those clients referred more, including people who didn’t see a need for diversity. It came full circle.”
Making a Difference
One of her finest moments in the Hustle Crew journey has been helping thousands of people make a career move they had only dreamed about, and collaborating with other organizations championing diversity of all types.
Hustle Crew is so proud to have worked with OUTinTech, POCinTech, and YSYS, and some of the world’s leading tech businesses to improve diversity and inclusion efforts. Osunsade states “It’ll take a while until we reach complete inclusion in tech, but we are making progress.”
A Word of Advice
One of the biggest pieces of advice Hustle Crew has is to have an informal board of advisors. “It doesn’t have to be an official thing, it’s about self-awareness. Identify your weaknesses, your areas of growth, what you need to do to stay resilient — then bring people into your life to support you on these fronts.
Make them your co-working buddies, lunch dates, and yoga partners. Take a genuine interest in their work and they will invest time in yours. I have an amazing “board” yet I doubt anyone on it knows I think of them as that.”
Go for .CO
As to why Hustle Crew is on a .CO domain, Osunsade says “ I wanted a domain that felt noteworthy, international, official and good for SEO”.
If you too want a memorable domain, it’s ready and waiting for you right here at Namecheap. A .CO is ideal for companies, communities, and anyone looking to build their brand online.
