The fact that there's underrepresentation of various groups in SV is but a symptom of a much bigger problem, which is that for whatever reason, these fields and

The fact that there's underrepresentation of various groups in SV is but a symptom of a much bigger problem, which is that for whatever reason, these fields and the programs they map to are unappealing to many people. I think the most productive route to take would be to figure out exactly what has gone wrong in our education system and society that makes STEM fields attractive to only a very limited set of individuals and fix it. If this root problem is neglected, making hiring more diverse for diversity's sake will end up being a bandaid on a broken limb. I am not saying to put a stop to diversity hiring — it's necessary in the interim, because society and the education system can't change overnight — but it does not solve the actual problem and the longer the problem is left unaddressed, the harder it becomes to fix. We need to be putting serious resources into improvements in education and pushing cultural changes to how STEM careers are seen by the general public, and it needs to happen soon.