Setting a Bigger Table: A Case for Inclusive Innovation

What would you do if a business partner wanted to join your team to discuss the next big opportunity and you realized there was no room at the table? Would you pull up another seat, essentially creating a bigger table?

Welcoming new voices leads to creative approaches to challenges. Booz Allen ensures that everyone can participate by metaphorically creating bigger tables every day.  By co-hosting 2-Day Launch Camps with our partner and social impact incubator, SEED SPOT, we bring diverse entrepreneurs together, making exponential impacts.

In 2018, we co-hosted Launch Camps focused on military spouses in collaboration with the Military Family Advisory Network, and women entrepreneurs, in collaboration with the Association for Women in Science (AWIS), the Vinetta Project, and BEACON DC.

We found military spouses naturally possess the proven qualities of successful entrepreneurs – resiliency, grit, and a problem-solving mindset.  Tracy Freedman, a Booz Allen marketing strategist, military spouse, and advocate for military spouse careers, was impressed by how much they were able to accomplish. Tracy said, “Many of us came in with only an idea for a business. We left with the tools needed to take the next steps for our businesses, as well as a renewed sense of self, identifying as entrepreneurs.”

At their Launch Camp, the innovative ventures of women entrepreneurs created tech-enabled solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.  It’s rewarding, but not easy.  As Mary Terrell, retired Associate Judge for the District of Columbia Superior Court, educator, youth advocate, Hall of Famer, and entrepreneur shared, “This experience has been life-changing.  It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”

As Courtney Klein, SEED SPOT Co-Founder and CEO, summed up so well, “SEED SPOT and Booz Allen have been honored to partner with AWIS and the Vinetta Project to run programming for women in tech.  Their expertise in elevating the voices of women entrepreneurs has enabled us to diversify the solutions and ventures being launched.”

By hosting these two-day Launch Camps, we are working to intentionally expand every table. This provides creative solutions and innovative thinking and makes good business sense.  Diversity and inclusion in the workplace improve decision-making and business direction as well as having a direct impact on financial returns.  The Credit Suisse Research Institute led a global analysis of 2,400 companies and found that organizations with at least one female board member yield higher returns on equity and net income growth than those without women on the board.  To date, SEED SPOT-supported women entrepreneurs (50 percent of all SEED SPOT founders are women) have raised over $20M in capital, generated over $31M in revenue, created over 700 new jobs, and impacted the lives of 1.8M people.  That is more than half of the $30.5M total capital raised and 54.5M total revenue generated by SEED SPOT alumni.

Entrepreneurship is key to our innovation agenda at Booz Allen.  We promote diversity and inclusion through mentoring programs, communities of practice, volunteer opportunities, and event collaboration.  And as SEED SPOT entrepreneurs continue to create space for innovation, new opportunities, and market growth, we’re there to support by providing feedback on the entrepreneurs’ business models, customer acquisition strategies, and quality of delivery to help startup launch and scale.

We believe in the power of the possible and are proud to be in partnership with organizations that share our values and commitment to inclusion and diversity–every day at every table.

Come join us.  A seat is waiting for you at our table.