To the Tech Community,
I’m reaching out with a message of hope and a call to arms. As COVID-19 continues to upend life, my heart aches for the collective grief that spans the globe. And yet I haven’t struggled to find hope.
Today, we face many more questions than answers, but I do know one thing: We will get through this — and we’ll get through it as a community.
Built In was founded on the idea that community is a force for good. We started as a way to unite tech professionals, providing opportunities to connect and share stories that inspire. We did this because tech innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens in communion with others.
That’s never been more true than now, and the stakes are infinitely higher. Across the globe, we have seen the tech industry mobilize to:
-
Help people be physically separate, for our health, but emotionally connected, for our souls.
-
Ensure that our children’s minds stay engaged in education.
-
Protect the livelihoods of people who are fortunate enough to work remotely.
-
Collaborate with health care to devise or accelerate potentially life-saving solutions.
Our partners, too, have risen up, giving us rich stories we promise to tell in the days ahead. Bearing witness to this is the reason I have deep wells of hope. It’s the reason I believe that — as the world recalibrates — a unified tech industry will be integral to the solution. We have the skills, workforce and resources that the world is counting on.
So let’s give each other strength. Let’s keep each other going. Let’s unite.
In this letter, I’m calling on you to fuel a virtual movement that inspires the tech community to come together by sharing stories of hope and impact. As COVID-19 first responders risk their lives to give care and maintain order, tech is working to fill in the spaces around them. We may use different tools, but we’re fighting to win the same battle.
To participate in our campaign, use the hashtag #UnitedWeTech when you share stories on social media. We'll amplify these by reposting. Specifically, share stories about:
- Giving back initiatives — ways you or your company are helping in response to COVID-19.
- The heroes — at your tech company or in tech at large.
- Innovations that you, your company or people across tech are creating to solve COVID-19 problems.
- Other tech-driven initiatives that make you proud to be part of tech and inspired.
Visit our United We Tech campaign launch page to learn more, where you can also download banners and graphics to show your support of the tech industry.
This campaign is not just a matter of feeling good about our work. By raising awareness of the critical role tech plays in turning the corner on this challenge, it will buoy the industry — today and in the long run. But we can’t do it without you. So join the movement: United We Tech.
Sincerely,
Maria Christopoulos Katris
Co-Founder + CEO
