A unicorn company built by a minority founder will have a trickle-down effect on hiring managers’ attitudes when considering minority talent.

Most conversations about diversity in tech eventually lead to someone mentioning the “pipeline problem.” There is work to do on deepening the minority pool of talent, but there is evidence that hiring managers are using it as more of an excuse because the status quo is working.

A minority founder playing in the big league will cause hiring managers to reevaluate their hiring practices. At the very least it will get them to pause and think, “if a minority founder can build a billion-dollar company then minorities can help us.”

Minority success at the top will result in more minority opportunities in other parts of the hierarchy.

Silicon Valley has a problem, and those in a position to address it seem unable to comprehend it or lack the motivation to care. It would appear that they are operating under the “if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it” principle.

The diversity-in-tech crowd fully understands that more diversity yields more and different ideas, and that more and different ideas lead to more innovation.

Innovation is the fuel that drives Silicon Valley. Is it possible that Silicon Valley will not change until there is a financial incentive to change?

A billion-dollar company built by a minority founder will provide that incentive. It will alter the mindset of angels and venture capitalists because the pool for profit will be larger. Current minority founders and those considering starting a company would have a blueprint to reference along their journey, improving their chances for success.

Hiring managers will be forced to change the way they recruit and evaluate minority talent.

At the end of the day, minorities really just want opportunities and a chance to flex our talents and ideas. Luckily there are efforts to establish avenues to support minority founders and cultivate talent.

I have committed myself to work tirelessly to assist with building this foundation.

Whether or not that can’t see or won’t see, history has proven #WeAllBenefitWhenWeAllContribute.

Tech needs a Jackie Robinson moment.

Based in Atlanta, John McCullough is a founding principal at WisePoint LLC, an information management company that focuses on data or document capture, storage, search, and data analysis. John taught himself to code when he was a child. He is committed to helping establish avenues to support minority founders and cultivate talent. You can reach John at jmccullough@wisepoint.net.