DE&I
Come as you are.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion is the underpinning of why Onvesso was founded. We understood that communities of color were and are most impacted by environmental racism, demonstrate the greatest need for greener homes and buildings, and are most often sidelined in the global green transition. So, we sought to transform that.
As a black and woman-owned business, we operate through the lens of social justice — working to intricately consider, in everything that we do, the experiences and identities of those who have been othered and were consequently ignored, forgotten, or mistreated from that othering.
We understand that diversity is more than using stock images with people of color in them. Equity is more than offering equal pay. Inclusion is more than making space for people.
Diversity is deeply understanding and accepting that we are not all the same. That we each come with unique backgrounds, ideas, experiences, identities, and circumstances that deserve to be much more than an afterthought, quota, or checklist item.
Equity is opening our eyes to the fact that every square inch of our society was set up to intentionally help some people and harm others and, resultantly, we do not all stand on the same footing in life. With that, it is our job to reallocate resources, opportunities, and access in a way that helps those who have historically been marginalized get to where they deserve to be in life.
Inclusion is not only creating space for all, but configuring those spaces to be safe and comfortable. Spaces where people can openly appear, act, and exist as they are, and still be genuinely respected, valued, and accepted.
At its core, DE&I is the conscious decision to see and hear those who have been hidden and silenced for far too long.
Why DE&I matters
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Advances justice
The world has been more than unfair to people on the basis of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, and so much more. DE&I and anti-racism begins to address the unduly harm society has caused so many and paves a path to the lives we all deserve to live.
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Fosters community
Instead of pretending our differences don’t exist, DE&I recognizes, accepts, and celebrates them. This allows people to show up as their authentic selves and feel that much more connected to the people and world around them.
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Supports mental health
Injustice and inequity is burdensome to those who endure its consequences. It is an isolating, exhausting, and draining experience. The more we leverage DE&I to dismantle those injustices, the more people can lead happier and healthier lives.
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Enhances our world
Whether it’s a better way of doing something or a better way of living, we can learn a lot from people who don’t see, experience, or live life the way we do. In this world, we can accomplish a lot more together than apart.
How we power DE&I
In our world & society
We show up.
We are not afraid to speak out because we know the consequences of silence are far greater.
At Onvesso, we proudly champion the progressive causes that fight for the rights of Black and brown people in the U.S. and abroad, the LGBTQIA+ community, those living with disabilities—both the ones we can and can’t see—and any other group of people who have been oppressed and treated as less than.
Where we see injustice and inequity, we’re committed to disavowing it. Where we see hate and ignorance, we’re committed to unteaching it. Where we see homogeneity and exclusion, we’re committed to disrupting it.
We’re also transparent and can acknowledge that we may not always get things right. However, we encourage a continuous feedback loop in which we hold ourselves and are held accountable. We not only strive to correct our missteps, but to always do better.
In our services & business
We’re in the business of creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive home services industry. That’s why we designed and leverage a five-prong approach that ensures our services, offerings, and products are informed by the unique identities, backgrounds, lifestyles, circumstances, and resources of each and every member of our community.
Understanding that access is key to equity, we implement cost-effective plans into our service models to remove cost as a barrier to access. Additionally, we offer completely free and educational resources and content via our blog, podcast, and video series.
Onvesso intentionally partners and collaborates with vendors, suppliers, influencers, and organizations that show a true commitment to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion within the industry and in the world. We also hire and spotlight specialists who are knowledgable about accessible living and can offer specialized recommendations to those living with physical disabilities.
As Onvesso grows and evolves, we will continuously keep you updated on our progress in DE&I across our services.
In our culture
When we say “come as you are,” we mean it. No one should feel like they must shrink and disguise who they are at work—or elsewhere for that matter. We don’t care if you have tattoos and piercings, live in sweatpants, or love a good messy bun. All we care is that you’re a good person, willing to grow, and talented at what you do.
From candidacy and onward, DE&I is woven in the fabric of how we operate. We accomplish this by:
Tapping into historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), and similar organizations to build a diverse talent pipeline
Expanding education and experience qualifications across many of our roles and positions to enable better opportunity for all
Conducting DE&I-focused programming such as trainings, townhalls, and webinars, on a regular basis, to encourage education and the open exchange of ideas, thoughts, and feelings
Supporting accessibility accommodations to ensure optimized working experiences for all employees — no matter their ability status.
Fostering safe spaces by way of employee resource groups, anonymous feedback lines, and more
Establishing diverse representation throughout our entire organization—from entry-level to C-suite.
Assessing our evaluation, promotion, and pay models to ensure their fairness.
As Onvesso grows and evolves, we will continuously keep you updated on our progress in DE&I across our workplace and workforce.
In our network
We want to educate and expose people to DE&I wherever and whenever we can. We constantly seek opportunities to encourage our customers, readers, peers, competitors, and partners to lean in and listen up.
To do this, we:
Cover thought-provoking topics and kickstart important conversations in our blog
Spotlight people making a real DE&I difference in the wellness, sustainability, and home industries on our podcast and Home Talk series
Host events and speaking engagements—both for professionals and for our community—that dive deep into matters of DE&I
Share our DE&I knowledge and resources with other organizations and companies so they, too, can power DE&I in the workplace.