ZURICH, Sept. 20, 2021 – RISC-V International, a global open hardware standards organization, announced the launch of the Open Hardware Diversity Alliance. The global Alliance, created by CHIPS Alliance, OpenPOWER Foundation, RISC-V, and Western Digital, will develop and provide learning and networking programs, mentorship opportunities and inclusive environments across the expansive ecosystem of open hardware. The Alliance will be focused on supporting professional advancement and encouraging equal participation for women and underrepresented individuals in the open hardware community.

“Communities benefit from a diverse set of ideas from the broad community. RISC-V is working to build, share, and support these inclusive opportunities by bringing new talent and ways of thinking to the open hardware community,” shared Kim McMahon, Director of Visibility and Community Engagement at RISC-V. “The Open Hardware Diversity Alliance will set the course for inclusivity in the open hardware community by building programs and diversity that inspires creativity and drives innovation.”

The Alliance aims to fill the gaps and create opportunities to improve career development in open hardware design by providing underrepresented individuals with the necessary steps and fostering inclusive environments. By providing a supportive community, the program will help to drive professional growth, empower the development of technical careers, encourage the recognition of all ideas in technical innovations and support career growth.

Programs planned to support the personal and career goals of women and underrepresented individuals in the open hardware community include:

• Expanding their voice in all activities through strategic recruiting and welcoming activities.
• Raising their profile by highlighting and publishing their achievements.
• Providing tools to build confidence, support career growth, participate in leadership, speak at events and grow community presence.
• Supporting visibility goals through coaching and amplification of individual efforts.
• Providing networking opportunities to support their visibility and growth goals.

Said Marjan Radi, co-chair, Open Hardware Diversity Alliance and R&D Technologist, Research, Western Digital: “The Open Hardware Diversity Alliance is a huge step forward for the open hardware industry. I, personally, want to make a big impact on not only today’s underrepresented individuals, but the many generations to come. Join us and help make this Alliance a valuable and inclusive experience for everyone.”

The Open Hardware Diversity Alliance is looking for individuals who want to contribute their time and expertise to support the Alliance’s mission. Programs and assistance range from developing and conducting training programs to membership recruitment, and event and tradeshow support. It’s easy to get involved, check out our “Join Us” section on the website and fill out the form to learn more and share your interests.

“Equity, diversity, and inclusion are integral to Western Digital and its employees,” said Richard New, vice president of Research at Western Digital. “As a global company, we believe that the most effective way to embrace the diversity of our customers and community is to mirror it from within.

“When barriers come down, the door to innovation stands wide open,” stated Calista Redmond, CEO of RISC-V. “Together we’re cultivating confidence, connections, and opportunities to strengthen and grow the field as we engage women and minorities in the most innovative and open computing era of our time.”

The Open Hardware Diversity Alliance team consists of co-chairs Kim McMahon, Director of Visibility and Community Engagement at RISC-V and Marjan Radi, R&D Technologist at Western Digital Research. Joining McMahon and Radi on the advisory team is Rob Mains, General Manager at CHIPS Alliance; Calista Redmond, CEO of RISC-V; Zvonimir Bandic, Research Senior Director of Next-Generation Platform Technologies at Western Digital; Mendy Furmanek, IBM Director and President of OpenPOWER Foundation; and James Kulina, Executive Director at OpenPOWER Foundation.

More information on the Open Hardware Diversity Alliance can be found on the website.

About RISC-V International

RISC-V (pronounced “risk-five”) is a free and open ISA enabling a new era of processor innovation through open standard collaboration. Founded in 2015, RISC-V International comprises more than 2,200 members building the first open, collaborative community of software and hardware innovators powering an open era of processor innovation. Born in academia and research, RISC-V ISA delivers a new level of free, extensible software and hardware freedom on architecture, paving the way for the next 50 years of computing design and innovation.

RISC-V International, a non-profit organization controlled by its members, directs the future development and drives the adoption of the RISC-V ISA. Members of RISC-V International have access to and participate in the development of the RISC-V ISA specifications and related HW / SW ecosystem.

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Source: RISC-V International