We are the largest Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) insights consultancy in the U.S. It is a badge of honor, but even more so, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of who we are.
The times we are living in today require every person and every company to stand for what is right and give everyone – no matter who they are – the opportunity to live up to their full potential. In other words, it’s not just about improving the valuation of our Fortune 500 clients, but also upping the odds of success and the dignity that comes with it for our fellow minority business owners and their employees, and for many underserved communities.
It is with this conviction that we proudly join Chicago United at the Bridge Awards Celebration tonight, honoring excellence in diversity, equity and inclusion in business, united by The Power of Inclusion.
At Shapiro+Raj, one of our 5 core values is Commitment. Commitment to each other, to our clients and to our community.
Our commitment to diversity is not just a value but a core strength. Not only are we a minority owned business, but the diversity of our talent is unmatched. 76% of our team are women. And our team represents all colors and all corners of the world – India, France, Australia, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and right here in the U.S. That makes us one of those rare research companies that brings human empathy as well as a varied set of talents to every project – social scientists, data analysts, brand strategists, creatives, business operators, and technologists – so that we are better able to understand issues and find unique solutions that deliver on true business and marketing objectives. This has allowed us to build the leading future-forward insights consultancy. One that has led to a lot of success for us, but more importantly, has helped our clients consistently win in the marketplace.
The vast diversity of S+R’s talent, the credentials of our team and the wide range of life and professional experiences, has afforded us the ability to work with many underserved communities in our various projects for clients. Our rich social science background allows us to mitigate the risk of stereotyping and leaning on legacy heuristics to drive conclusions. From empowering R&D to effectively recruit hard-to-reach underserved demographics for clinical studies to helping improve the user experience for those under-represented on financial platforms, we are passionate about elevating the voice of consumers and helping brands meet them where they are. The diversity of our talent as well as these experiences have shown us how to empathetically understand consumers’ thoughts, feelings, and emotions in a culturally inclusive way. We are grateful for the success we have achieved so far and are committed to helping others grow as well.
Our commitment to the community means giving back, providing support, and trying to make an impact to help those in need. As partners with Chicago United’s Five Forward Initiative™, we are helping to mentor, grow, and build the capabilities of five MBEs to create an economic ripple effect. Minority-owned businesses are far more likely to hire from the minority community, which means a growing tax base, spending at local businesses, and funding for social and educational institutions to create more opportunity. To that end, we are privileged to partner with Junior Achievement of Chicago to inspire and prepare students for successful futures. S+R has been partnering with Junior Achievement for over two decades. And, with our decade-plus involvement with the American India Foundation, we are helping improve the lives of India’s underprivileged, with a special focus on women, children, and youth.
Driving success for others is core to our mission.
Providing a positive, measurable, economic impact in our local community is a start to a more equitable and empathetic future. No one is naïve enough to think we are going to solve intractable, persistent, and devastating social problems in the next five years. But as we all know, it must start somewhere. Shapiro+Raj is dedicated to making a difference, starting from within. We hope this can inspire more companies and business leaders to raise their hands and join us and others as agents of change.