Nextdoor's Sarah Friar: Fighting Racism, One Neighbor at a Time
Growing up in a small community in Northern Ireland during The Troubles, Sarah Friar saw first hand what it means for neighbors to be at war with one another. But she also saw the transformative power of neighbors helping neighbors. She’s brought this experience to her role as CEO of Nextdoor, the social network platform centered around local communities. In this episode of Leadership Next, she and Ellen McGirt take a deep dive into two topics. First, the racism that exists in our neighborhoods and on Nextdoor itself. Friar explains how the platform is pushing back against that and, hopefully, even playing a role in deepening understanding between white and black neighbors. Second, the pair discusses Friar’s role as a female CEO. Women running tech companies are still vastly outnumbered by men. Friar has used her role to boost gender diversity at Nextdoor, and is focused on doing the same for people of color. She offers some specific advice for other leaders looking to bring more diversity to their own organizations.