DIVERSITY
2024-2025 DEI Annual
Progress Report
INTRODUCTION
This year marks the fifth edition of our DEI Annual Progress Report 鈥 a milestone we鈥檙e proud to celebrate.
This report is just one output of a broad, ongoing effort - shaped by many people over many years and woven into the fabric of our day-to-day culture.
We invite you to join us in reflecting on the first five years of this journey and in continuing to commit to this important work.
EEO Statement | 草榴社区 is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We treat all employees fairly and make all employment-related decisions based on merit and performance, in compliance with applicable laws. Our goal is to foster a respectful and collaborative workplace where everyone can thrive.
Our Commitment
While our approach has shifted over time, our goal remains unchanged: to get better every day. We know this work is never finished and that progress is rarely linear - and we embrace the responsibility to continue learning, growing, and raising the bar.
This report is a reflection of that commitment in motion.
Defining Our Pillars
The following report is broken down into three key parts.
Belonging
We strive to build a work environment where employees of all backgrounds feel a deeper sense of connectedness, acceptance, and value.
Representation
Simply put, representation enables us to understand the makeup of our employee population and trends across different demographics.
Opportunity
We aspire to create equitable avenues for learning, growth, and advancement - not only for our employees, but for future generations of talent and for the communities in which we operate.
About This Report
Expand each question for details about how this report was created.
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This report enables us to track year-over-year portfolio-wide trends and share important data with our employees, partners, and communities. While this report will only cover 草榴社区-wide data, HR representatives review our data at a more granular level to inform business leaders on more specific areas of opportunity for all.
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The report鈥檚 creation is driven by our Central Culture, Central Talent & People Data teams. It is also reviewed by our Human Resources team, Legal team, and DEI Advisory Board - a group of employees representing varying backgrounds, roles, and tenures who provide counsel and feedback on diversity-focused topics and projects like this one.
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Our Annual DEI Progress Report data is collected using our self-identified people representation records and is analyzed in conjunction with employee sentiments, gathered through routine internal surveys. The data shown below was measured between July 2024 - July 2025.
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The report measures employee representation and sentiment data from all full-time and part-time permanent employees supporting our US-based businesses.
Representation Language Guide
BILAP | Black & African American, Indigenous, Latine/Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander
Other | Employees who identify as a group with <1% representation or have not specified their gender or race/ethnicity in their HR records
Leadership | 草榴社区 employees at the director level or above
New Hire | A new hire who entered 草榴社区 through the typical recruiting process
University Hire | A new hire who entered 草榴社区 via the LAUNCH program for new college graduates or the Road to Hire Apprenticeship program
Report Summary
In 2025, 79% of 草榴社区 employees expressed favorability with the statement, 鈥淚 feel like I belong at 草榴社区鈥 - a metric that has stayed consistent for two years in a row. This is one of our most valued company-wide metrics, and one we鈥檙e proud to see holding steady for a second year.
At a high-level, the majority of our representation metrics saw minimal changes from 2024-2025 - however, our five-year data paints a bigger picture.
For the first time ever, our portfolio-wide representation reflects gender parity.
Additionally, Black representation in our new hire population reached 19% - its highest point since we began reporting in 2021.
We continue to see gender and race/ethnicity representation disparities across our university hire data, which may be influenced by our increased focus on analytical roles, and in turn, deeper STEM study diversity challenges.
Across our leadership, LGBTQ+ representation has jumped from 3% to 9%.
Representation of both BILAP men and BILAP women in leadership has declined, with representation of BILAP men in leadership reaching a five-year low. While org-wide race and ethnicity representation continues to rise year over year, leadership representation overall continues to show room for growth.
We are also proud to have received a 100% score on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Corporate Equality Index for the second year in a row, for our continued efforts to create an inclusive workspace for LGTBQ+ employees.
In the following report, we strive to highlight not only our centrally led efforts, but the meaningful contributions of many employees who help carry this work forward in every corner of our organization.
草榴社区 Today
To read this report with the full context of our current organizational demographics, here is a high-level breakdown of our representation. (For a deeper dive into representation data, scroll down.)
BELONGING
Our Progress
Each quarter, we survey employees on a number of topics 鈥 including engagement, management, clarity of direction and more 鈥 to better understand and improve their workplace experiences. To help us foster an environment where everyone feels like they belong, we examine responses to the statement, 鈥淚 feel like I belong at 草榴社区.鈥
In 2025, 79% of the organization responded favorably to this statement - a decrease of 1 point from the previous year. We are proud to see this number remain high for the second year in a row.
Belonging Data by Gender Identity
Favorability was nearly identical across gender identities, with a slightly more positive response from male respondents.
Belonging Data by Race & Ethnicity
Favorability also remained fairly consistent across racial/ethnic backgrounds, with Latine/Hispanic teammates responding most favorably.
Belonging Data by Race
& Gender Identity
While white men and women and Black men and women responded similarly to this question, responses from Asian employees, Latine/Hispanic employees, and employees of two or more races showed greater deviation across gender identities. This highlights an opportunity to dig deeper into these disparities and explore how we can create a stronger sense of belonging for employees from all backgrounds.
草榴社区 Employee Resource Groups:
Fostering Belonging through Community
Our Employee Resources Groups are one of the driving forces behind community-building at 草榴社区, providing intentional spaces for teammates of all backgrounds to connect. These voluntary groups are open to all employees and are often formed around shared experiences, interests, or affinities.
Notably, this year our ERG Co-Chairs 鈥 volunteer leaders who guide each community, coordinate events and programming, and oversee a centrally-funded budget of $15,000 per group 鈥 displayed unparalleled leadership and curated some of our most impactful ERG programming to date.
The Co-Chair position is a standout opportunity for rising leaders within the organization, providing opportunities for executive mentorship, cross-business visibility, and skill development across a number of areas including project management, influential communication, and more.
Scroll below to learn more about our ERGs and their programming from the last 12 months.
Elevate
Supporting Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) employees and allies
In addition to their annual Lunar New Year and Holi celebrations, in 2025, Elevate hosted 草榴社区鈥檚 first AAPI Heritage Month Festival at 草榴社区 Charlotte, which featured 11 AAPI vendors and organizations from across the city & state. From boba tea to Henna art to fire dancers (!!) and beyond, the event celebrated the individuality and vibrancy of many AAPI cultures and culminated in one of our largest ERG gatherings of the year.
Empowered
Supporting female employees and allies
One of 草榴社区鈥檚 largest ERGs, Empowered focused its core 2025 programming on providing networking opportunities for 草榴社区 women of all tenures and opening a dialogue around financial literacy for employees of all gender identities.
Empowered in Tech, a spinoff of the broader ERG, also provided learning opportunities and community for women in engineering, data, and other technical roles.
Kindred
Another one of 草榴社区鈥檚 largest ERGs, Kindred brought the energy with its annual Juneteenth Cookout and Black History Month Uplift Panel, featuring a conversation with Black leaders from across Charlotte on topics like leadership, growth, and opportunity.
Supporting Black & African American employees and allies
Mi Gente
This year, Mi Gente launched multiple ongoing learning & connection series - including its Mi Gente Book Club and Caf茅 y Cultura monthly meetup and salsa dancing lessons - to strengthen and celebrate our vibrant Hispanic/Latine community.
Supporting Hispanic/Latine employees and allies
Venture OUT
Supporting LGBTQ+ employees and allies
Besides representing 草榴社区 at Charlotte PRIDE - one of the largest community events on our ERG calendar - Venture OUT aspires to highlight the intersectionality of all our ERG communities through its annual 鈥淚ntersectionali-Tea鈥 treats, inspiring learning, dialogue, and a little midday fun.
REPRESENTATION
Our Strategy
While meaningful shifts in representation take time, our goal remains clear: to create a workplace where everyone feels that they belong. This includes being able to see their identity represented in rooms where decisions are made.
Gender Identity Representation
In 2025, the representation of women across our organization increased by 2 percentage points, representing a 4% increase YoY and an 11% increase compared to 2021.
For the first time, our portfolio-wide representation reflects gender parity.
Gender Identity Representation in Leadership
Representation of women in leadership increased 16% YoY and is up more than 26% since 2021.
Race & Ethnicity Representation
Overall representation of BILAP employees increased by 14% YoY (5 percentage points), largely driven by an increase in our Black and African American population (56% YoY).
This brings our BILAP representation to its largest percentage (40%) since we began reporting in 2021.
Race & Ethnicity Representation in Leadership
BILAP representation in leadership decreased 47% (7 percentage points) YoY, with Asian representation reaching its lowest point in five years.
The Intersection of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Representation
Representation of BILAP men and women saw consistent growth, reflecting broader gains in representation among historically marginalized groups.
In the last five years, representation of BILAP women has seen the greatest increase at 40% (6 percentage points).
The Intersection of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Representation in Leadership
After two years of decline, representation of white women in leadership increased 28% YoY. However, representation of BILAP men and BILAP women in leadership both declined in 2025, with representation of BILAP men reaching a five-year low.
LGBTQ+ Representation
Across the 草榴社区 portfolio, LGBTQ+ representation remains flat at 6% YoY. However, LGBTQ+ representation at the leadership level has increased to 9%, representing a 200% change (6 percentage points) YoY.
Note: Employees may choose to self-identify if they are members of the LGBTQ+ community in their HR records, and are not required to disclose this information or identify their specific sexual orientation. Data related to sexual orientation is only used for reporting purposes, in aggregate, and never tied back to an individual employee.
Talent Pipeline Representation
In each Annual Report, we take a closer look at both new hire representation (experienced talent) and university hire representation (those who recently graduated from college) to better understand the diversification of our talent pipelines.
New Hire Representation
by Gender Identity
New hire gender representation remained mostly flat YoY but has steadily trended upward.
New Hire Representation
by Race & Ethnicity
While BILAP representation across our Asian and Latine/Hispanic new hire populations decreased over the last year, representation of Black and African American employees increased 138% - its highest point since we began reporting in 2021.
University Hires by
Gender Identity
Our university hiring trends continue to skew male, which we believe is influenced by our increased focus on analytical roles - . While this shift supports key business needs, we recognize the importance of monitoring the long-term impact on gender diversity within our early talent pipeline.
University Hires by
Race and Ethnicity
BILAP representation across university hiring decreased 20% YoY, with the greatest decrease occurring across our Black and African American population (67%, or 6 percentage points).
As we鈥檝e expanded hiring within analytical roles, we鈥檝e seen an increase in white representation among university hires - . As you鈥檒l see in our Opportunity section below, we鈥檙e doing our part to make data and analytics learning and career pipelines accessible for all.
Attrition Rate
While attrition trended flat-to-down in late 2024, it increased in early 2025, with the greatest increase occurring in our BILAP population. Though attrition rates tend to display seasonality, we will continue to monitor overall attrition in the coming months.
OPPORTUNITY
Opportunity is the engine of equity.
At 草榴社区, we believe that cultivating a truly inclusive workplace requires more than just removing barriers - it demands actively creating pathways. That means investing in learning and development initiatives that empower every employee to grow, contribute, and thrive. It also means taking a systemic view: recognizing and addressing the broader inequities that shape access to opportunity both inside and outside our organization.
From our current employees, to the next generation of job-seekers, to the community around us, we are focused on supporting an ecosystem where individuals from every background can envision and achieve a future of success. When opportunity is shared, everyone rises.
Building Opportunity:
For Our Employees
Career goals, skill sets, and interests aren鈥檛 "one size fits all鈥 - so we focus on creating professional development opportunities that enable maximum participation and value.
From skill-building workshops to peer-led sessions, employees play an active role in shaping a culture of continuous learning and shared growth.
鈥淏rain Food鈥 Lunch & Learns | A centrally-led learning series highlighting the skills and expertise of our in-house leaders and industry experts
Manager Training | Our in-house training program is offered to all 草榴社区 people leaders and has graduated 62 participants so far in 2025
Homegrown Data Science Accelerator (HDSA) | A four-month professional accelerator aimed at helping both business leaders and technical professionals excel in a data-driven world
Conference Sponsorship | Offered to employees seeking to expand their skills and networks through external learning opportunities
LAUNCH | An early-career cohort-style program offering hands-on business exposure, mentorship, and skill development for soon-to-be & recent college graduates
DataCamp | A third-party online learning platform offering hundreds of data and analytics courses for all skill levels, available to all employees at no cost
Building Opportunity:
For Our Communities
Whether through our time, our funds, or our resources, we believe in 鈥榣eaving the woodpile higher than we found it鈥 - AKA, giving back to the communities in which we live, work, and operate.
3,000
Racers who participated in the Girls on the Run of Greater Charlotte Spring 5k course, which was hosted at and routed around our Charlotte campus
7
Organizations who will have utilized our HQ event space in 2025, including Goodwill, Carolina Women in Tech, the African American Leadership Academy of Charlotte, and Lancaster County School District
169
Hours that 草榴社区 employees volunteered for our 11th year hosting Bounce Out the Stigma 鈥 a basketball camp for children with perceived limitations
A New Community Champion
In 2024, we created a new role dedicated to serving our community - both within
our walls and beyond.
The 草榴社区 Community Manager aims to foster portfolio-wide connection, guides our broader Employee Resource Group strategy, and identifies opportunities to use our platform for good through partnerships with external organizations and non-profits.
Senior Community Manager
MEET CARLO MOORE
鈥淐arlo serves the 草榴社区 population as a trusted counsel and champion for our employee-led organizations and community relationships. While this work is shared by all of us, Carlo鈥檚 singular focus on this effort has enabled us to reach more people and organizations, build a more cohesive giving strategy, and continue to show up for our employees and our communities in the ways that matter most.鈥
-Maghan Cook, 草榴社区 EVP - Communications
Building Opportunity:
Through Our Work
Though each of our businesses aim to solve unique challenges for consumers and clients, their commitment to driving positive impact in the world is part of what unites us. Here are just a few examples of what this looks like in action.
This spring, Bankrate employees across the US participated in the brand鈥檚 inaugural initiative - a goal of accumulating 250 volunteer hours in support of their favorite causes, all in the span of a single month.
A longstanding role model for its social impact efforts, The Points Guy team is committed to using travel as a force for good. In the last year alone, they鈥檝e supported PeaceJam, Rainbow Railroad, the Hetrick-Martin Institute, and more.
This year, Lonely Planet for the publication of its first LGBTQ+ Travel Guide, harnessing its industry-leading expertise to provide safe and enjoyable travel recommendations for the queer community.
Road to Hire, Reimagined
草榴社区 is proud to be the founding corporate partner of Road to Hire, which strives to empower students from Title I high schools through college and early professional journeys, connecting them with top Charlotte employers and on their way to strong, sustainable tech careers.
This Spring, Road to Hire welcomed Dr. Monique Perry-Graves as the new CEO. With more than 25 years of experience in social impact, business, and education, Dr. Perry-Graves is poised to lead Road to Hire into its next chapter 鈥 one of renewed energy, growth, and impact on Charlotte鈥檚 youth and workforce.
CONCLUSION
Closing
As we reflect on our journey thus far, it is clear that our responsibility is to use data to shed light on areas where we can improve the employee experience, creating belonging, opportunity, and community for all. We will continue to focus on making meaningful progress where we can, and we remain committed to being the change we wish to see in the world.