Caroline Karanja, co-founder of Minneapolis-based 26 Letters, is working to help organizations incorporate diversity and inclusion through the company's software-as-a-service e-learning platform.
"We work with clients who are passionate about diversity, inclusion and equity but are looking for a way to make sure the work that they're doing is scalable and measurable," Karanja said.
Customers include a small nonprofit, a company that employs thousands, and government agencies, Karanja said.
26 Letters launched in its present form last year, said Karanja, who began working on the application more than two years ago.
Karanja was in her early teens when her family moved to Madison from Kenya. She taught herself to code while completing a degree in American studies and English literature at Macalester College.
Karanja is leveraging digital product and e-commerce experience gained at Best Buy and other companies to develop 26 Letters' platform. The self-funded venture, based in the WeWork co-working space in Capella Tower, has two employees with plans to expand next year.
26 Letters assesses how employees feel about an organization's growth opportunities, inclusiveness and community involvement. That includes, Karanja said, "a sense of community within the workplace because that's a key when it comes to retention."
The company then offers insights and strategies for making improvements and later evaluates progress, Karanja said. 26 Letters also is developing an individual assessment.
Karanja is publishing a book — "From Ada to Zuckerberg: A Cultural History of Tech" — based on her presentation tracing technology from 19th-century mathematician Ada Lovelace through Facebook's co-founder.
