Axon is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, recognizing these elements as essential to both our internal culture and our external success. PEW Research Center highlights that 56% of employees consider diversity crucial in the workplace, linking directly to retention and innovation. Moreover, LinkedIn's findings show that diverse companies are likely to outperform their competitors by 2.5 times and are 1.7 times more likely to be innovation leaders. Embracing these principles, we've appointed a Vice President of JEDI and People Experience to spearhead our JEDI Office, focusing on strategic and effective implementation that aligns with our goal to foster a performance-driven and inclusive culture.

At Axon, JEDI goes beyond mere diversity. It involves creating an environment where every individual is respected, results are valued, and accountability is integral. Our efforts include sourcing diverse applicants, engaging with community organizations, and enriching our talent pipeline, all contributing to a workplace that not only embraces inclusivity but also retains top talent. These initiatives have led to significant achievements, such as achieving 50% gender diversity on our board, increasing representation in director positions to 16% women and 26% people of color, and reaching 35% overall diversity. Integral to these efforts are our six Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), like Axon Allies, which foster a supportive and collaborative environment for our diverse workforce.

Axon Allies was founded by one of our employees, Aimee Bervel, a Quality System Specialist.

“About four years ago, I was asked by our Exec team to start Axon Allies,” Bervel says. “They wanted to build an environment for the LGBTQIA+ community and Axon employees who wanted to be allies and learn more.”

"Behind the scenes, there was a dedicated effort to shape our mission, define our group's identity, and establish the core values that embody Axon Allies. Witnessing the growth and enduring impact of Axon Allies over the years has been a source of immense pride for me. It goes beyond professional accomplishments; it's about the collective spirit and commitment that defines our shared vision. I am genuinely grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the success of Axon Allies.”

“Allies to me is truly a group that embodies all,” says Travis Hove, Program Manager, Virtual Reality Content at Axon. “It embodies everyone from different walks of life from different backgrounds, whether that’s different sexual identities, gender identities or even as the name implies, allyship; it involves everybody coming together toward a common goal of educating and learning with one another.”

Hove is a tech industry veteran. He says that, in his experience, the efforts to ensure justice, equity, diversity and inclusion at Axon are extremely rare.

“Axon is probably the only company that I’ve worked at where working in the tech industry as a queer person has actually been not only accepted but understood,” Hove says.

Your full self

According to another member of the Axon team, Yves Wienecke, a Software Engineer, the existence of Axon Allies and Axon’s JEDI efforts not only help educate about the LGBTQIA+ community but also have a deeply personal impact: They enable him to be his full self at work.

“I don’t have to worry about thinking ‘What do I have to do in order to be someone else? What do I have to do in order to fit in with everyone else?’ I can just … work,” Wienecke says.

That worry can be a real concern among LGBTQIA+ employees. According to a study conducted by the UCLA Williams Institute, nearly half (46%) of LGBTQIA+ workers have experienced workplace harassment or unfair treatment merely because of who they are. With Axon Allies, Axon is aiming to change that.

“Axon truly provided me a space where not only were my opinions heard and understood, but it was a place where I didn’t feel like I needed to hide who I was in order to succeed,” Hove says.

Axon Allies: A Pivotal Role in Axon's Mission

Perhaps the greatest benefit of the Axon Allies ERG is that it is not just limited to members of the LGBTQIA+ community. As the name implies, Axon Allies is open to anyone who considers themself an ally to the community. “It’s for everyone to come together and learn and talk and grow,” says Wienecke. “And that to me is true allyship.”

Having Allies helps Axon perform at a higher level by bringing diverse experiences and strategic perspectives. This helps Axon make our products more inclusive and ultimately more valuable to public safety professionals. Diversity allows us to address a wider range of interactions our customers may have with the community.

Axon Allies members view their role within the ERG as integral to Axon's overarching mission of protecting life. The involvement of Axon Allies in this mission goes beyond just fostering inclusive spaces and educational opportunities – it's about doing our part in continually striving for a more broad and inclusive approach to public safety.

“I truly believe that Axon has given us the opportunity to have the conversations quite literally with the people whose are boots on the ground,” adds Hove.

Axon is committed to Inclusion

At Axon, we believe that a performance-driven culture led by our values and focused on respect, results and accountability is foundational to our ability to drive our organization toward our long-term vision of achieving our moonshot goal. That goal: to reduce gun-related deaths between police and the public by 50% in 10 years. You can help. For more information and to explore your future with Axon, visit our careers page.