Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Influencers
The DE&I Influencers list honors individuals who are advancing diversity, equity and inclusion within their organizations and across the workforce solutions ecosystem at large.
Gene C. Waddy
Honoree profile
For Gene C. Waddy, diversity, equity and inclusion is about creating an ecosystem where everyone thrives without compromise. “DE&I doesn’t mean for me to win, you have to lose,” he emphasizes.
Waddy founded Alpha Business Solutions in 2017 to create a staffing and employment services firm that integrated professional solutions with diversity. His approach includes mentorship of other minority business enterprises through Alpha’s diverse supplier mentorship program, Unity. One of Waddy’s proudest recent accomplishments was when one of the 15 to 20 businesses participating in the program — an African American woman-owned firm — secured a million-dollar contract from one of his customers.
“I was able to take an opportunity that my customer gave me as a diverse supplier and turn around to leverage that opportunity to open a door for another diverse business,” he explains.
Waddy’s work toward advancing DE&I began long before Alpha. In 2005, he co-founded Diversant, an IT staffing provider that evolved into one of the largest Black-owned IT staffing firms in the US. Alongside promoting diversity in the supply chain, Diversant also pioneered career paths in IT for qualified US veterans.
It’s not just a business for me. It’s a commitment to giving back to the world, and I’m far from finished.
According to Waddy, it was when he obtained Diversant’s certification as a diverse supplier that he realized such certifications are crucial for instigating change.
Once Diversant became certified in 2005, the magnitude of work that lay ahead became clear to him. Waddy soon found he often stood out as the sole Black male among 15 to 20 IT staffing provider on clients’ lists. “I understood that, as an African American, I couldn’t afford to let this certification be a mere piece of paper hanging on the wall in my office and let it gather dust.” Realizing he had to actively use his certification for the greater good while growing his business, it became imperative for him to advocate for DE&I and help others in achieving their DE&I own aspirations and “utilize these networks to uplift my entire community,” he explains.
Waddy views DE&I as a unifying force and envisions taking Unity to greater heights. “It’s not just a business for me. It’s a commitment to giving back to the world, and I’m far from finished.”