A Message from our CEO

To the ReadySet Community, 

In just a few months, the global spread of COVID-19 has drastically changed the ways in which we relate to each other and the world at large.  In this atmosphere of uncertainty, many of us are now feeling scared, anxious, and isolated. We find ourselves in uncharted waters, navigating the demands of work, fears about our economy, increasing care responsibilities, and greater social isolation. At ReadySet, we believe in the power of putting people first. Difficult times like these require us to strengthen our social bonds and harness the power of our collective imagination to chart a path forward. 

I’ve thought long and hard about the type of message from me that would best serve you in these challenging times. Without a doubt, this will be one of many messages from CEOs that you will read over the coming weeks. I’ve decided that now is not the time for canned messages about your values or a pitch about the ways in which innovative companies can profit off of tragedy. Instead, I’d like to share what we’re doing to care for ourselves and our community, right now. 

Changes in the way we work:

At ReadySet, we’re changing the way we work to adapt to our evolving context and ensure that our team and our clients have the support they need.

• Distributed Work: While we’ve always embraced distributed work, we began to encourage our staff to work exclusively remotely on March 2nd. This policy will continue until state or federal guidance related to social distancing changes, and most likely through April at the earliest. 

• Meetings and Events: We’ve also moved all internal events and staff gatherings/meetings to a virtual format. We believe it is our ethical responsibility to take social distancing seriously, as personal and business circumstances allow. 

• Travel: All business travel within the US must first be approved by our COO and all international travel is currently on hold.

• Updating our Services: Many of our services can be provided virtually. For those clients who are interested, we’ve offered to tailor their engagements for virtual service delivery. 

• Care Leave: We currently offer two weeks care leave for those who must care for sick family members. We plan to be even more flexible with this policy through the crisis. 

• Extended Paid Sick Leave: For those suffering from serious forms of coronavirus, the recovery time can be two weeks or more. We’re also aware that self isolation in an escalating emergency can negatively impact individuals’ mental health. Inevitably, there will be some on our team who experience loss. We will be giving staff unlimited paid sick leave to give them the space they need to address their mental and physical health needs.

• Childcare: As several of our staff are being affected by the school and daycare closure, we’ve asked our clients for greater scheduling flexibility and have readjusted our expectations internally.

Supporting Our Local Community

We’re also looking at ways in which we can support the most vulnerable in our local communities who will likely be disproportionately affected by the virus. We’ve compiled a few resources that we hope may be helpful for you as you think about ways to be of service. Please note that these resources are primarily focused on the Bay-area, where ReadySet is based. 

• Artists and local businesses

  • The Safety Net Fund 

  • Kiva Loans to Small Businesses

• Domestic workers 

  • National Domestic Workers Alliance Coronavirus Care Fund

• Those suffering from food insecurity:

  • Alameda County Community Food Bank 

  • SF Marin Food Bank

  • Meals on Wheels SF 

  • Meals on Wheels Alameda County 

  • SFUSD School Meals 

• Those who may be experiencing domestic violence

  • National Domestic Violence Hotline

• Undocumented individuals and families

  • RAICES

  • Detention Watch Network

  • Human Impact Partners 

• Unhoused community members

  • Roots Clinic

  • People’s Breakfast Oakland

  • Saint Anthony’s

  • Compass Family Services

Looking Ahead: 

We are experiencing an entirely new challenge and we are grateful to local government leaders, public health professionals, and members of the tech and D&I communities who have shared resources,  advice, and best practices for supporting each other.

Before I founded ReadySet, I was an international human rights lawyer. From war to public health epidemics, I spent my time in communities in the midst of crisis. What stuck to me wasn’t the tragedy, but the unfailing resilience that was present in every community in which I’ve lived - the connections that couldn’t be broken and the hope that didn’t falter. That was pervasive. I see it now too. From zoom happy hours to virtual knitting circles to Netflix watch parties; we are finding ways to connect and enjoy one another. 

At ReadySet, we’re focusing on connection and resilience - centering it for ourselves and helping those in our community leverage it in their lives. It’s something we’ve always done and we’re not stopping now. We remain committed to helping you build stronger, more diverse and inclusive organizations, especially in times of crisis. To keep abreast of our efforts, subscribe to our newsletter. 

Best, 

Y-Vonne Hutchinson

CEO, Founder