In this updated edition of the State of Racial, Ethnic & Gender Diversity Report, MassBio found that gender diversity in leadership roles across the life sciences ecosystem in Massachusetts has increased while communities of color remain largely underrepresented. Offering direct comparison to 2021’s findings, this year’s report reveals shifts in employee demographics at all levels, as well as the adoption of DEI best practices found in MassBio’s CEO Pledge.

DEI Report Highlights:

• Female representation at both the executive management level and board of directors grew by 9%  
• Asian employees now make up 23% of the workforce, 17% above the MA population (2020 Census)
• 12% of the respondents’ board of directors are now BIPOC 
• 69% of respondents have intentional practices and systems in place to recruit, retain, and advance diverse employees, with 47% recruiting from or working directly with affinity organizations like Latinos in Bio   
• 71% say additional resources and bandwidth would allow them to further improve the implementation of current and new diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives going forward 

What We’re Saying:

“Although market conditions in our industry have changed, making DEI work more challenging to prioritize, we can’t lose momentum on the important progress we’ve made in recent years. I know MassBio’s and our members’ commitment to DEI has not waivered, but we must hold ourselves accountable through trackable metrics and do everything we can to advance health equity and attain a workforce that reflects the patient populations we serve.” 

Kendalle Burlin O’Connell, CEO & President, MassBio