Google

How Grant builds inclusivity in and outside of work

Welcome to the latest edition of “My Path to Google,” where we talk to Googlers, interns and alumni about how they got to Google, what they do in their roles and how they prepared for their interviews.Today’s post is all about Grant Bennett, a Human Resource Associate working remotely from North Carolina, and his passion…

Published

3 years ago

February 10, 2022

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Today’s post is all about Grant Bennett, a Human Resource Associate working remotely from North Carolina, and his passion for driving equity and inclusivity both in and outside of Google.

What do you do at Google?

I’m in Google’s Human Resources Associate program, a two-year rotational program for recent college graduates. Now in my second and final rotation, I work as an Operations and Analytics Specialist on the Retention and Progression team. I help analyze and share insights to improve Googlers’ experiences.

What’s your typical workday like?

I’ve been working remotely from North Carolina since I started at Google in 2020. My day usually begins with a morning workout and some dedicated reading time. Once I log in to work, I check emails, create my to-do list and take data science skills training. The rest of my day is spent jumping in and out of meetings with teammates and consultants, working through data and generating reports for my team.

Can you tell us a bit more about your background?

I grew up in Fayetteville, North Carolina. My father served in the military and my mother is an educator at our local community college. Baseball was my favorite activity as a kid. One time when I was practicing in downtown Fayetteville, a director asked me to make a cameo in a music video for the rapper J.Cole (which I eagerly accepted). I met J.Cole again years later, and we talked about the importance of branching out and having new experiences. That conversation inspired me to attend a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). I enrolled at Morehouse College, the only all-male HBCU in the United States, on a baseball and academic scholarship. I studied psychology and got really involved in campus life. Through these experiences, I found my passion for social impact and research.

What’s your daily source of inspiration?

I’m inspired that Google continues to work towards creating a more equitable and inclusive workplace, and I’m excited to take on projects connected to our HBCU commitments. I’m passionate about this work, because I understand the value of investing in communities that have been historically under-resourced and excluded.

Are you working on any projects outside of work?

I’m the Founder and Executive Director of The Two-Six Project, a nonprofit organization helping to develop leaders from marginalized communities. We provide funding, leadership development training and scholarships to youth athletic organizations in the Fayetteville area. Thanks in part to the generous support of individual Googlers during our holiday giving campaign, The Two-Six Project recently hosted its second annual “Christmas Giveback” event and provided food, toys and winter clothing to over 2,000 people. The success of this event led to a feature in Forbes Magazine and my participation on a panel about equity, moderated by Former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

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Google

5 ways our latest Gemini models are changing retail

Here are five ways Gemini models and generative AI are helping retailers modernize their businesses. Source

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1 hour ago

December 2, 2024

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Here are five ways Gemini models and generative AI are helping retailers modernize their businesses.

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Google

Inspiring the next generation of women engineers

Published

4 days ago

November 28, 2024

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Editor’s note: Google and Girlguiding are building on their partnership with the launch of new co-created AI activities and badges, designed to help girls understand how AI-powered tools work and encourage more girls and young women across the country to explore STEM subjects. Nicole McWilliams, Engineering Director, Android Large Screens at Google shares why it’s important for more girls and young women to learn about technology and AI.When I was a little girl, my father and I would spend our weekends in his garage taking apart and rebuilding household appliances, like our toasters and alarm clocks. I found the process fascinating. It sparked my interest in understanding why these appliances worked this way, and brainstorming tweaks that might improve them. I’d always loved working with gadgets, so when selecting my university course I thought it made perfect sense to study engineering…until I was told that it might not.The university admissions team nudged me to consider alternative options, concerned that I might be out of place in such a male dominated field. Now that I lead Android’s large screen engineering teams for Google here in the UK, working to incorporate AI-driven features into our products, it’s hard to imagine that at 17 years old, my ability to excel in a field that I love was called into question, purely because of my gender.Stereotypes still persistWe set up Google’s partnership with Girlguiding in 2018 to shatter these longstanding stereotypes and counter the influence of society’s longstanding biases. While so much has changed since my experience in the 90s, sadly, the discouragement I faced isn’t unique. Girlguiding’s Girls Attitude Survey highlights the fact that many outdated ideas still persist:More than half (52%) of girls between the ages of 11 – 18 still feel like STEM subjects are for boys.42% of girls feel that there aren’t enough women role models in STEM.41% of girls are teased for their interest in STEM subjects.We can’t afford for these antiquated assumptions to hold girls back from having the opportunity to shape the AI-powered technologies of the future. AI has the potential to improve how we live, work and interact with the world. From the phones in our pockets to the cars we drive, AI is already everywhere. Technology can be made by anyone, and is for everyone. That’s why we’ve partnered with Girlguiding to empower more girls with the skills needed to create this technology in future.Encouraging more young women to help shape the future of AIThese new activities will showcase how AI can solve real-world problems and encourage the girls to eventually become the innovators and leaders of a technology which is being used to improve health outcomes and tackle climate change. Girls aged 4 – 18 across each of Girlguiding’s sections will learn about generative AI and concepts like machine learning. The activities will enable leaders to demonstrate how AI can boost creativity and gradually build the girls’ confidence in technology.AI Story Writers: Rainbows aged 4 – 7 will work with group leaders to create interactive ‘choose your own adventure’ stories with the help of AI.AI Game Writers: Brownies aged 7 – 10 will work with group leaders to create and play new real-world games with the help of AI.Teach the AI Machine: Guides aged 10 – 14 will explore how machine learning works through a fun real-world game.Accelerate with AI: Rangers aged 14 – 18 will work with group leaders to plan a personalised party or event with the help of AI.We’re excited for over 300,000 Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers across the country to gain valuable insights that will help them in future, whether they decide to build these AI-powered technologies or even just use these tools to achieve their ambitions.Lasting impactBoth the teams at Google and Girlguiding have worked hard to create the sorts of fun and engaging activities that I would have loved to take part in when I was a Brownie. Our hope is that these activities spark an interest in technology for girls across the country, inviting them to challenge and exceed society’s expectations, while inspiring the next generation of female engineers.Check out Girlguiding’s website to learn more about the new AI badge and our other co-created digital discovery activities.

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