Annie Jean-Baptiste ’06

Annie Jean-Baptiste ’06, diversity programs manager for Google’s Global Diversity and Inclusion Team, works to diversify the next generation of technology professionals and promote inclusion programs among the tech giant’s 60,000 employees. She returned to Milton as the 2017 Martin Luther King Jr. Day speaker, asking students to honor other people’s perspectives, and sharing her beliefs about what people can do to be more inclusive and follow the life and lessons of Dr. King. Students have the power to effect change when they check their privilege, love harder, take risks, break rules, experience discomfort, and take an empathetic approach to disagreement, Annie says.

“At Google we talk about ‘building for all,’ and in order to do that, people with different perspectives and backgrounds need to be at the table, with equal agency to voice opinions and get things done. Research shows that teams with more diversity and deeper inclusion are more innovative and successful. We can extend that to Milton—we need the diversity of experience and backgrounds to foster the creativity and genius that Milton is known for.”