DEI Champion Finalist
Sr. DEI & Culture Champion
Zumper

Dana Duckworth is a true champion for change - Champion is even in her title! Dana has championed change throughout our organization and established the foundation for an inclusive work culture. With her newly appointed role of Sr. DEI & Culture Champion, her passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion propel her initiatives that make Zumper a better place. As an active member of the National Apartment Association, serving on national committees, and a 2021 graduate of NAA's Diversity Leadership Program, Dana’s dedication to serving multifamily has supported the advancement of DEI in our industry.

Dana hosts multiple yearly internships to support under-resourced groups by providing valuable mentorship and real-life work experience. She supports girls by providing an internship program to Girls Inc of Alameda County every summer. She does the same for BIPOC youth, for college interns from Harlem Children’s Zone. Each internship provides the youth with an opportunity to learn and grow their knowledge of technology, business, and multifamily.

Dana is on a mission to fill the gaps that minorities often face in the corporate landscape. Through the creation of her mentorship program, Win Together, she has successfully paired a number of mentees with mentors that have supported the growth and cultivated the talent of women and people of color at Zumper. Knowing that access to leadership and executive sponsorship is a barrier for underrepresented groups, she launched an internal podcast titled Chat With The Champion-Access to Leadership, to provide the guidance and insight employees seek from executives. To further illustrate her efforts to making DEI a priority in the workplace, Dana was also an integral part of the planning team who launched the first Pride Happy Hour at NAA's Apartmentalize 2022 conference in San Diego, CA.

Zumper’s champion skillfully navigates the virtual world as a remote employee through hosting both nation-wide and local, in-person events. Dana has facilitated virtual acts of social good including our Move For Hunger food drive that supports those in need. In March, she organized and hosted our first in-person volunteer activity since the pandemic. Through the Black Lives Matter Employee Resource Group (ERG) she founded in 2020, Dana facilitated a Habitat For Humanity build day. Employees came together to build two playhouse structures to support childcare facilities serving the low-income.

Whether she is actively supporting Zumper’s ERGs for women, the LGBTQIA+ community, the black community, or AAPI employees, Dana consistently exhibits her passion for diversity and inclusion. Her commitment to supporting these traditionally under-served groups, showing how much she cares for others, and always making herself available to listen to those who need guidance, make Dana the perfect choice for the National Apartment Association’s DEI Champion Award.

Our Champion has impacted our organization in countless ways, through her efforts. She has advocated for the inclusion of MLK Day as a company holiday, as well as a floating holiday to celebrate additional cultural holidays like Diwali, Juneteenth, and many others.
Her mentorship program has successfully paired over 40 mentors and mentees and led to successful outcomes including promotions, increased visibility, and increased salaries through negotiation. Her willingness to be front and center for all things Zumper, like our recent BuiltIn San Francisco social media campaign, has helped to empower our employer branding.
The results of her internship programs are ongoing, with the organizations we partner with continuing to trust us with their students year after year. She has provided real workplace experience for the youth of Harlem Children’s Zone that supports their resumes, future, and current careers. To date, this program has supported 12 BIPOC youth.
Dana has trained our employee base of 200 on DEI and consistently contributes to successful initiatives put forward by Zumper’s Employee Resource Groups. She successfully integrates new hires into Zumper, by cultivating an inclusive culture on day 1 of the onboarding process. Her dedication to inclusion has supported our Employee Resource Groups and contributed to rising employee engagement scores and external recognition. Under her guidance, monetary donations have been made to the following organizations to not only support diversity within our organization but, also the wider community.

Dana's social impact contribution for 2022:

$10,600 Girls Inc - To support Girls
$6,000 Habitat for Humanity - to support housing initiatives
$1500 Move For Hunger- To support Food Insecurity
$600 Harlem Children’s Zone - To support BIPOC College Students
$500 Care.com- to support women & children in Ukraine
$500 Broadway For Racial Justice- To support BIPOC
$500 True Colors United- Support of Homeless LGBTQ Youth
$250- APIP- To support Asian American
$250- I’m Ready Movement- to support AAPI Women
$250- Brotherhood Sistersol - To support Black & Latinx Youth
$250- African American Wellness- To increase awareness of black healthcare disparities