Today, Skillz was named to the 2022 Parity.Org Best Companies for Women to Advance™ List for the second year in a row – an important achievement of which we’re incredibly proud. 

The ParityLIST™ , established by Parity.org, recognizes organizations creating a culture and conditions in which women can rise through recruiting, promotion, compensation practices, leadership representation, and other practices that collectively help companies achieve gender parity. Organizations with this recognition have benefits, programs, and policies that ensure women have significant opportunities to advance their careers, and which foster an equitable work environment.

Parity.org is the leading organization working to eliminate the racial and gender gap in corporate leadership, where the gap is the widest. Founded in 2017, Parity.org’s mission is to create parity in leadership for women, and it expanded that focus in 2020 to include people of color. The organization takes a pragmatic approach, offering simple but proven tools to help organizations not only reach – but sustain – parity in leadership. 

As the leading mobile games platform dedicated to bringing out the best in everyone through competition, equality is core to who we are. Today, Skillz is the home of competition for all. Like our namesake, we believe that everyone has winning skills, regardless of gender, age, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other identity. Our passion for equality also extends to our company culture. Forging and sustaining an environment where all people can thrive is paramount to our mission, values, and growth. 

“For me personally, and for Skillz as a whole, gender parity is essential, not just an initiative. It’s an ongoing journey that requires constant commitment, learning, and openness to change,” said Andrew Paradise, CEO and Founder of Skillz. “It’s how we attract the best people, develop the best teams, and produce the best work. Building for communities means we must be a reflection of those communities.”

The 2022 ParityLIST honorees share a number of policies and practices in common, such as:

• Flexible working hours (98%)
• Paid sick leave for both full-time (100%) and part-time (79%) employees
• Equal family leave for both men and women (84%)
• A culture of encouraging men to take their full family leave (95%) 

In addition, 91% require recruiters to include at least one qualified woman on every candidate slate for executive positions reporting to the CEO, and virtually every company has a zero-tolerance policy for harassment while regularly communicating its gender-equality values to employees. 

Skillz innovates across the gaming industry by making esports accessible to everyone. Thus, fairness, accessibility, and inclusion are critical elements of our ideals and identity – which is why we’re proud to share that Skillz follows all of these practices. 

“The pandemic created a substantial setback for female advancement in the workforce,” said Cathrin Stickney, Parity.Org Founder and CEO. “But the companies that made this year’s ParityLIST not only got back on track, they sped past all expectations. I could not be happier to report that 70% of this year’s honorees have an Executive Team that is 30%+ women, 77% have a VP team that is 30%+ women, and 72% have reached pay parity!” 

“The parity problem is complex – but it’s not insurmountable,” said Stickney. “The extraordinary performance of this year’s honorees proves that a genuine commitment and focus, coupled with the right tools, measures, and practices, will absolutely move the needle toward fairness.”

For more details on this recognition, visit: www.parity.org/best-companies 

For more information on why Skillz was named a “Best Company for Women to Advance” and how to join our mission to bring out the best in everyone through competition, visit the Skillz careers page or follow us on LinkedIn.