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Apple Entrepreneur Camp: No white dudes welcome

August 14, 2024 | | Print Article

Blatant eligibility restrictions for an Apple program proved once more the “D” in DEI wasn’t diversity, but discrimination and begged the question, “How is this legal?”

In 2019, the Big Tech behemoth launched its Apple Entrepreneur Camp which quickly became a vehicle for the spirit of the age. After utilizing their $100 million Racial Equity and Justice Initiative to steer the program toward black entrepreneurs, the last application opened Tuesday taking the long way to express that white men were not welcome.

“WOW,” wrote the X account Libs of TikTok while sharing a screenshot for the program. “Apple Entrepreneur Camp program is opening applications only to minority groups. White people are not included on the application list. How is this legal?”

Specified in the details of the program, Apple wrote, “Applications are now open for female*, Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Indigenous founders and developers,” with the asterisk denoting, “Apple believes that gender expression is a fundamental right. We welcome all women to apply to this program.”

The company indicated, “Apple Entrepreneur Camp supports underrepresented founders and developers, and encourages the pipeline and longevity of these entrepreneurs in technology. Attendees benefit from one-on-one code-level guidance, receive unprecedented access to Apple engineers and experts, and become part of the extended global network of Apple Entrepreneur Camp alumni.”

Additionally, the announcement noted, “And this year we’re thrilled to bring back our in-person programming at Apple in Cupertino. For those who can’t attend in person, we’re still offering our full program online. We welcome established entrepreneurs with app-driven businesses to learn more about eligibility requirements and apply today.”

As it happened, Apple employees had been among those lashing out over having to physically return to work in an open letter during the elimination of COVID protocols that contended “being in the office at least 3 fixed days of the week, will change the makeup of our workforce. It will make Apple younger, whiter, more male-dominated, more neuro-normative, more able-bodied, in short, it will lead to privileges deciding who can work for Apple, not who’d be the best fit.”

The finer points of the eligibility requirements blurred the lines on whether white or Asian men were wholly ruled out of participation as it specified up to three members from an organization could attend.

However, Apple was deliberate in its rules on how two of the members of the “underrepresented” and female-focused camps would operate.

“The Black, Hispanic/Latinx, or Indigenous founder, cofounder, or CEO; the Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Indigenous, or female developer; and another colleague (if applicable)” would be expected to attend the entirety of the program, with similar guidelines laid out for the female-focused version.

Word of the discriminatory program prompted many to affirm they were officially done with Apple products while others slammed the “blatant racism.”

Kevin Haggerty
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