To our Vantage Point Community,
Today doesn’t look like yesterday, and this year has unraveled in ways that no one expected. While the world has changed drastically over the last few months, our vision remains constant: to build an inclusive future that represents real-world diversity in culture, ideology, background, and innovation.
We do this by developing emerging technologies for good that unite, inspire, create shared perspective, build empathy, and show people the agency we have in creating positive environments in the workplace and in the societies in which we operate and live. Our first feat in doing this is leveraging immersive technology (VR) to train people on EQ-driven and soft skills that matter, teaching things that have to be “felt” to be resonant, and cannot be “explained,” yet impact the wellbeing of every single person. The topics we teach are inarguably consequential for companies from financial and emotional standpoints. There is no denying the impact that bias, harassment, and conversely, self-awareness, empathy, and shared accountability have on the effectiveness of a workforce.
We all have the ability to influence our surroundings and the future: for better, or for worse. We all impact the future through the actions we take today and our commitment to self-development and self-awareness. We all have felt the feeling of isolation, of not being understood, of being impacted negatively, in ways others might not be able to relate. We’ve all felt what it feels like to share our experience, and not be met with empathy.
We all know that COVID-19 impacts different socio-economic classes and gender and racial groups in different ways, with women and people of color being most severely affected. We know that people of color see higher levels of poverty, food insecurity, and racial discrimination in pay furthering inequity. With parents and children at home and societal expectations being vastly different for how men and women show up in the world, we also know how detrimental this crisis can be to much of the progress we’ve made in the fight for gender equality.
These problems around inclusion and equity are all exacerbated by COVID-19: no, COVID-19 is not the virus that does not discriminate.
Vantage Point was founded on the belief that while technology can cause apathy, immersive technology can drive empathy and fundamentally make the world more human. In light of COVID-19, our team at Vantage Point believes the world could use even more empathy, shared perspective, self-awareness of our impact on the world around us, and understanding of the implications of our behaviors — now, more so than ever.
The new normal of remote work will not be a transitory trend. COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the way we will work for years to come. Remote work and livelihood do not mean that discrimination and bias cease. In fact, recent studies show that bullying and harassment are increasing online.
Now, more than ever, companies need to mobilize effective tools to promote employee wellbeing, inclusion, and community as social and cultural dynamics change. And companies need to be building into their reopening plans how they plan to ensure that the strides we’ve made in diversity, equity, and inclusion are not clawed back as a byproduct of the recession we’re going to endure. Companies have a responsibility to ensure they’re adopting fair and equitable hiring practices, creating inclusive, empathetic and self-aware cultures, and are incorporating these as foundational points into reopening plans and plans to re-hire workforces in the coming years.
In a time that can be incredibly isolating, Virtual Reality offers empathy, connection, self-awareness, and empowerment. We at Vantage Point commit to delivering this, no matter what the future landscape of work looks like. We are now delivering distributed Virtual Reality training to remote teams in a way that is cost-effective, easy-to-manage, and accessible to all employers, especially in the wake of COVID-19. We are committed to continuing to innovate and leverage technology to deliver a future beyond the crisis that is empathetic, empowered, inclusive, and united.
We hope you will join us!
Morgan Mercer
Founder and CEO - Vantage Point