Facebook Austin

You Can't Be What You Can’t See: Let's Help Create a More Diverse Pipeline of Tech Talent

If you know of students who may be interested in Tech, please encourage them to sign up!

This Saturday on October 2nd, Facebook Community Engagement and Policy Programs teams are hosting a free virtual student summit, LatineXt Leaders of Tomorrow, in honor of Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month. The student summit will provide coding and tech experiences, professional development opportunities, and feature executive speakers, policymakers and product demonstrations.

Share the Splashthat Page for information on the summit and details on how to register: https://latinextleadersoftomorrowstude.splashthat.com/

LatineXt Leaders of Tomorrow Student Summit In honor of Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month, Facebook is excited to invite you to our first LatineXt Leaders of Tomorrow Student Summit on Saturday, October 2nd from 11:00am – 3:00pm. Join us virtually where will provide coding skills and tech experiences, professional development opportunities...

New Facebook ATX Team Hiring

We’re thrilled to welcome a new team to our Facebook Austin footprint - the Facebook Agile Silicon Team (FAST). The FAST team, part of Facebook Reality Labs (FRL), is expanding beyond their current Sunnyvale, CA and Redmond, WA offices to right here in the Texas Capitol. They are looking for great people to join!

FRL focuses on connecting people through Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). The compute performance and power efficiency requirements of these products require custom silicon. FAST is driving the state-of-the-art with breakthroughs in computer vision, machine learning, graphics, displays, audio, and security - all integrated in custom SoCs to redefine how humans and computers interact. They achieve their goals by looking at the entire stack, from transistors, through architecture, to firmware, and algorithms. Come join this amazing team and be part of our Facebook Austin Community!

Link to open positions in Austin (many more coming soon!):

Facebook Job Openings | Facebook Careers Facebook's mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. Together, we can help people build stronger communities - join us.

Today, Facebook Austin is thrilled to announce our partnership with the African American Leadership Institute (AALI), a local organization here in Austin committed to serving Black professionals. As a city, Austin is facing a huge challenge. We’re one of the fastest growing cities in the country, but our Black population is the only racial group that has been steadily declining for nearly two decades. And that of course, impacts our Black employees at Facebook Austin.

AALI’s mission is to increase civic awareness and leadership opportunities for Austin’s Black population. AALI will build community for Black professionals in Austin - by providing mentorship opportunities, internships, and connections with community leaders and policy makers.

Facebook Austin is honored to partner with AALI on the goal of creating equity, opportunity, and a higher quality of life for Austin’s Black citizens. We also believe it will improve our ability - and the ability of other companies in Austin - to attract, equip, retain, and promote Black talent. These efforts are vital for the future of our city, our companies, and our communities.

We’re so honored to be a founding part of this program, and we look forward to watching its impact make waves across our community.

Applications are now open for the Facebook Small Business Grants Program for Black-owned businesses! This nationwide program will provide over $40M to more than 10,000 Black-owned businesses. We hope these grants will help businesses keep their workforces strong, allow them to connect with more customers, and to cover rent and operational costs.

This is just one piece of a company-wide effort to combat racial injustice and to expand opportunity. If you or anyone you know is eligible, please take a look at the application!

Facebook Black Owned Small Business Grants Program | Facebook for Small Business To support the Black business community, Facebook is offering $100 million to Black-owned small businesses, Black creators and non-profits serving the Black community.

Yesterday, Facebook Austin hosted Boost with Facebook, a virtual event to help reboot, reimagine, and rebuild your business. Check out the recording here for tips and tricks to set up your business page, connect with your customers, and measure your marketing!

Boost with Facebook Austin Jumpstart your business with free tools from Facebook. Learn everything you need to know, from setting up a business page to communicating with your customers to managing and measuring your marketing.

Today marks the anniversary when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas first learned of their freedom on June 19, 1865 — more than two years *after* the Emancipation Proclamation declared the end of American slavery.

In honor of , we've curated 19 ways to start to take action as we push for equality for all Black Americans:

1. Sign this petition to make Juneteenth a National Holiday or ask your workplace to hold a day of education. Facebook will commemorate Juneteenth with a day of learning. We’re cancelling all meetings and engaging in conversation about the history, experiences and issues that Black Americans still face (https://bit.ly/2ClACBM).

2 & 3. Give your support to fundraisers driving change: Equal Justice Initiative (https://bit.ly/2Yg2vn2) and The Bail Project (https://bit.ly/2YOnHzF).

4, 5 & 6. Some of us may not be able to honor the moment outdoors but that won’t stop commemorating Juneteenth online: Get moving with Dance for Black Lives Matter, get together with Juneteenth 2020: Stay Black and Live, or you could even host your own virtual event.

7 & 8. Volunteering at a local or national organization can help bring about the change you want to see in America. Black Voters Matter (https://bit.ly/2Bpq6Zx) and Black Girls Code (https://bit.ly/2AFj1o0) are two of the amazing organizations empowering Black America.

9 & 10. Community Matters: Join Facebook Groups like My Block, My Hood, My City and Be The Bridge or take inspiration from their approach before starting your own community efforts. Together we can decide what comes next.

11. Amplify Black Voices: It might sound simple but sharing a friend or community member’s post helps to amplify Black voices and expose allies to important perspectives (https://bit.ly/2YPiGa7).

12. Educate friends about the history of Juneteenth. Many are only just starting to appreciate the importance of this day in American history. Let’s keep raising awareness of the significance of Juneteenth (https://bit.ly/37wqwcD).

13. At a time when so many small business owners are trying to survive, we can all help by supporting Black businesses online or in the local area (https://bit.ly/3fn8MDe).

14. Freedom should be recognized: Host a virtual Juneteenth event for your friends and local community to learn about the true history of the day.

15. Lend your voice to push for change: Silence does nothing to move us closer to equality. You can create petitions, join protests, hold events and conversations, or give your energy to local organizations. Just make sure to take action.

16, 17 & 18. People to follow: Rachel Elizabeth Cargle, Angela Davis and The Conscious Kid are bringing change and speaking up for Black Americans. Make sure you follow them to stay informed on the latest civil rights issues.

19. Know your rights and help fight for the rights of others. Without educating ourselves on our rights, we cannot ensure that all in this country are free (https://bit.ly/2N7xtYt).

Check out our COO Sheryl Sandberg and Austin Mayor Steve Adler's op-ed in the Austin American-Statesman on how Facebook and the City of Austin have been working closely to try to support local businesses that need it most, and to learn more about the resources available including our Facebook Business Resource Hub and Small Business Grants Program.

Friendly reminder that the applications for the Facebook Business Grant Program close tomorrow May 8th, to apply please visit: facebook.com/business/boost/grants

Opinion: Why we're working to help Austin's small businesses Monique Campanelli and her husband, Dante Dominick, have been brightening up Austin for more than a decade. Their Articulture Designs business specializes

Reminder: SMB Grant Applications for Austin/Travis County will close on Friday, May 8. Please help us to get the word out to local SMBs who qualify.

As you know, Austin small businesses are the heartbeat of our community. That is why we've announced a $2.5 million grant program for Austin/Travis County to help the communities where our employees live and work. Small businesses — and the people they hire and the products and services they provide — are the backbone of our local economy.

That’s true during the best of times, and even more so during these challenging times. That’s why we’re committed to supporting Austin small businesses that are a part of our communities. Applications are live in both English and Spanish: https://www.facebook.com/business/boost/grants?ref=alias

Facebook Small Business Grants Program Facebook is offering $100 million in cash grants and ad credits for up to 30,000 eligible small businesses. Learn more.

Thank you for tuning into our webinar this week, hosted by Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce. If you weren’t able to make it, you can view the webinar here: https://austinlgbtchamber.com/multimedia/

If your business has been impacted by COVID-19, you may be eligible to receive funding from our small business grants program. Applications close on May 8th, to learn more, access additional resources and sign up for updates, visit: facebook.com/grantsforbusiness

Thanks to our for helping to get the word out: Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Austin Area Chamber of Commerce, Austin Young Chamber, Austin Chamber of Commerce, The Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce, and the Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce.

Facebook Small Business Grants Program Facebook is offering $100 million in cash grants and ad credits for up to 30,000 eligible small businesses. Learn more.

Austin small businesses are the heartbeat of our community. That is why we've announced a $2.5 million grant program for Austin/Travis County to help the communities where our employees live and work. Small businesses — and the people they hire and the products and services they provide — are the backbone of our local economy.

That’s true during the best of times, and even more so during these challenging times. That’s why we’re committed to supporting Austin small businesses that are a part of our communities. Applications are now live in both English and Spanish, and will be open for two weeks.
https://www.facebook.com/business/boost/grants?ref=alias

Facebook Small Business Grants Program Facebook is offering $100 million in cash grants and ad credits for up to 30,000 eligible small businesses. Learn more.

We're all in this together and providing masks and gloves to the Austin Disaster Relief effort is just a small token of our appreciation to all of our local frontline healthcare workers doing extraordinary things in extraordinary times. THANK YOU!

This morning Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Movability honored Facebook Austin as one of the Best Workplaces for Commuters in the country for offering our employees exceptional commuter benefits. With over 50 percent of our employees using alternate means of transportation we are proud to be nationally recognized as one of the 2020 Best Workplaces for Commuters. We look forward to continuing to work with the City of Austin and our community partners to ensure we’re doing our part in helping ease traffic congestion in our growing city. Congratulations to all the awardees!

Yesterday on , over 1.1 million people on Facebook raised $120 million for causes they care about. What an amazing movement to make our world a better place!

As of today, our community has raised more than $2 billion for causes on Facebook! More than 45 million people have donated to causes that they care about - from local dog shelters to hospitals to food banks. Thanks to everyone who has had a made a difference in our world!

Facebook’s fundraising tools have raised over $2 billion, fast In the few years since Facebook introduced fundraising tools, people on the social network have raised $2 billion for charities.

Facebook Austin is thrilled to be neighbors with our city's iconic Shoal Creek. On Saturday, we spent the day cleaning the beautiful area!

Shoal Creek, Facebook, and the downtown ecology With the help of a vital conservancy, new businesses find a relationship to their environment that works for Austin

Earlier this week, Facebook Austin officially opened the doors to our newest office at 3rd & Shoal. We celebrated with government officials, press, and community partners at our grand opening ceremony and were welcomed into our new home by local leaders, like Mayor Steve Adler, Senator Kirk Watson, and Austin Community College President Dr. Richard Rhodes.

We also announced the creation of a $60,000 scholarship fund as part of our partnership with Austin Community College to develop a digital marketing curriculum to help create more small businesses in Austin.

We are so proud to be a part of this neighborhood!

Facebook expanding in Austin with second location The tech industry continues to grow in Austin. Facebook just opened its second office downtown.

Yesterday, Boost with Facebook hosted over 150 community leaders from local non-profits in Austin. We heard from incredible organizations, like Hops + Heroes Comics and Out Youth, about how they're using Facebook to create and amplify positive impact.

Big thank you to Boys & Girls Clubs of Austin for hosting us!

Earlier this summer, Facebook Austin was proud to host the Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas (DSACT) at our office. We had important discussions together about employment and online safety, and we made new friends along the way!

Last weekend, FB ATX participated in Austin's Pride Parade & Festival. While celebrating, we reflected on the progress for LGBTQIA+ equal rights that has been made and the progress that we need to continue making. We loved turning up the pride!

https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2019/08/15/business-of-pride-ompanies-of-all-stripes-line-up.html?iana=hpmvp_aus_news_headline

Why businesses flock to support the Austin Pride Parade - Austin Business Journal The Austin Pride Parade and Festival took over downtown Aug. 10. Among the hundreds of thousands of attendees were prominent companies such as Facebook, Google, Indeed and more.

It's important to ensure that AI-powered devices work well for everyone, regardless of the person's skin tone and other attributes. We're building out a framework that improves this technology and makes it more personal for each and every person. Read more about how we're creating AI that empowers everyone.

Building inclusive AI at Facebook

What's happened recently in the world of AI at Facebook? Here's a tech news roundup for the last month:

Tech news roundup - Facebook Code In this month's tech news roundup, we share some big news about our chief AI scientist and detail a new approach for multitask Bayesian optimization.

Being able to bring your whole self to work creates an inclusive environment, where people from all backgrounds can thrive and succeed. We are inspired by our female colleagues and how they bring their authentic self to work.

Here are their stories:

It's Her Self: Bringing Your Authentic Self to Work Through personal stories and moments of adversity, we were inspired by our female colleagues and how they learned to bring their authentic self to work.

During SXSW, we brought Austin artists together to paint a mural around the theme of community. If you're in town, check it out and use your phone to see it come to life through augmented reality.

https://www.engadget.com/2019/03/09/facebook-art-house-augmented-reality-mural-austin/

Facebook is using AR to bring a massive mural to life Facebook has a massive art mural at SXSW that comes to life with AR.

We were thrilled to be included in Built In ATX's Best Places to Work in 2019!

https://www.builtinaustin.com/companies/best-places-to-work-austin-2019

100 Best Places To Work In Austin 2019 | Built In Austin Built In Austin’s Best Places to Work in Austin list ranks the startups and tech companies with the best employee benefits and salary in 2019. Did your company make the list?

At Facebook Austin, we're proud of the work we're doing to build diversity and inclusion. Like Sharon C. said, "I think every company has a responsibility to make sure that their workforce is reflective of the user base that they support and also the world in which we live in."

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/facebook-austin-tackles-lack-of-diversity-in-tech-industry/269-033330f9-ba1a-41e6-9597-be48f62018a6

Facebook Austin tackles lack of diversity in tech industry As a whole, the tech companies may be booming but they struggle when it comes to diversity. Facebook in Austin is working to fix that.

Mefah J. is the co-Lead of our Black@FB ATX employee resource group. She recently sat down with the ABJ to discuss her experience at Facebook, our plans for Black History Month, and the most important piece of advice she's been given.

https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2019/02/08/how-facebook-employees-are-working-from-inside-to.html

How Facebook employees aid company's diversity efforts in Austin - Austin Business Journal Mefah Joyner is the co-lead of Facebook Austin's Black@Austin, an employee resource group with a mission to share the black experience in Austin. She recently sat down with Austin Business Journal to discuss the company's plans for Black History Month, and how Facebook empowers people of color durin...

"I’m thankful that I work for a company that genuinely cares about people, being a good neighbor, and giving back to local communities." - Marion M., Global Marketing Solutions

Marion joins 19 other tech leaders in Austin to share what he is grateful for: https://www.builtinaustin.com/2018/11/20/austin-tech-leaders-thanksgiving

Thanks, Austin: 20 tech leaders share what they’re grateful for 20 Austin tech leaders share what they are thankful for this holiday season.

FB ATX is thrilled to have Melissa Borrell's magnificent art installation in our office.

"The installation, which spans multiple walls, and took three months to build and install, was inspired by constellations, but is also all about people connecting through the internet and through Facebook. It’s also the largest permanent installation Borrell has ever done."

http://austin.culturemap.com/news/arts/01-03-18-melissa-borrell-canopy-installation-artist-austin/

The artful story behind the massive 3-D installation at Facebook's Austin headquarters Walking into Melissa Borrell’s studio at Canopy is like entering another world, one overflowing with vivid color and eye-catching 3-D interactive works born from paper, steel, and wood. Though born in ...

“Since I moved to the United States from Venezuela four years ago, it has been a personal mission of mine to be an ambassador for Latina women in tech, and to empower others to believe in their potential. Now, as one of the leads for the Latin@ Facebook resource group in Austin, I am passionate about raising awareness of Latino culture, and our rich identities and colors. There are some challenges in our community that tint the way we operate at work, like a lack of confidence in communicating our success to managers. It is my mission to create a space where we can support each other and bring the community closer together.

What makes me most proud of Latin@ATX is our ability to empower everyone to celebrate Latinidad and celebrate our culture. For example, we now have monthly standing meetings called ‘Cafecito’ where we openly discuss issues that affect our community, while enjoying some dulcitos 🍮🍰. During emotionally charged times, like the separation of families at the Texan border, Cafecito provides a safe space for Latin team members to share opinions and get support from each other. At the same time, the group has been a playground for me to innovate, influence and learn from everything Latino. As I look to grow as a leader in Facebook, the resource groups are the perfect platform to build social value in the Latino community and leadership skills for my career.” —Veronica W., Account Manager

Level Up was founded by a group of diverse employees at Facebook who cared deeply about the communities that raised them. Their “moment” was when they won a company-wide hackathon and had the opportunity to pitch an idea to members of Facebook’s executive team. What was initially an idea to voluntarily run educational workshops on Facebook advertising for Black and Latino business owners turned into a program and set of products focused on helping minority business grow on our platform. This is . This is the .

“As a person of color, there's an extra layer of self-doubt that typically clouds my mind. I'm extra aware of how I look, how I act, and how I present myself. Many other employees of color share these similar thoughts, so it’s important there are spaces for us to feel comfortable being ourselves. During my on-boarding process, the Black@Facebook resource group played an instrumental role in influencing my well-being in Austin and my overall comfort as a black-identifying employee. My connections with fellow black team members grew deeper when we all realized that we were in it to win it, and each one of us was going to help each other get there. I immediately knew that I wanted to devote extra time and effort to uplift this family as it continued to grow. When the opportunity to lead the organization came, it naturally felt like the right fit.

Within Black@ATX, I plan initiatives that connect Facebook’s black community with the external black community in Austin. I also try to influence initiatives that bring more black people into the pipeline. We realize that many Black@ members have more than one identity, so my co-lead and I have made it a goal to devote 50% of our planning to events that intersect with the other Facebook resource groups like Pride@ATX, and Women@ATX.

Black@ATX also prides itself in being a family with strong ties across other offices. We've started a series called ‘Family Time’ where senior black leaders within Facebook visit Austin and spend time with us. We have a lot to learn from others who have paved the way before us, and these sessions help strengthen the bonds we all have with one another, regardless of seniority.” —Mefah J., Account Manager

Just yesterday on , people on Facebook raised more than $125 million for causes they care about. Thanks everyone for giving back!

ICYMI - Facebook Marketplace just turned 2! Did you know we use AI to power it?

Whether someone is discovering an item to buy, listing a product to sell, or communicating with a buyer or seller, AI is behind the scenes making the experience better. Find out how in our blog.

https://code.fb.com/ml-applications/under-the-hood-facebook-marketplace-powered-by-artificial-intelligence/

Facebook Marketplace, powered by AI - Facebook Code On Facebook Marketplace's second anniversary, we are sharing how we use AI to power it and new features that make it simpler for buyers and sellers.