Dec. 18, 2020
Dear SEC, Please adopt SR-NASDAQ-2020-081 to advance board diversity and enhance the transparency of diversity statistics through new proposed listing requirements. I am relying on returns from my portfolio of investments in publicly traded companies to retire. A study found that every incremental percentage point in African American and Hispanic representation is linked with a 3% point increase in revenues. This could generate an additional $300 - $370 billion each year if the racial/ethnic diversity of tech companies’ workforces reflected that of the talent pool. The study also found that closing the gap in female leadership representation could boost enterprise value by $320-$390 billion across the sector. Research also shows that improving diversity could add 1.2-1.6% to the national GDP. Change comes from the very top. Because almost every company is evolving into a tech company, SR-NASDAQ-2020-081 just makes good financial sense. There should be absolutely no hesitation about adopting SR-NASDAQ-2020-081 to advance board diversity and enhance the transparency of diversity statistics through new proposed listing requirements. Sincerely, Johanna Brickman Portland, Oregon