Tech Startups Pledge to Give U.S. Employees Election Day Off
- CEOs behind the initiative have been vocally anti-Trump
- ‘Given the stark choices, people are activating themselves’
More than 70 technology startups and venture capital firms, including Spotify Ltd., SurveyMonkey.com LLC and August Capital, say they’ll give U.S. employees time off -- the whole day if necessary -- to vote in the presidential election. The initiative is being driven by tech executives who have been outspoken critics of Donald Trump, including some who say electing the Republican nominee would slow innovation and damage the economy.
Hunter Walk, a partner at venture capital firm Homebrew, said he started the project as a nonpartisan way to encourage participation in an important election. “I want the tech industry to be literate as citizens,” said Walk, who was among more than 100 tech professionals who signed an open letter this month opposing Trump’s bid for presidency.