Choir, a three-year-old firm promoting diversity in the financial services industry through a conference certification service, will close effective Dec. 31.
The startup's two founders announced the move on Choir's website this week, citing lower industry demand for diversity, equity and inclusion programs, as well as their reduced availability to devote themselves to the business.
"In what comes as no surprise to anyone involved with DEI initiatives, Choir has seen a significant drop in industry demand for diversity initiatives in the past two years. Specifically, there has been less interest in allocating dollars toward DEI initiatives, particularly regarding racial diversity efforts," co-founders Sonya Dreizler and Liv Gagnon wrote in an open letter.
"Choir’s journey began in 2021 with one big question: What would the financial industry look like if the people we listened to represented all of the world we walk around in, instead of just those already at the top?" they said, announcing that they're closing Choir and its conference certification services and paid Voices platform, which connects conference planners and reporters to financial professionals from underrepresented groups.
