Scarcity Mentality Workshop

Scarcity mentality is defined by Studio ATAO as the idea that “everyone exists within a spectrum of competition.” This event was originally intended in the context of the Asian American experience. YAPI, our Yelp Asian and Pacific Islanders employee resource group (ERG), partnered with BlackBurst, ColorCoded, and SomosYelp to bring this conversation to light for other historically excluded communities. 

Scarcity mindset assumes there are finite resources, and that every resource obtained by one person or group comes at the expense of another. At Yelp, we believe it’s crucial to learn about this from the perspective of allyship and solidarity. We partnered with Studio ATAO and founder Jenny Dorsey on a virtual presentation and small group discussion examining the root causes of scarcity mentality and its effects on Black and Latinx communities as well. 

Hear from a couple of our YERG leaders on the impact this event had: 

“YAPI has been an official YERG for almost three years now, and we’ve been trying to find ways to go beyond starting a conversation. Having a presentation and discussion about scarcity mentality was a topic chosen by a collective of ERG leaders and was chosen so we could identify and relate to how communities of color are affected by scarcity mentality. Not only did we learn, but we were also able to reflect and connect across different backgrounds in the workplace, which we hope helps Yelpers feel seen and understood in their own authenticity, even at work. It was, and is, our hope that in feeling seen and understood through more events like these during the workday, Yelpers can celebrate, uplift, and stand with one another and open up a more inclusive and equity-driven mindset.” – Nadine F. 

“For many of us, generations of scarcity mindset have come to shape our decisions around time, money, and resources. It’s no surprise that this topic resonated with so many of our ERG leaders and all who attended the scarcity mentality workshop we hosted with Jenny Dorsey. Through Jenny’s presentation and the discussions that followed, we learned to contextualize how scarcity mentality manifests itself across different marginalized communities. It’s important for us to hold these spaces where we can share and commiserate with our work peers, and I feel fortunate that Yelp grants us ways to self-actualize through these events.” – Morlene C.