Ifeoma Ozoma, California's Silenced No More Act and the Value of Disclosing and Disparaging Toxic Tech Companies

Leigh Giangreco
Leigh Giangreco is a reporter covering culture, politics and news. Her work has appeared in outlets including The Washington Post, Politico and Washington City Paper.
Ifeoma Ozoma

Ifeoma Ozoma's first choice was not speaking out.

When she left her role as public policy manager at Pinterest in March 2020, she was presented with a non-disclosure agreement.

"I was pushed out of the company and presented with a non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreement," she told dot.LA, "and that was my only option for retaining health insurance and compensation right at the beginning of the pandemic."


But Ozoma would break that NDA a few months later, alleging that she and her Black coworkers faced racism and wage discrimination at the social media company. Her fight led her to team up with California State Senator Connie Leyva, who helped draft the Silenced No More Act, a bill that would prevent the use of NDAs in workplace situations involving any form of discrimination and harassment.

The Silenced No More Act is actually an expansion on another law drafted by Levya, the Stand Together Against Non-Disclosures (STAND) Act, which specifically addressed sex-based discrimination. The legislation passed from the Assembly Judiciary Committee in June and is now headed to the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee for consideration.

dot.LA spoke with Ozoma about her work on the bill and the broader battle for tech workers' rights.

dot.LA: To start, can you explain what you did as one of Pinterest's public policy managers?

Ifeoma Ozoma: I led both our U.S. policy and the engagement with external experts at organizations like the WHO (World Health Organization), and I led a lot of the content safety development that came from those engagements with experts. All of the vaccine work that Pinterest was in the news for was my work. Pinterest was the first social platform to take definitive action against anti-vaccination content and groups.

And can you talk more about the discrimination you faced?

Leveling is used as a way to bring in women, particularly women of color, into roles where we're doing the same as, in my case, a white man who is being paid several times more than me. So leveling is what the company used to underpay me from the time I started. At tech companies, it means that women—and in my case, Black women—were brought in pre-IPO— because I was the second person on the public policy team—and given not even a fraction in shares of what my white male colleague was granted, making him a millionaire when the company IPO-ed and meaning I got next to nothing.

You've spoken out about this disparity publicly in the media and on Twitter. Have you faced retaliation from Pinterest?

Well, part of it is when I decided to go public, I knew that they could and they still can sue me because I'm still in violation of the contract that I signed. So, it's what all whistleblowers do: take a risk. That's what I've done and what I'm continuing to do is talk about it. At this point they probably feel like it's not worth a legal fight because if it went to a jury trial with the interviews I've done already, I don't think it would look so good for them in a jury. The only reason why I haven't been sued bankrupt is because they haven't decided to.

Despite the NDA, you came forward with another colleague. You both believed you would be covered by another California law that protects workers who have been discriminated against or harassed because of their gender. Why didn't that law protect you?

I can speak for myself. The law, CCP 1001, which came from the STAND Act, covered sex-based discrimination, harassment and assault. I had filed both internally and with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, race and gender discrimination and retaliation complaints going back over a year and so I was covered on the sex discrimination and retaliation. I was not covered on the race claims and there's no way to disentangle the two because the two are who I am.

And that's why I'm co-sponsoring the bill now that would fix that original law and expand it to cover all forms of discrimination and harassment recognized by the state of California, because no one should be treated differently based on what their identity is.

How did you connect with Senator Connie Leyva on the Silenced No More Act?

My attorney knew that I had worked specifically on engagement with state legislatures while I was at Pinterest, so he and I spoke about what it would look like to expand [the STAND Act]. There had been talk in 2020 about doing it but anything that wasn't COVID-related was pushed from the legislative calendar, and so for this year there was a conversation about bringing it back up again. So he connected me with the California Employment Lawyers Association, Equal Rights Advocates, and then we all connected with Senator Leyva's office. The group, along with Senator Leyva's office, have been working nonstop since [the bill] was introduced in February.

Who stands in opposition to the bill?

The [California] Chamber of Commerce and all of who they represent. Only one company has spoken out in opposition to the chamber to support the bill and that's Pinterest, funny enough, because they thought they could get some news coverage on the same day that my op-ed was published in the New York Times.

The bill sounds like a good deal for workers, but what about the shareholders? Doesn't an NDA protect valuable intellectual property?

Yeah, and this bill does nothing to touch that. Confidential IP has nothing to do with discrimination and harassment, unless you're saying that's a business secret, and I don't think any company lawyer would argue that publicly. So it's absolutely irrelevant and actually, shareholders — the smart ones — are already in support of whistleblower protections, because an NDA and a non-disparagement agreement that keep racism that was perpetuated by Ben, Charlie and their deputies secret — is that really helping Pinterest shareholders?

Even the Chamber dropped that argument, now they're just saying it's going to be difficult for employers, which is what they say about everything — including paying people. Slavery, I'm sure, was easier. This is not difficult for anyone except for those who are intent on not only getting away with discrimination, harassment and abuse but keeping it secret. Again, this bill doesn't have a punishment; if transparency is a punishment, you have to ask yourself what you're trying to keep secret.

If this gets passed in California, what's the impact for other states and potentially policy at the federal level?

There are other states that have substantive laws already on NDAs, all of them came up after #MeToo. None of them to my knowledge deal with non-disparagement agreements. Both are important to address, because the clauses in the non-disparagement agreements are so broad. That's not a decision that any individual should be making on their own, so I'm hoping that the bill as it's written influences future bills that are drafted in other states.

At the federal level, next to nothing is getting through Congress right now. If we can't pass voting protections for people, NDA protections I think would be a bit difficult. I'm not holding my breath on federal legislation for now. I'm focused instead on some of the efforts in other jurisdictions like in Ireland where most tech companies are headquartered internationally. I'm working with a senator there who introduced a bill last month that would address NDAs and secret settlements. Additionally, I'm working on a plan to engage shareholders on this policy work.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

🌴🧑‍💻 Your Guide to LA Tech Week 2024

🔦 Spotlight

Happy Friday Los Angeles,

As many of you know, LA Tech Week is right around the corner, kicking off next Monday October 14th bringing together founders, creatives, investors, and engineers for a week of immersive events, panels, and socials across the city. From blockchain and AI to biotech and design, LA Tech Week is a chance to dive into the ideas shaping today’s technology landscape.


What to Look Forward To

Insights from Visionary Leaders: Hear firsthand from industry trailblazers as they share stories, challenges, and key lessons from their experiences. Expect fresh perspectives on AI, venture capital, biotech, and the ethical questions around emerging technologies.

Interactive Panels: This week isn’t about watching from the sidelines; it’s about engaging directly with the tech community. Participate in hands-on panels discussing everything from startup scaling to ethical AI, with honest insights from those actively shaping these fields.

Networking Mixers & Social Events: Meet and connect with founders, VCs, developers, designers, and fellow techies across LA. Rooftop mixers, lunch meetups, and creative gatherings offer the perfect chance to spark ideas and collaborate.

Plan your week with the daily lineup, organized by location for easy navigation:

For updates or more event information, visit the official Tech Week calendar.

Enjoy LA Tech Week 2024!


🤝 Venture Deals

LA Companies

  • Clout Kitchen, a Los Angeles and Manila based startup, has raised $4.45M in seed funding, co-led by a16z SPEEDRUN and Peak XV’s Surge, to develop AI-powered digital twins, which enables gaming creators to produce realistic virtual avatars for content and fan engagement. - learn more
  • MeWe, a privacy-focused social media platform, has raised an initial $6M in Series B funding led by McCourt Global to support Web3 integration and expand its decentralized network for 20 millions users. - learn more

    LA Venture Funds
    • EGB Capital participated in a $10M Series A funding round for MiLaboratories, which develops software that enables biologists to independently analyze complex genomic data, accelerating research and discovery in fields like drug development. - learn more
    • Crosscut Ventures participated in the $13.75M seed round for Airloom Energy, a company focused on developing airborne wind energy technology to harness high-altitude winds, with plans to accelerate a pilot project in Wyoming. - learn more
    • Overture VC participated in a $5.5M Seed funding round for Molg Inc., a company developing robotics and software for circular manufacturing, designed to disassemble electronics efficiently and recover valuable materials to reduce e-waste and support sustainable production. - learn more


      LA Exits

      • Options MD, a Los Angeles based telemedicine platform that provides care for people suffering from severe and treatment-resistant mental illness, is set to be acquired by Resilience Lab, an AI-driven provider focused on enhancing mental health care access. - learn more

      Download the dot.LA App

      LA Tech Week 2024: Saturday-Sunday Event Lineup
      tech-week

      Here’s what’s happening during the closing weekend (Oct 19 - Oct 20) of LA Tech Week 2024! Events are organized by location so you can easily catch the sessions that interest you most.

      SATURDAY EVENTS

      BEVERLY HILLS

      12:00 PM

      • BIG Showcase (Invite Only):

      BIG Showcase (Invite Only)

      2:00 PM

      Light Dao

      Struck Capital, Seahorse Express

      EAGLE ROCK

      12:00 PM

      Sunrise Integration, Shopify

      EL SEGUNDO

      9:00 PM

      Administratum, Valar Atomics

      HOLLYWOOD

      10:00 AM

      Passes

      MALIBU

      6:00 PM

      • Malibu Beachfront Investors Networking & Wine Tasting:See Details

      Gaya Ventures

      MARINA DEL RAY

      6:00 PM

      • Awaken Your Spirit: A Journey of Transformation (Invite Only)

      Sagos Distro, Alma Wellness

      SANTA MONICA

      7:00 AM

      Founders Running Club

      8:30 AM

      Techstars

      9:00 AM

      Magic Mind

      StartupStarter, Inc., City of Santa Monica

      10:00 AM

      Gen She

      AI LA

      Crea, Barry's, Unsubscribe

      10:30 AM

      Plantologist

      11:30 AM

      • Pickleball Palooza (Invite Only)

      YouTube

      1:00 PM

      • Realfren Games: From strangers to an inner Realfren within 52 weekends: See Details

      Office for Humanity and Circuit Works

      • Talking blockchain technology with special guests: See Details

      LadyDayDao

      5:00 PM

      KARD, What's Plots

      THE VALLEY

      7:00 AM

      Camino5

      VENICE

      9:00 AM

      Westside Yogis

      11:00 AM

      Open App

      1:00 PM

      Ripe and Teddy's Hot House

      4:00 PM

      • Fashion Forward: How AI is Redefining the Fashion Industry: See Details

      VIAVIA, BNTO.RENT, ALMA.AI

      VIRTUAL

      11:00 AM

      BLCK UNICRN

      WEST HOLLYWOOD

      7:00 PM

      Next Sequence

      SUNDAY EVENTS

      INGLEWOOD

      12:00 PM

      Entrepreneur Ventures, VCPE GROUPS

      PLAYA DEL RAY

      2:00 PM

      AI LA, DELL, NVIDIA

      SANTA MONICA

      10:00 AM

      • Women Founders, Cold Brew & Beach View, Rooftop: See Details

      Clutch Talent

      11:00 AM

      11DollarSunglasses.com, Less Litter Foundation

      12:00 PM

      Data in LA, Amplitude

      12:30 AM

      New Moon, Warner UK Innovations

      TOPANGA CANYON

      3:00 PM

      Dreamore

      VENICE

      8:00 AM

      • Surf session with founders, investors, creators: See Details

      Surfed Club, Bow Shock

      12:00 PM

      • Podcast Panel and Brunch: LA Tech Community Builders: See Details

      WeAreLATech.com, Blankspaces.com

      VIRTUAL

      2:00 PM

      BLCK UNICRN


      For updates or more event information, visit the official Tech Week calendar.

      Enjoy LA Tech Week 2024!


      Download the dot.LA App

      LA Tech Week 2024: Friday’s Event Lineup
      tech-week

      Check out Friday, October 18th's schedule for LA Tech Week 2024! Events are sorted by location so you can easily find what matches your goals for the day.

      BEVERLY HILLS

      8:00 AM

      Scrappy

      BRENTWOOD

      7:30 AM

      Seaside Ventures

      CULVER CITY

      9:00 AM

      Intersections LA

      1:30 PM

      • Showcasing Bioscience Innovation in LA County (Invite Only)

      BioscienceLA, County o LA, Larta Institute, LAEDC

      5:00 PM

      Grid110

      6:00 PM

      ACT House, Sip & Sonder

      EL SEGUNDO

      7:00 PM

      Dirac, Inc.

      INGLEWOOD

      10:00 AM

      Zoo Corporation, Embedded Ventures

      12:00 PM

      • Tech & The Built Environment Series: LA28 Roundtable & SoFi Stadium Tour: See Details Here

      Blended Impact

      MARINA DEL REY

      9:00 AM

      USC ISI

      PACIFIC PALISADES

      4:00 PM

      Silicon Valley Bank, Emmeline Ventures

      PLAYA DEL REY

      8:00 AM

      AI LA

      5:30 PM

      AI LA

      PLAYA VISTA

      12:00 PM

      • Women In Gaming Lunch at Google (Invite Only)

      Google

      4:00 PM

      Verizon, Infinity Festival

      SANTA MONICA

      11:00 AM

      SVRN Ventures

      Headline, Slow Ventures, Karat

      2:00 PM

      Glyf

      Botanical, Panoptic

      The American South Asian Network (ASAN)

      4:00 PM

      • Pizza, Wine, & Connectivity: Celebrating the Nomadic App Revolution:See Details Here

      Synadia

      The American South Asian Network (ASAN)

      Dory Consulting

      • Women in Tech: Beachfront Rooftop at Sunset - Wine-up & Unwind: See Details Here

      Clutch Talent

      Cohere Commerce

      5:00 PM

      Clutch Talent

      Pirros

      6:00 PM

      • Unlocking Capital with Angels & Advisors | No Pressure Networking + Panel:See Details Here

      No Pressure Networking

      Tech Pitch Roast Comedy LLC

      6:15 PM

      • Navigating Intersections: Empowering Leaders in Challenging Times: See Details Here

      Intersectional Ventures

      7:00 PM

      Mantis VC, Lightspeed Venture Partners

      Medusa Ai, Marco Di Luca Event Design

      SOUTH LA

      9:00 AM

      USC Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Cap Table Coalition, PledgeLA, Sisters with Ventures

      UCLA

      1:30 PM

      CrownData.AI

      2:00 PM

      Taisu Ventures, Quotient Ventures

      VENICE

      7:30 AM

      Run Tech Club

      9:00 AM

      Google

      12:00 PM

      Ripe and Teddy's Hot House

      5:30 PM

      Spire Circles

      7:00 PM

      Moss Venice, Yuzulabs, JPMorgan Chase

      8:00 PM

      Truffle

      VIRTUAL

      2:00 PM

      BLCK UNICRN

      WEST HOLLYWOOD

      7:30 PM

      Legendary Ventures, Day Dream Ventures

      WESTSIDE

      9:30 AM

      A16Z GAMES

      7:00 PM

      • Female Funders & Founders (Invite Only)

      L'ATTITUDE Ventures

      WESTWOOD

      9:00 AM

      Fedtech, National Security Innovation Network (NSIN)


      For updates or more event information, visit the official Tech Week calendar.

      Enjoy LA Tech Week 2024!

      Download the dot.LA App

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