30+ Ways Companies Are Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month 2021
Founded in 1989, Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15 and ends October 15. The four-week span over two calendar months may seem a bit odd, but it comes with good reason, as it covers independence anniversaries of several Latin American countries, as well as key celebrations in Hispanic and Latin communities. Apart from commemorating major holidays and historic milestones, this month honors the cultures and contributions of Hispanic and Latinx Americans.
We asked some of our partner companies what they're doing to honor and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at work this year, and we were inspired by the wide range of responses, from highlighting the impact that employees have in local communities to hosting fireside conversations on allyship to sharing performances and instruction of famous cultural dances. Not only are these companies honoring Hispanic Heritage Month, they're finding ways to spread positive change throughout the year. Here's what they're doing, in their own words:
Raytheon Technologies — provide career development opportunities
"Raytheon Technologies is celebrating Hispanic Heritage month with a variety of engagement opportunities. For example, our Employee Resource Group members are creating a series of video stories highlighting the impact that our employees have in giving back to our communities; the impact they have in developing technologies that keep our warfighters safe; and the impact they have by being authentic and engaged. Additionally, we are partnering with LatinaVida to provide employees access to their Rise to the Top Program, a career development opportunity which provides a workshop with guest speakers and reflective practices around key career success factors for advancement."
Learn more about Raytheon Technologies here.
Sun Life — host a panel addressing the impact of the pandemic
"In honor of Hispanic Heritage Awareness Month, Sun Life's Hispanic Organization for Leaders & Achievers (HOLA) will be hosting a number of activities to honor and celebrate Hispanic culture, while also addressing the negative impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on children. Guest speakers include Teri Worthington Coombs from UNICEF, comedian Martha Chavez, and motivational speaker, "The Cuban Guy" Andres Lara.
HOLA provides an enriching environment for members to develop, serve and support the Hispanic/Latino community while aiming to help cultivate an inclusive work environment that allows our members professional growth opportunities in order to reach their highest potential."
Learn more about Sun Life here.
Freddie Mac — Make a positive impact
"At Freddie Mac, we're building on our commitment to DEI by making an impact with our Hispanic Organization for Leadership and Achievement Business Resource Group (HOLA BRG) in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. The BRG will commemorate the occasion with virtual events and speakers, including:
- A keynote address about the impact of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) on Hispanic and Latino communities featuring HSF President, Fidel Vargas.
- Fireside chat with National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals board member, Nuria Rivera, who will share her story of the positive cultural impacts that have driven her success."
Learn more about Freddie Mac here.
Riot Games — create authentic representation with notable voice actors
"To celebrate Latinx Heritage Month Riot Unidos, our Latinx ERG, will host a fireside chat with the voice actors for some of Riot's most notable Latinx characters to talk about creating authentic representations, what it's like to be a voice actor and some of their favorite moments from the recording session. The team is also hosting a cooking class in partnership with FAR, our Filipino ERG, to make a Latinx/Filipino fusion dish in honor of both cultural heritage months. Throughout the month, we will also be highlighting the incredible people that work in our Latin American office."
Learn more about Riot Games here.
2U — host bilingual book reading for children and families
"2U's Latino/a/x business resource network,TuGente, is ecstatic to celebrate their second annual Hispanic Heritage Month at 2U, Inc. Our theme for this year is "Juntos," which means "Together." Coming out of 2020, we want to celebrate our culture, our traditions, our language, and show everyone how we overcame every obstacle together. TuGente will be hosting a Fireside Chat with a notable Latinx Leader in Higher Education, dance lessons, a bilingual book reading for children and families, and much more! 2U has cultivated an environment for all Business Resource Networks to thrive and we are honored to host an array of events this year!"
Learn more about 2u here.
MongoDB– create a Slack channel with daily Latinx heritage facts
"MongoDB is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month through initiatives that raise awareness, foster education and build community. This includes an educational session featuring an employee panel on the Latinx experience in the Tech industry, external-facing content highlighting the experiences of our Latinx employees, a global Slack channel with daily Latinx heritage facts for all employees, and a music and reading playlist curated by members of TUPOC, MongoDB's affinity group for people of color."
Learn more about MongoDB here.
BlackRock — start a matching program for Latinx nonprofits
"Awareness
We're creating an internal hub to provide a centralized system to continue raising awareness and educating allies on key facts about the Latinx population. We will also be launching 2:1 matching programs for nonprofits that support the Latinx community: La Casa del las Madres, Qualitas of Life, UnLocal, Galeo and United We Dream.
Growth
We will host moderated fireside chats with Latinx leaders who have broken barriers in their industries and have achieved success to inspire employees to persevere against odds and continue to be innovators and change-makers.
Learning
The newsletter will also highlight resources available to members to learn more about changes impacting our community and the organization's diversity, equity and inclusion efforts."
Learn more about BlackRock here.
SoundCloud — highlight artists and music that are having a major impact in Latin culture
"SoundCloud's mission is to give people the power to share and connect through music, no matter their identity. During Latinx Month, SoundCloud will bring to the forefront the Latinx music community of creators & listeners - highlighting artists and scenes that are having a major impact in Latin culture. This includes spotlighting música pa' bailar, contemporary fusion twists on traditional sounds, bars en español, and música pa' relajarse. Our Clouds of Color Diversity Business Group will also create virtual and in-person moments of engagement, from digital trivia and Latinx dance lessons to spotlighting Latinx SoundClouders and Creator journeys.
Our Clouds of Color Diversity Business Group (DRG) is made up of racially diverse SoundClouders and allies. Check out this picture of some members meeting up outdoors over a meal after many months of working remote."
Learn more about SoundCloud here.
Relativity — share the Latino American experience as it relates to family, upbringing, and language
"Relativity Community Resource Group (CRG), Relativity Latinos in Tech (Rel-L.I.T.), is excited to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month a little early by partnering with our mental health CRG, Rel-Mind, to host a safe space chat in September that will touch on feelings surrounding immigration. We recognize this is a sensitive topic, but also know that it is our responsibility as a Community Resource Group to initiate these conversations and create a space for them! In addition, we will be hosting a Culture Collective talk on Tuesday, September 21, where participants will share their stories on the Latino American experience as it relates to family, upbringing, and language. To close, on Monday, October 14, we will be partnering with SHPE to lead a workshop related to career acumen, and we will also be part of a "Lifting LatinX Voices at Work" Virtual Job Fair with PowerToFly on Wednesday, October 22."
– Lourdes Akande – Manager, Deal Desk
Learn more about Relativity here.
ServiceNow — host talks focused on themes of allyship and intersectionality
"To honor Hispanic Heritage Month, ServiceNow is partnering closely with our Latinx at Now Belonging Group to develop programming that will inspire, educate, and engage employees globally. We will have a series of events focused on themes of allyship and intersectionality, which will feature special guest speakers, ServiceNow leaders, and employees in discussion and interactive dialogue. Additionally, employees are encouraged to volunteer with Latinx nonprofits in tandem with our Month of Service."
Learn more about ServiceNow here.
Moody’s — create celebratory Zoom backgrounds in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month
"Moody's conectaMos (one of our Business Resource Groups) and our DE&I team are sponsoring events focusing on personal brand, climbing the executive ladder, increasing positive Latinx representation in the media, and speed networking. Moody's will also showcase employee profiles, Hispanic cultural traditions, recipes, and recommended cultural book and music lists curated by our employees. We will also share a series of intranet and social media posts and provide our employees with celebratory Zoom backgrounds in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month."
Learn more about Moody's here.
Uber — hold a career development workshop on unlocking your strengths as Latinx professionals
"Los Ubers will kick off Hispanic Heritage Month 2021 with Dr. Robert Rodriguez who will host a session on unlocking and owning our strengths as Latinx professionals. Other development opportunities include Cafecito, a series of networking events to foster connections with the many talented employees at Uber. We look forward to celebrating with our community and allies with many cultural, creative, and fun events including a live cooking class with Chef Peter Martinez!"
Learn more about Uber here.
Pacific Western Bank — donate to Latinx nonprofit organizations
"At Pacific Western Bank, the PRISM Council, an internal advisory group of colleagues from across the country, will roll out a lineup of initiatives in celebration of Hispanic/Latinx Heritage month, which include:
- Employee led panel (an employee led panel of emerging and established Hispanic/Latinx leaders across PWB)
- Hispanic/Latinx trailblazers (a curated list of Hispanic/Latinx Americans whose influence has touched everything from pop culture to politics)
- Spotlight Series (highlighting our Hispanic/Latinx clients that bank with PWB)
- PRISM Giving Back (the members of PRISM will be donating to a nonprofit organization in honor of Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month)"
Learn more about PacWest here.
AAA — create a family tree with photos of inspirational figures
"AAA NCNU and the Unidos BRG in celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month:
At AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah, we are proud to celebrate our diverse and inclusive community by highlighting important events. This month, we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15 in partnership with our Unidos Business Resource Group. During this time, Unidos will host a variety of games, activities and events for all Team Members.
- A keynote speaker who exemplifies the journey of an immigrant into a successful business leader within the Latinx community.
- Highlighting two Unidos Team Members as part of the organization's AAA Proud series that showcases Team Members who are going above and beyond.
- An opportunity for Team Members to learn about the importance of Hispanic Heritage Month by earning points for simple tasks. The Team Member with the most points at the end of the month will be awarded a $50 gift card to donate to their favorite charitable cause.
- Let's celebrate FAMILIA. Everyone is invited to post a photo to the "Family" tree. Share a picture of a relative/anyone who has inspired you, and include a short paragraph as to who they are and why they are special.
- Team Members are encouraged to join a series of career development in partnership with Latina Vida. These seminars are designed to help take your career to the next level."
Learn more about AAA here.
Expedia Group — host a virtual panel on “Powering the Future of Travel as a Latina in Tech”
"This year for Hispanic Heritage Month, Expedia Group will be highlighting programs and stories that can inspire Expedians to follow in their footsteps for a brighter tomorrow. With the theme of "Esperanza: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage and Hope," we will be featuring the work our employees do in their communities, work that the company has done to improve the Latinx travel experience, and are partnering with Latinas in Tech to host a virtual panel featuring our leaders on "Powering the Future of Travel as a Latina in Tech."
Learn more about Expedia Group here.
Bristol Myers Squibb — hold a movie screening
"This year, the Organization for Latino Achievement (OLA) at BMS focuses on showcasing Hispanic leadership and building a culture of allyship.
OLA will kick out the month with a keynote focused on Latino talent and corporate inclusion and close with a fireside conversation on allyship and sponsorship. Through the month, we will be showcasing Latinx/Hispanic leadership in a panel with BMS's Latino executives and a screening of "In the Heights." In addition, we will further model allyship with two intersectional events: a presentation of BMS's work to address health disparities and a conversation on belonging with BMS's PRIDE Alliance."
Learn more about Bristol Myers Squibb here.
Veracode — host live cooking class on the many shapes empanadas, turnovers, and pastelitos can take in Hispanic culture
"Veracode is honored to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and promote the history, culture, and contributions of Hispanic-Americans. We have planned a jam-packed month of events including a session with Jennifer De Leon, author of Where are you from? Where are you from-from? Where are you really from? - Jennifer will provide crucial insight into the complex intersection of race, class, and educational issues, dispelling myths and showcasing the diversity of our shared community's experiences. We will also have a trivia, a "Pastelitos for All" live cooking class — on the many shapes empanadas, turnovers, and pastelitos can take in Hispanic culture — and lastly a lunch and learn session on Salsa Dancing. We are thankful to our D&I Team for contributing their ideas and planning these events celebrating our Hispanic Heritage!"
Learn more about Veracode here.
NSA — host a themed poetry contest
"The National Security Agency's Hispanic Latino Employee Resource Group takes the theme of this year's Hispanic Heritage Month of hope, or esperanza, to heart. The ERG hosts a poetry contest where employees submit an original poem connected to the theme of hope. NSA leaders will share personal stories on how hope has driven their lives and their careers during a panel discussion for the workforce. On a lighter note, a Hispanic Heritage Trivia Contest will uncover which agency employees have the best intel on Hispanic and Latin food, sports and more."
Learn more about NSA here.
PagerDuty — host Hispanic Heritage trivia with prizes like gift cards to Latinx owned businesses
"Our ERG Array is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with the theme We're Here: Estamos Unidos. Array is a community of Black and Latinx employees at PagerDuty. Some ways we are celebrating include: hosting company wide activities such as trivia, that highlight our Hispanic Heritage and end with prizes like gift cards to Latinx owned businesses. We are also spotlighting our Latinx Dutonians with a virtual Yearbook throughout the month, and sending out swag boxes full of self-care items from Latinx owned businesses to our ERG members. Another event being hosted is called Spill The Tea, which is formatted as an ask me anything conversation with one of our Board members who is a fellow Latinx! At PagerDuty, I really love that we walk the walk when it comes to one of our company values #BringYourself, and that we are committed to diversity and inclusion! I am so proud of being a Latinx Dutonian!"
– Diego Chavira Chow, Administrative Assistant, Engineering & Product.
Learn more about PagerDuty here.
Kensho — provide snackboxes that feature Latinx-owned businesses
"Kensho facilitates an environment of inclusion and continuous learning, and for National Hispanic Heritage Month we're excited to combine the two in a team-building event during our annual All-Hands employee conference. We'll expand our knowledge of Hispanic culture and history with a fun, fast-paced educational trivia competition.
Kenshins will stay fueled with snackboxes that feature Latinx-owned businesses. Each snackbox purchased also makes a contribution to Techqueria—a nonprofit serving Latinx professionals in tech—and donates a meal to Feeding America.
We hope to expand our knowledge and encourage our people to consider the individual impact their decisions can make."
Learn more about Kensho here.
Capco — offer performances and instruction of famous dances
"Capco's Latinx affinity group will be hosting a series of educational and social events to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Our lineup of events includes a panel discussion on Afro-Latino culture and identity featuring professors from two leading universities as well as a profound author, a Hispanic dance showcase featuring performances and instruction of famous dances, salsa and bachata, plus other opportunities for colleagues to come together to network and learn. Hispanic Heritage Month creates a special opportunity to spread awareness on Hispanic identity, discuss persisting issues within the community, and share the variety and richness of Hispanic culture across the firm."
Learn more about Capco here.
Okta — host a Mezcal & Tequila cocktail class
"POC@Okta Presents: Leading Authentically, A Fireside Chat. This discussion will focus on how to lead authentically, demonstrate whole self leadership, and inspire a values-based approach, specifically through the lens of LatinX leaders.
Airbnb Experience: Mezcal & Tequila Cocktail Class: During this class, we will embark on a Mexican spirits creation journey where we will learn about mezcal, tequila, and other flavors that are culturally significant while concocting cocktails (or mocktails)!
Daily Latinx Community Facts Updates: The LatinX Heritage Month Committee will be sharing daily facts companywide on Slack to facilitate learning about unsung heroes in the LatinX community."
Learn more about Okta here.
Autodesk — participate in external networking events
"The Autodesk LatinX Network is celebrating the Hispanic Heritage Month around the theme of Resilience. We will be hosting a series of virtual events with spotlights on our global site leads and ERG sponsors, weekly posts on our community channels to share the cultural traditions of our network members, a professional development workshop, external networking events, and to wrap up, a fun empanadas virtual cooking class!"
Learn more about Autodesk here.
Nestle USA — play Mexican loterĂa (Bingo)
"The NestlĂ© Latino Network (NLN) is one of NestlĂ© USA's culture-based employee resource groups. Throughout this year's National Hispanic Heritage Month, NLN will celebrate the Latinx and Hispanic culture by hosting 14 unique events from September 15th through October 15th. Events include a fireside chat with NestlĂ© USA's CMO, Alicia Enciso, on the topic of intersectionality of gender and the Hispanic community, virtual cooking classes with Hispanic flavors, Mexican LoterĂa, a Zumba class and much more. These activities will not only honor Hispanic heritage, but also encourage greater awareness, learning and understanding of the Hispanic and Latinx communities."
Learn more about Nestle USA here.
CoStar Group — promote empowerment in the Latinx community
"At CoStar Group, our Latinx Network, one of our employee resource groups, will lead our celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. The Network will sponsor a webinar focused on economic empowerment within the Latinx community. This is aligned with the Network's goal of empowering its members to achieve their career and financial goals. In addition, our Latinx Network will host several community building events with food and drinks that are culturally significant. These events will provide opportunities for colleagues to connect in person and virtually, and celebrate shared cultures and traditions."
Learn more about CoStar Group here.
Audible — host a book club
"Audible's Impact Groups empower employees to bring their whole selves to work. Audible's Latinx/Hispanic Resource group Unidos will be celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month by kicking off their book club series with Karla Cornejo Villaveicenio's The Undocumented Americans.
They'll also be hosting a "Looking Forward" meeting for all members, to discuss plans of continued advocacy, celebration, and support within Audible for 2022 and beyond!"
Learn more about Audible here.
PwC — spotlight Latinx stories on social media
"At PwC, we're building on a culture of belonging through diversity and inclusion, and Hispanic Heritage Month is another opportunity to demonstrate that commitment. PwC social channels will spotlight Latinx PwCers sharing stories from the workplace and their communities, highlighting supportive benefits and inclusive leadership. The PwC US Latino Inclusion Network will host a candid conversation, exploring how to amplify your authentic voice to drive understanding and empathy at scale, with Soledad O'Brien, award-winning documentarian and journalist, and actor John Leguizamo. The Network will also host a cooking demonstration by Mexican chef and 2019 Masterchef MĂ©xico winner Carmen Miranda."
Learn more about PwC here.
Facebook — celebrate Latinx parents pride
"Facebook is honoring and recognizing Latinx and Hispanic Heritage month this year by 'Celebrating Latinx Parents Pride in Facebook Employees Careers'.
Hear from three Latinx employees as they discuss what it means to be Latinx in Tech, what their parents think they do, and how Facebook benefits give employees the flexibility and opportunity to continually put their families first.
Tune in on Tuesday September 28th, at 12pm PST as we go LIVE on LinkedIn & Facebook Careers. Let us know you're joining us on Facebook here. Learn more about Facebook roles here."
Learn more about Facebook here.
MindBody — watch Spanish-language TV shows
"In 2021, the [Hispanic Heritage Month] theme is "Esperanza: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage and Hope."While official 2021 celebrations have yet to be announced, vaccinated Americans can certainly throw a party of their own. And if you're staying close to home, you can always relax with a good book by a Spanish-language author that takes you into someone else's experience. Make it a point to support Latina-owned businesses. You can even brush up on your own Spanish by listening to these great Spanish-language podcasts and watching these Spanish-language TV shows (La Casa de Papel/Money Heist and Elite will have you hooked!)."
–Excerpt from Oprah Daily article, What is Hispanic Heritage Month– and Who Celebrates It? "
Learn more about MindBody here.
T. Rowe Price — provide PTO for volunteers
"Teach. Learn. Act.
T. Rowe Price's programming, in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, emphasizes action and authenticity. The firm's Latinx Heritage group invited Maria Echaveste to speak at their upcoming signature event. The former U.S. presidential advisor to Bill Clinton and White House Deputy Chief of Staff during the second Clinton administration, Ms. Echaveste will speak on "the importance of taking up space."
In addition, the firm's Day In The Life campaign features Latinx talent and their experiences navigating their careers. T. Rowe Price is encouraging associates to contribute their time and money to organizations uplifting the Latinx community and is providing paid time off and operational support to do so."
Learn more about T. Rowe Price here.
Skedulo — curate a collection of quotes by famous Hispanics
"At Skedulo, we are honoring Hispanic Heritage Month globally through a variety of events which will highlight the diversity of cultures within Latinx and Hispanic communities. Our events include: virtual, instructor-led Cumbia and Salsa dance sessions with a brief history of each dance, Hispanic-American trivia, a LoterĂa session (described as Mexican bingo), and Weekly Wonders (a curated collection of quotes by famous Hispanics, with information about each historical figure). Through these events, we will promote greater understanding of this month with engagement, education, and support for our Latinx and Hispanic communities."
Learn more about Skedulo here.
Lockheed Martin — support youth in local communities
"In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Lockheed Martin will be hosting a variety of events highlighting the influence, importance, and education of Hispanic Heritage. Through our business resource group, Hispanic Organization for Leadership and Awareness (HOLA) employees will learn historical and cultural information, family recipes and so much more in two special edition newsletters, engage with fellow employees and leadership through culture-inspired events such as cook-offs, recipe exchanges, trivia night and will host an event to support the youth in local communities."
Learn more about Lockheed Martin here.
27 Companies with Impressive Mentorship Opportunities
We asked some of our partner companies to tell us about the mentorship opportunities they offer. If you’re ready to unleash your full potential by joining an impactful mentoring program, keep reading to hear what they said. (Plus, they’re all hiring—check out their open jobs under each entry!)
Clarus Commerce
“Clarus Commerce has been running a mentorship program for the last 9 years. Here is how it works:
- Senior leaders nominate mentors within their department.
- The program lasts for about 6 months.
- Those who are interested in being mentored provide 6 topics that they’d like to discuss in mentoring meetings, which help us pair people up. Mentoring topics should focus on topics such as: leadership, how to manage up, presentation skills, communication, work life balance, etc.
- We leverage our Insights and Discovery profiles that each employee has to help better understand each other’s communication styles and help facilitate great discussions.”
Learn more about Clarus Commerce here.
PwC
“PwC professionals are provided learning opportunities, supportive career growth and unique mentoring opportunities to help them to fulfill their potential. The firm has several programs that include intentional mentorship and focus on building representation, inclusion and development of their people. For example, the firm launched Enrich, an experience designed to support the development and leadership skills of high-potential female and racially and ethnically diverse senior managers and directors. There is also Thrive, an innovative two-year experience for Black and Latinx entry-level new joiners that helps lay the foundation for a successful career through culture workshops, networking, connectivity and leadership engagement.”
Learn more about PwC here.
CallRail
“At CallRail we have a program called Connection Point where individual contributors are paired with members of the Senior Leadership Team. Each pair is together for a full quarter and are given topics for their meetings, topics range from; career stories, situational advice and feedback, etc. At the conclusion of the quarter the individual contributors that have been in the program have a round table lunch with the CEO. This has been a great way to foster deeper connections within the organization, demystify senior leadership and help individuals see a path forward.”
Learn more about CallRail here.
Automattic
“Automattic’s Design Mentoring program is a mutually beneficial partnership providing development opportunities for all. Mentees pick up new skills or get guidance with a project. Mentors practice communication, leadership, and knowledge sharing. The organization benefits from more engaged, productive employees, who have increased job satisfaction because mentorship encourages meaningful work that aligns personal and professional goals. In our distributed work environment, mentoring provides a human connection and a trusted space to grow. Tapping into all of the design experience and skill that our organization has is a powerful way to grow individually … and collectively."
Learn more about Automattic here.
Relativity
“Relativity Women of the Workplace (RelWoW) Mentorship Circles is a group mentoring program that brings together women at varying stages in their careers and from every department at Relativity. The program sessions are curated by our team and include materials, talking points and action items to help create open dialogue, build connections and develop skills for personal and professional development. The program runs around six months, and includes a kickoff, mid-point event exclusive to program members, and a closing celebration. Relativity also plans to pilot a new mentoring program with broader reach across the company in 2022.”
—Yvonne Frazier – Executive Assistant
Learn more about Relativity here.
CDW
“CDW Business Resource Groups are a key source for networking and mentoring opportunities. In 2019, our BeU BRG launched a formal mentoring program through their Project IMPACT initiative aimed at recruiting, retaining and promoting Black coworkers. It has been a successful program that has brought coworkers together across departments and roles, sharing new experiences and perspectives for both mentors and mentees.”
Learn more about CDW here.
Kinesso
“BRIDGE is Kinesso's reverse mentoring program bringing together senior leaders and future leaders globally. Our program pairs employees with Kinesso's Senior Leadership Team, but rather than leadership mentoring employees, our employees mentor our senior leaders!
Through mentorship programs like Bridge, Kinesso's brings together employees across generations, cultures, territories, and job levels. Giving our future leaders the opportunity to share fresh perspectives and innovative ideas allows our current leaders to look at inclusion, capabilities, collaboration, and connectivity from a completely different lens.
"(Bridge) is immensely important for many reasons, but most of all, it shows that no matter where you are in your career, you should never stop learning and growing."
—Arun Kumar, CEO at Kinesso and Global Chief Data & Marketing Technology Officer at IPG”
For more information on Kinesso, please visit Kinesso.com/careers.
Learn more about Kinesso here.
SoundCloud
"At SoundCloud, one of our core behaviors is to embrace the challenge- but that doesn’t mean that you go at it alone. We encourage SoundClouders to ask for help and to give help to those who it need along the way. Over the past few years we have offered a mentorship program that connects rising SoundClouders with under-represented identities (gender/race/ethnicity) with more senior level employees around topics of professional branding and career growth, influencing and emotional intelligence, and strategic thinking. In 2022, we aim to launch 2 cohorts of mentorship/coaching targeting different ranks of women of color."
Learn more about SoundCloud here.
BlackRock
“BlackRock has nine employee networks and four professional networks – all of which offer mentorship programs or opportunities.
Our employee networks: Mosaic; Ability & Allies Network; Asian, Middle Eastern & Allies Professional Network; Black Professionals & Allies Network; Families & Allies Network; Out & Allies Network; SOMOS Latinx & Allies Network; and Women's Initiative & Allies Network.
Our professional networks: Analyst Alley, Associates Arena, Global Administrative Initiative Network, and VP Village.”
Learn more about BlackRock here.
Lockheed Martin
“Having both formal and informal mentors is crucial to elevate any career. At Lockheed Martin, mentoring is the development of meaningful relationships to transfer valuable knowledge and understanding from one person to another. It is a personal enhancement strategy through which one person willingly facilitates the development of another by sharing known resources, expertise, values, skills, perspectives, attitudes, and proficiencies. Our mentoring program is tailored to the individual employee to give them the right tools, the right resources, at the right time.”
Learn more about Lockheed Martin here.
Autodesk
“Autodesk is a place where you can shape your future and help others do the same. The Autodesk Mentorship Program empowers employees to take ownership of their careers and build on a mindset of learning from each other by offering mentorship opportunities for professional and personal development, peer-to-peer learning, and focused networking. The program helps you identify your goals and recommends matches for a mentor or mentee to help you accomplish them. Through the Autodesk Mentorship Program, employees can make connections, grow their skills, explore opportunities and build their career paths.”
Learn more about Autodesk here.
Cummins
“Cummins Women’s Empowerment Network (WEN) focuses on a mission to create the right environment by advocating for equal representation, empowering women, and fostering inclusion for every employee in all work assignments at all levels.
As part of the work to achieve such a mission, WEN focuses on mentoring and development initiatives designed to foster mentoring relationships, broaden employee networks, and provide opportunities for personal and professional growth. Initiatives include Speed Mentoring Sessions, Personal Development & Networking Events and WEN Mentoring Circles Program. This annual Mentoring Circles Program provides a monthly opportunity for exempt employees to participate in a forum for open discussion, explore new perspectives and learn from peers and leaders.
Within the Europe region we also have the Cummins Business Services mentoring program which is open to all employees at all levels.”
Learn more about Cummins here.
Millennium Management
“Meet a pairing in Millennium’s Mentorship Program: Cari Smalley, Co-Head HR Business Partners, Americas, and Jasmin Zirino, Operations Specialist. They say, "The mentorship program is a fantastic experience for anyone who wishes to join. It allows you to meet someone you do not directly work with and grow your network. It is invaluable to have the ability to work through solutions to problems, use one another as sounding boards, and occasionally just blow off steam in a supportive space."”
Learn more about Millennium Management here.
Expedia Group
“Mentorship is about stepping out of our comfort zone, taking charge and acting upon our ambitions, opening doors for others and learning more about the skills that make our own success.
Expedia Group has a volunteer-led program allowing every employee to have an equal chance to grow and succeed. The program has brought together a group of 1,700 Expedians from all over the world who believe in skills development and the power to elevate others while creating Inclusion at Expedia Group. Through a self-service marketplace platform and organized meetup sessions, EG’s Mentoring Program enables all employees to ask for help and embrace their own identity while belonging to a community that thrives through diversity.”
Learn more about Expedia Group here.
Equinix
“At Equinix, our employee connection networks (EECNs) play an important role in bringing together communities for learning and growth opportunities, including mentoring. While mentees gain much from mentors, we often find that mentors also discover growth opportunities.
By asking these questions, we instill best practices for a successful mentorship:
What does each party want from this experience? How often to meet? Confidentiality: What’s shareable and what isn’t?
Feedback: What are the expectations around giving and receiving feedback?
And remember, a mentoring relationship is like any other relationship—it takes time to develop. Build trust by getting to know one another.”
Learn more about Equinix here.
Unstoppable Domains
"At Unstoppable, it is our commitment to having a crypto forward culture. Every new team member is matched with a Crypto Buddy who acts as their first point of contact outside of their direct team, guides them down the crypto rabbit hole, and welcomes them into Unstoppable’s culture. As a fully remote company, making cross-team collaboration a key part of onboarding strengthens our community. This is also an opportunity for the buddy to hone their mentoring and teaching skills. When the new hire has been with the company for six months, they will then become a mentor themselves, driving a continuous cycle of mentorship."
Learn more about Unstoppable Domains here.
Uber
“Mentoring@Uber connects employees who are passionate about helping and up-skilling others with those who are seeking guidance and development. It is a way of connecting and sharing challenges on a mutual and reliable relationship —and trying to get another perspective from an unbiased source. It’s also an opportunity to learn from the experiences of others, or collaborate together to come up with a solution to professional problems that arise. People with mentors perform better, advance in their careers faster, and even maintain more work-life balance. And mentors benefit, too.”
Learn more about Uber here.
MongoDB
“MongoDB has offered two pilot mentorship programs to support underrepresented groups. One program focused on promising first-line managers and ICs from underrepresented groups and the other focused on providing executive mentorship to women & nonbinary leaders at the director level and up. In both programs, participants were matched with a mentor with who they regularly met to discuss career planning and personal development. Feedback from both pilots was hugely positive with participants indicating that they received helpful support from their mentors. Members from our ERGs have also served as mentors to our summer class of interns.”
Learn more about MongoDB here.
PagerDuty
“Our Black and Latinx ERG, Array, offers a mentorship program pairing individual contributors within Array to C-Suite and VP level mentors, including PagerDuty CEO Jennifer Tejada. Dedicated to leveling the playing field for Black and Latinx employees, the program is structured so everyone can learn from each other. Mentees are paired with mentors from within or outside their department for a nine-month term, which includes check-ins, themed discussions, and monthly one-on-ones. Bri Solorzano, an Array mentee, explained that this mentorship program allows her to build bonds with higher level executives, and share her personal experiences as a Latinx employee and individual contributor at PagerDuty.”
Learn more about PagerDuty here.
T. Rowe Price
“Due to the highly collaborative culture at T. Rowe Price, the firm understands the value of relationships and the opportunities strong mentorship can provide. It is committed to not only developing talent within its walls but developing the next generation of talent within communities.
The firm will launch a new global mentorship program in 2022, which will offer associates the opportunity to connect with colleagues, agnostic of location or business unit. T. Rowe Price also provides leadership development to youth in the community through strategic partnerships such as the Baltimore Ravens Leadership Institute, a program aimed at high school students.”
Learn more about T. Rowe Price here.
Pluralsight
“At Pluralsight, we take growth seriously. Which is why we offer a six-month long mentorship program for all of our employees. Our mentorship program is facilitated bi-annually by Women@Pluralsight, one of our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and aims to empower participants to recognize their full potential. We intentionally pair mentors and mentees to create connections that encourage the development of skills crucial to success, and foster personal and professional growth. In our most recent cycle we paired nearly 200 participants and have plans to continue growing that number. Because at Pluralsight, your growth is our growth, and vice versa.”
Learn more about Pluralsight here.
Yelp
“At Yelp, we value and actively foster an environment focused on learning and development. There are a variety of mentorship opportunities available, such as:
- New Hire Mentors — new employees are paired with a team mentor to help them onboard and get settled in.
- Engineering Mentorship Program — any IC engineer can sign up to become or get a mentor within Yelp Engineering.
- Manager Mentorship Program — new engineering managers or proto-managers can get support from experienced managers at Yelp.
- Awesome Women in Engineering — This employee resource group’s mentorship program helps AWE members find mentors or mentee within the group.”
Learn more about Yelp here.
Turo
“At Turo, we help each other. We collaborate. We challenge each other. And we create the tools to succeed independently and as a team.
When you join Turo engineering, you’re assigned a mentor, a reliable, single point-of-contact to help you set up your environment, navigate the codebase, and acclimate to Turo’s culture and workplace. Mentors have a great responsibility to ensure new Turists feel welcome, offer encouragement, and provide advice and guidance on complex matters of systems and architecture. Engineers who demonstrate our core values of efficiency, pioneering, and being down-to-earth and supportive have an opportunity to mentor new engineers. Mentoring engineers is a great way to build the skills necessary to further your career at Turo.”
“Mentoring has allowed me to deepen my technical understanding and team connections.”
– Lauren Kroner, Senior Software Engineer
Learn more about Turo here.
Moody's
“In the US, Moody’s has an intergenerational mentoring program, our Pride BRG members coach youth in the Queer Coders program. Our Women’s, Veterans, and Multicultural BRGs have a variety of mentoring programs, including summer intern mentorship, our Asian Leadership Initiative and our ConectaMos Hispanic/Latinx 1:1 mentoring program. Our Women’s Group Mentoring Program just celebrated its 10th anniversary with over 800 mentor-mentee participants over 10 years. In EMEA, Moody’s offers Power to Act reverse mentoring, mentoring through the Women’s and Pride BRGs, and a parental leave mentoring scheme. In APAC, Moody’s has various cross-BRG and cross-department mentoring programs.”
Learn more about Moody’s here.
Condé Nast
“At Condé Nast, we are focused on providing positive career development opportunities. We recently launched a Global Mentorship Program as an option for employees to connect and learn from one another. For six months, employees participate as a mentor and/or mentee to develop their careers, grow their skills and guide one another. The structured framework creates and sustains an inclusive experience that empowers everyone’s growth.
The MentorcliQ platform we use lets us create mentoring pairs based on their interests, experiences and personality compatibility. To date we have had 473 active mentorship pairs.”
Learn more about Condé Nast here.
Thornburg
“Thornburg Small Group Mentor Program was created to bring employees of various tenures and experience levels together in order to cultivate organic relationships and opportunities for influence in a low-pressure environment.
The program consists of six small groups comprised of one mentor and three to six mentees. These groups meet for one hour every month for six months. The series concludes with a virtual event where all participants from every group can meet and share takeaways from their experiences.
Program Highlights:
- Small group format (not one-on-one)
- Low cost, low maintenance, light structure
- Flexibility for mentors to lead through individual style"
Learn more about Thornburg here.
Okta
“Women@Okta’s upcoming mentorship program:
W@Okta’s vision for the year is to empower, develop and support women-identified employees in order to ultimately improve gender diversity at Okta. One of our key methods is to empower the next generation of female leadership by providing a platform for women to connect and learn from one another through group and 1:1 mentorship opportunities. Our Professional Development branch is launching a pilot mentorship program with an initial cohort of 32 mentors and mentees.
Goals: Career, personal and organizational
Share your needs, desires, goals, and challenges; career choice and mobility.
Explore people, resources, information, expertise you need – but don’t have – to speed up, enhance, and ensure your results.”
—Professional Development Lead Christina Ghallagher (Senior Sales Development Representative) & Partnerships Co-Lead Sarah Schiff (Senior Manager, Customer First Recruiting)
Learn more about Okta here.
