Meet United ERG
Issue 2 Sponsor
This group is deeply devoted to investing in diversity and inclusion within the tech industry at Verizon Media and in our community. Get to know them because their stories are important to us!
If you’re interested in learning more about their work you can send them a personal note by clicking on the link below.
Fyi, you’ll see the term ERG a lot so we wanted to clarify what that meant. It stands for Employee Resource Group and UNITED ERG is one of many at Verizon Media created for a specific purpose.
Julio
When I moved from Los Angeles to Council Bluffs. I felt out of place. A 15-year-old kid that didn't quite fit in. I managed to overcome that and be my own person. I grew because of that, I became a better person because of that. Fast forward to where I am now, I am blessed to be in this position.
Working at a company like Verizon Media, a company that values you, pushes you and appreciates you doesn't come around too often. As a Global lead for United an employee resource group we want to make it easier to connect with others with a similar background and bring communities together.
It is important to change and challenge the lack of diversity in the workspace. At United, we want to give the opportunity to anyone to feel comfortable with the way they are.
Sara
Growing up in spaces where I was usually one of one or a part of a small handful of minorities, promoting diversity and inclusion was never really something that happened; so to me, it's extremely refreshing to work in an environment where diversity is celebrated and ERG's exist.
Being able to connect with other people who share similar backgrounds and culture gives you the opportunity to open up and feel like you can be yourself. In my opinion, when people feel welcome without hesitation, they are able to bring their best self to work.
I think it's very important to challenge the lack of diversity in spaces. Hopefully, we can collaborate with other local companies and organizations to help promote careers in the tech industry to local youth and other members of our community who may not see the tech industry as something they can be a part of too.
Ryan
In order to grow the silicon prairie, we need to keep diversity and inclusion in the forefront. People of all backgrounds, nationalities, beliefs, and religions need to feel safe and be supported. UNITED helps people feel like they have a voice and that voice matters.
Our work in the community is something that I am personally very proud of. We have supported numerous fundraisers, non-profits, and social events, including; The One Community Culture Festival, Afrocon, Houston Alexander Foundation, Back 2 School Free haircuts, and school supplies giveaway, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and more.
UNITED builds and strengthens relationships within our office and our community. I am thankful to work for a company that cares about its employees and community.
Sasha
I moved to the United States when I was 18 to go to college. I was born and raised in Mumbai (formally Bombay), India. I visited the Unites States as a child as many of my extended family lived here, but moving by myself right after high school was a different experience.
Today, I feel like I am part of the community and as if this has been my home forever, but I definitely experienced a few challenges and cultural differences that I had to get used to. One thing I remember while going through these experiences is that the feeling of being included and accepted was the most valuable thing anyone else I met here could have given me. For example, I loved it when people were curious about my culture, asked me questions about my country, wanted to know more about my upbringing, and wanted to try Indian food. I felt included and I felt like I was part of the community, and I felt welcome. So why not help others feel included too?
This is why diversity and inclusion in the workplace and community is so important to me. People are happier in a diverse culture, and they produce maximum results in the work environment. They feel respected, and they feel like they can be themselves. I am proud to work for a company that invests in its employees, and their culture. I am honored to be a lead for the United ERG at the company, and I am excited to collaborate with the community to spread more diversity and love among us all.
Marcell
The beauty of being a part of United at Verizon Media is having the ability and resources to capitalize on a vision we believe in. That vision is best described in the action we take in our office and the Omaha community.
In the office, our team is dedicated to creating an inclusive workspace for all of our employees and that could mean a number of things: Bringing in guest speakers, hosting cultural events, education and training, providing resources for underrepresented groups in our office, and more.
In the community, we’ve sponsored events, donated money and school supplies, hosted aspiring young professionals in our office, and partnered with other non-profits in the area among other things.
It is our belief that this kind of involvement and commitment to diversity will not only strengthen us professionally but will strengthen the community as a whole. United provides an opportunity for those interested to interact with one another in a positive way and discuss topics that tend not to be a part of everyday conversation. In that conversation, we hope to gain a better understanding, appreciation, and respect for one another.
Rod
The problem
For years companies have promoted diversity and inclusion. However, African Americans, Latinx, and Native Americans only make up 5.3% of the tech industry. That disparity further shows itself when you look at women in tech only making up 20% of tech professionals. That is not indicative of the population and clearly shows that we have a problem and a lot of room for growth.
Mission
1. Increase cultural awareness in the office by hosting a variety of events. When that is done we break down the barriers of unfamiliarity. This can help reduce unconscious bias, which can affect hiring decisions.
2. Spread awareness about the career possibilities in tech, which will help build a hiring pipeline
3. Increase our local footprint by volunteering and giving back
What are we doing
1. During Black History Month, The Great Plains Black History Museum set up at our office. This allowed individuals get a peak of the civil rights movement and how Omaha, Nebraska was connected.
2. We put on a "Back to School: Free Hair Cut Day" event in August. We teamed up with a local barbershop to provide free hair cuts and backpacks to kids in North Omaha. We gave out 60 backpacks and over 100+ hair cuts.
Looking Forward
Ultimately, we want to get more people of color in tech at all levels from front line to leadership. We also hope to inspire the next generation of minorities to get involved in tech. We will do that by bringing individuals to our data centers and offices to give them exposure to the job possibilities. Individuals generally become what they see. If they are exposed early enough to tech careers and successful minorities in these positions we increase the likelihood that they become the next digital marketer, engineer or technology change maker.
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