Recently, we had a chance to chat with Jackson, Product Manager at Microsoft and a Cultivator, about his project, the importance of Data Science, and how competition can drive innovation.

The idea behind his project is a radical one, which is to offer products, that are typically sold in Enterprise format, for free- allowing the product experience to drive the business. This strategy, known as Product-Led Growth, has become central to Microsoft’s culture and strategy.

Meet Karima Moustafa, Social Learning Coach at Mars Global Services, and a member of our Cultivators Community. She has a deep passion for the importance of embracing discomfort to build vibrant, inclusive communities - and honoring yourself in the process.

Here’s what Karima had to say about staying motivated and supported at work…

We’re over “representation matters” being used as a buzzword, and so is Calvin McKee, Senior Diversity and Belonging Specialist at Shopify.

This is why we needed to talk to him about the “Free To Be Me” photo campaign, which featured LGBTQ+ employees from across the organization, showing multiple diverse experiences of being queer at Shopify.

Janine is not only an L&D Leader at Google, but an Adjunct Professor at UC Berkeley’s Haas MBA program, an executive coach, and a USC doctoral candidate finishing up her Doctorate in Education (Ed.D.) with an emphasis in Organizational Change and Leadership. In her doctoral program, she is focusing her dissertation research on the Sense of Belonging for Women of Color in the technology industry.

Victoria Liu has been a Cultivator since day one…literally. In May 2019, she started at Indeed (the employment platform) where she joined two Inclusion Resource Groups (IRGs) on her very first day of onboarding. Her initial goal was simply to meet new people and get to know the company she was a part of. Ultimately, her work with IRGs (particularly Asian Network and Women at Indeed) shaped her experience and growth at the company where she spent the last 4 years, most recently as Deputy Chief of Staff.

A few years ago, Justin, who has now been at Highmark for 17 years, clicked on an internal email and responded “yes” to an event. This quick gesture set the wheels in motion that led us to today. With that quick yes, he became a member of the Mission & Vision Pack at Highmark, an initiative led by Cultivator Penny Schnarrs.

Continuing our How Cultivators Work series is Alvin E. Haygan, Jr., Change Management Principle at Seagen, and a new member of our Cultivators Community. We caught up with Alvin as his family welcomed their second child and so first, we have to start by saying a big Cultivator Congratulations!

Here’s what Alvin had to say about staying motivated and supported at work…

Whether she’s working on her own professional development, co-hosting our Curiosity Club within the Cultivators Community, or working on her book, Caroline is a Cultivator who centers learning in all she does. It’s not a surprise that she finds herself leading Learning and Education for Women in Supply Chain (WISC), a new and growing employee community within her workplace.

In a way, Steven Panza, Innovation and Design Thinking Lead at Experian, takes his work home with him. His knowledge of Design Thinking and his commitment to finding innovative solutions extends beyond his work hours, even leading him to test different layouts in his kitchen to optimize the experience of making his morning coffee!

Elizabeth is the Vice President of Clinical Strategy Execution & Business Operations at Highmark Health, Inc., and the former lead of the Evolve internal development program. With a Ph.D. in Training and Performance Improvement, Elizabeth uses her expertise, her experience, and her passion to drive change through community-focused learning and development.

Recently, we got to sit down with Eva and Deborah to talk about how they’re leveraging social learning and community-building to create a massive impact within a global corporation at Mars.

Cultivators do a lot. They’re the folks who are going above and beyond in their role to make a positive impact on their company or team. And that means that staying motivated and preventing burnout are necessary parts of how they succeed. Every Cultivator is different, and so our curiosity got the best of us…we decided to ask them just how they do it!

Pinaki Kathiari, CEO and Co-Founder of LocalWisdom, and an active member of our Cultivators Community was game to go first. Here’s what he had to say about staying motivated and making time for care:

Stefanie Hausner likes a challenge. Alongside her work as a Senior Designer on the Marketing Team at an investment management firm, Stefanie has made a habit of driving community-focused change; founding and leading the Women’s ERG to taking initiative across DE&I and culture change efforts within the organization. So, when the Chief Marketing Officer noticed that the department was consistently behind on delivering on projects, it wasn’t surprising that they tapped Stefanie for a fresh approach.

This is the story of how Netta collaborated with CAMP sponsor and community champion company, West Arete, to create the CAMPfire app, a fully accessible, inclusive, and camp-themed social app…in less than one month! I recently got to speak to Netta and Natalie of the West Arete team, about their inspiring collaboration.

In celebration of Transgender Day of Visibility, we are amplifying the voice of our very own Account Executive, Kai.

In what she called a “whole People Team effort,” Darriell and her colleagues curated a stunning multi-prong celebration of Black history that engaged teammates on both an individual, and collective level. I recently got to chat with Darriell about just how she did it.

Freddie Spotser and Jamie Walker are no strangers to innovation. To say that they are a dream team is the understatement of the year.

Calvin McKee is no stranger to understanding the value of community, connection, and letting people know he cares.

Today, we know Randy Lewis as an award-winning author, a disability employment advocate, the founder of the ‘No Greatness Without Goodness’ Disability Initiative, and a TEDx speaker. But before these distinctions, Randy was a concerned father to a son with autism and a courageous Cultivator at America’s largest drugstore chain willing to bet his career on the creation of a workplace that did not sacrifice productivity for inclusivity. 

SnapStream Media, a software company that allows users to capture clips from video and TV, has a clear mission: to harness the power of moments. And Bethany Goldson, a Cultivator and a People Operations Generalist for SnapStream, has made it her mission to deliver moments with that same power to her team.