As part of our inaugural ERG Summit, leaders from our Employee Resource Groups and our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team joined more than 100 other visionaries from across the tech industry.
The concept for the ERG Summit began as an internal event dedicated to bringing our employee leaders together in person. Those who serve in these voluntary roles help shape the type of workplace they'd like to experience, and the ERG Summit was designed to help deepen community and connect with executive stakeholders for a full day of learning and development. But when Kondja Kamatuka, our Program Lead on the DEI team, connected with others in the DEI community, the clear need to broaden the summit into an industry-wide event became evident.
"I met with Chanise Simms-Robinson, who owns Out Of Office events, and they do a lot of impactful DEI work, specifically in the Hispanic and Black communities. The more I talked to people and the more Chanise talked to people in her network, it was so clear that this is a need industry-wide within this space," Kondja said.
"Being able to live our values like having a bias for action in launching this event and make room at the table for others in the industry, I feel like we're moving the needle forward. That's the biggest driver and the thing I feel the most proud of. The agenda is great, and I'm so proud to innovate in this space in a way that feels really special."
Kondja helped build the framework for DoorDash's first-of-its-kind initiative, bringing together inclusive speaker panels, hands-on engagement opportunities, learning & development, and keynote speakers. Our employee leaders took part in engaging panel discussions ranging from the state of DEI, how to advocate for your community, building your personal brand, and more. The Summit offered more than just bringing like-minded professionals together, as the Summit offered an opportunity to share unique learnings, perspectives, and ways to unlock further ERG engagement and personal growth.
The Summit ended with an in-depth conversation with Tina Knowles that touched on the importance of uplifting youth and pushing them beyond the boundaries of what they think is possible.
This is just one of the many ways we're constantly working to empower and support our people.
Our efforts to create a workplace where everyone feels welcomed, supported, and valued is one of the reasons we were recently recognized as one of America's Greatest Workplaces 2023 by Newsweek. To learn more about this award and how we've driven the culture our employees experience over the last year, click here.
Check out how our ERGs are continuing to drive the culture at DoorDash:
