In this second installment of our Employee Resource Group (ERG) spotlight series, we’re introducing Phoebe Lowery (Staff Accountant) and Sam Medina (Director of Sales), co-leaders of Bitly’s Mosaic ERG. This ERG provides resources and a safe space for Bitly employees (we call them Bitizens) and allies to raise issues focused on ethnicity and race, foster honest and transparent dialogue, and ignite change within Bitly and our broader communities. Here they share inspiration and goals for our Mosaic ERG and its importance to Bitly’s culture.
What motivated you to become an ERG leader?
Phoebe: Shortly after I came to Bitly, I joined our BARD group (Bitizens Against Racism and Discrimination) and was interested in getting more involved, but was not exactly sure how to go about it. When the ERGs were introduced, I thought it was a great way to step up more and be more active. I had recently come from a protest in Union Square and it felt like something sparked within me and I needed an outlet. When I was approached with the idea of actually being able to co-lead an ERG, I was very excited. It was a way for me to channel that energy into something great that I could share with not just my colleagues, but my community as well.
Sam: As a Hispanic woman in tech, I’ve always been very passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I). Making sure we’re providing opportunities and driving collaboration and inclusion among underrepresented groups is incredibly important to me, especially as I’ve navigated my own DE&I journey over the last few years. As a result, I was part of our inaugural DE&I committee here at Bitly last year focused on surfacing different employee experiences and opportunities where we as a company could do better. Being part of this group is what really opened my eyes to just how different some of my shared experiences were. It also brought heightened awareness to other cultural groups’ experiences and challenges, ultimately motivating me to become more involved in the impact a group like Mosaic is looking to make.
What are the key areas of focus for the Mosaic ERG?
Phoebe: Inclusion and belonging, awareness and education, community and partnerships—while these are key areas for all ERGs, they are important to Mosaic in particular. We are focused on marginalized communities who have long been treated as outsiders to society because of their race or culture. Inclusion and belonging ensure that everyone has a seat at the table and a chance to have their voices heard. Awareness and education are for everyone, whether you’ve always had a seat or just pulled up a chair. None of us are omniscient, so it is important to have conversations and understand where each of us is coming from. As our VP of DE&I, Jackie Cureton, always says, “We want to call people in, rather than call them out.” For Mosaic, under the community and partnerships DE&I pillar, we are still searching for and narrowing down the best organizations that we believe will make the biggest impact within our local communities.
Sam: As Phoebe has already mentioned, there are three key areas of focus for Mosaic that are based on our DE&I strategic pillars. The first is awareness and education. We host workshops, training sessions, and a speaker series too. These are driven by the role that real-life current events are playing in society in real-time.
The second is inclusion and belonging, which addresses our internal challenges at Bitly and beyond. Ultimately, we’re striving to create a safe space where our employees can have discussions about shared experiences and how we can do better to create real change.
The last area of focus is community relationships and finding opportunities to partner with organizations outside of Bitly to take our impact outside of the company. We’re currently in the process of 2023 (and beyond!) planning. The planning incorporates a significant amount of emphasis on this area, with ideas ranging from mentorship and volunteering in the near future, to internship programs as we expand!
How does this impact the Bitly culture?
Phoebe: All of our life experiences and stories are unique. The more we understand where we all come from, the further we will go.
Sam: Mosaic gives Bitly the opportunity to understand, embrace, and celebrate multicultural differences. We’re able to provide resources, support, and a safe space for Bitizens and allies alike to partner on surfacing racial disparities. All of this creates a culture that fosters honest and transparent dialogue and aims to ignite impactful change internally and in our broader communities.
“Every Bit Counts!” is our tagline for DE&I. What does it mean to you? What does it mean for this ERG?
Phoebe: For Mosaic, it means that we all matter. Our differences are what make us great and I believe this same sentiment for myself.
Sam: Progress and impact take time and commitment, and they don’t come easily. However, every bit on our end, meaning every conversation, every educational opportunity, every event, and community partnership, helps move the needle “bit by bit”. For Mosaic, we cover a broad scope of racial and cultural issues, so we’d be naive to think we could address and resolve every disparity in one fell swoop. But, every action we take helps Bitly and the communities our Bitizens engage with move in the right direction.
How does the Mosaic ERG bring this tagline to life?
Phoebe: I believe that we are providing a platform for voices and communities that can be accessed and shared. Going back to the seat at the table analogy, we want everyone to be heard and to have others listen.
Sam: Mosaic strives to create programming aligned with our three focus areas to support this. Through a combination of workshops, speaker series, and safe space employee-driven discussions, we provide opportunities and a voice for underrepresented groups to create an environment where we can understand the challenges being faced and how we can play a part in doing better.
Most recently, we highlighted Hispanic Heritage Month, which is traditionally a US-centric celebration. As a global company now, we have the opportunity to share this with our Bitizens abroad as well. We’re able to not only create opportunities to celebrate, but to also educate and facilitate dialogue around Hispanic culture in partnership with our other ERGs, such as Allyship and Women.
What are members saying about the Mosaic ERG?
“These are tough conversations to have no doubt, but I’m thankful Bitly provides a space to have them and doesn’t shy away from real-world events impacting our communities. Everyone has a voice here and it helps our small but mighty company make a difference.”
“I’m here to be part of these typically uncomfortable conversations and understand how to be more aware and mindful. At Bitly, we strive to make the company a Great Place to Work, and groups like Mosaic are one of many ways we can bring our full selves to work without fear of judgment or scrutiny.”
Visit Bitly to learn more about our ERGs and our mission to be a catalyst for connections for our customers, employees, and communities.