Submitted by Cadence
Embracing diversity and fostering inclusion are key tenets of Cadence’s One-Team culture. Women at Cadence have played a special role in our 33-year history to shape the future of technology and have been supported strongly by management. Over the last several years, our President, Anirudh Devgan, sponsors our Women in Technology group and our Chief Revenue Officer, Neil Zaman, sponsors our Women of Worldwide Field Operations group. These initiatives, along with our over-arching Women@Cadence program, help provide support, mentorship, networking, and other career opportunities for women across different roles and locations.
Through these efforts, many of our employees, and even male allies, stepped forward, inspired and wanting to do more. So, last year we launched our first employee-led Women’s Inclusion Group, better known as Women Inclusion Now (W.I.N.). Along with our other new US Inclusion Groups for Veterans and Black, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ employees and their allies, W.I.N. builds connections between colleagues and provides a supportive space to come together. Led by Nandini Chintala, Solutions Director, and a team of core members, the group has hosted fun and inspiring virtual socials, events, and workshops for its ~100 members and the wider Women@Cadence community to get to know each other and grow their skills.
It’s been an amazing experience to see what Cadence women have brought to the community and the broader company.
As one example, W.I.N. has placed an emphasis on supporting their personal interests and career goals. They’ve created sub-groups that meet regularly around book reading and health and wellness. They’ve hosted a variety of socials to show appreciation for women throughout the year. W.I.N.’s first event was a virtual chocolate social with ~70 women in attendance. During this event, women at Cadence made Brazilian brigadeiros from scratch while listening to traditional Brazilian music. This was a great opportunity to relax and do something new together! Pictured here are some of the employees’ chocolate creations.
Aside from fun social events, W.I.N. has organized several professional talks to provide women with helpful career advice. These included a motivational session with a VP at another software company, as well as workshops with Cadence’s own women leaders around personal brand, professional presence, negotiation, and leadership.
As we continue to grow as a business and industry, women, as well as other underrepresented groups, will play an important role in the technology we develop. Diverse perspectives, experiences, and ideas lead to greater innovation, and offering both fun and educational opportunities as well as spaces that empower employees are great steps to building a culture where everyone can thrive. We look forward to seeing what other great initiatives come from our W.I.N. group!