Celebrating nCino's Employee Resource Groups: The Veteran's Network
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nCino’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are organic and employee-led, with a focus on building connection and belonging among employees and providing resources to the broader nCino community. Recruiting diverse talent, professional and leadership development, mentoring and community outreach are also core purposes of the groups. Each ERG includes executive sponsorship and a connection to the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council.
In this series, we’re excited to offer a deeper dive into the members and goals of each ERG. In celebration of National Veteran and Military Families Month, we’re highlighting the Veterans Network.
The Veterans Network was founded in 2017 and is led by Manny Sable, Joel Williams, and Kevin Keim. The mission of the VetNet is to provide a welcoming and uplifting community for the empowerment, enrichment, and advancement of nCino’s military-affiliated employee population and their allies. Aiming to bring cultural awareness and education to its members and the broader nCino team, the Veterans Network also offers a safe space for dialogue and support. While programming is specific to the needs of the military-affiliated employee population (veterans, currently serving military reservists, and family members of active-duty military, veterans, and reservists), membership is open to all nCino employees.
“I wanted to start the VetNet because I experienced first-hand how difficult it is to transition to civilian life,” says Joel Williams. When in college, I saw countless veterans struggle with adapting to civilian life. At nCino, when I began my internship, I saw the strengths that veterans possess but find difficult to tap into. Many veterans, too proud to reach out, struggle silently and often alone. I saw the disconnect that some vets feel they have with their co-workers.”
“I saw the need for an avenue of communication, a place where veterans felt they could indulge in their humor, but also engage in meaningful conversation around their struggles and successes. I wanted to help foster this communication and engagement however possible.”
The Veterans Network works closely with The Honor Foundation, a nationwide nonprofit serving transitioning special operations forces with the goal of preparing participants to enter into a career following their service. nCino employees support this organization by taking part in mock interview and coaching sessions, guiding participants through the process of job interviewing. A grant from nCino also helps provide the ability to offer career assessments to those going through the program.
For employees, the VetNet is focused on fun, physical activities that promote connection and teamwork.
“We want to continue to provide opportunities for veterans to participate in events that foster the comradery that was once a key component of their livelihood,” says Kevin Keim.
Some of those activities include a monthly Ruck, where members participate in a 3-mile early morning ruck, often followed by a beach cleanup at Wrightsville Beach.
For Vietnam War Veteran’s Day, the VetNet sold American flags in partnership with the AAPI Alliance that were placed in front of nCino’s headquarters to honor Vietnam veterans. Donations for each flag were split between the American-Vietnamese War Memorial Alliance, Honor Flight, and the Vietnam Battlefield Tours organizations. The two groups hosted a lunch and learn in honor of the 50th commemoration of the Vietnam War Veterans leaving Vietnam, featured videos of nCino employees and their family members telling stories of their service in the Vietnam War and the impacts it had on them and their families. The video reel also served to educate employees on the challenges service members returning from this war faced.
Each Memorial Day, the group completes The Murph Challenge, a famous fitness challenge in honor of Michael Murphy, who died serving in Afghanistan. This event’s goal was to challenge oneself mentally and physically while engaging with friends and remembering those who have sacrificed. The challenge consists of two one-mile runs, 100 pull ups, 200 pushups, and 300 squats, all while wearing a twenty-pound vest.
VetNet hosted its second annual PTSD Awareness Field Day in June, which promotes teamwork and collaboration by having groups participate in “buddy style” activities. PTSD Awareness Field Day was created by military spouse and Technical Writer Kenna Stacks and held in Ogden Park. Participants signed up by donating to either PTSD Foundation of America or the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
“PTSD is something I’m very passionate about because I have so many vets in my life and because I was diagnosed with PTSD a few years ago,” says Kenna Stacks. “I wanted to hold this event to help bridge the gap between veterans and civilians, to both support the Vet Net while also breaking the stigma that PTSD is only service related. PTSD is the wound we don’t see. It’s hard to talk about because of the stigmas around trauma and asking for help, especially for those who have or are still serving. PTSD Awareness Field Day was an event to illuminate those struggles and build on nCino’s values of community and fun.”
In July, VetNet sponsored a Free Concert Friday in support of Purple Heart Homes, an organization that builds homes for US military veterans from every generation. The event was held at Eagle’s Dare in downtown Wilmington, a business owned by a Marine Corps Veteran.
nCino Veterans are being featured on the television monitor screens throughout our office locations during the month of November. Slides featured photos of veterans in combat gear and with their families, as well as service dates and locations. A Veteran’s Day Panel and Lunch will take place on Thursday, November 16, at nCino’s headquarters location. Lunch will be catered by Taco Baby, a local Veteran-owned restaurant. Speakers include President and Chief Revenue Officer and VetNet Executive Sponsor Josh Glover, Chief Information Officer Erik Ricketson, and Senior Project Manager Joel Williams. The event celebrates employees at nCino who were members of the US military All Volunteer Force and will be hosted by VetNet founder and leader Manny Sable.
“The VetNet, at its core, is a sounding board to share our collective experiences,” says Manny Sable.