nCino Supports Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Through Extra Life Fundraiser
One of nCino employees' favorite ways to give back is through our annual fundraiser, Extra Life, supporting the needs of the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.
Company Culture |
Celebrating nCino's Employee Resource Groups: Mi Gente
Other Topics
DE&ICompany Culture
Region
Middle-East & AfricaEuropeAsia-PacificNorth America
nCino’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are organic, employee-led groups with a focus on building community and belonging among employees and providing resources to the broader nCino community.
These groups also focus on recruiting diverse talent, encouraging professional and leadership development, mentoring and community outreach. Each ERG includes executive sponsorship and a connection to the Diversity and Inclusion Council.
In this series, we’re excited to offer a deeper dive into the members and goals of each ERG. This month, in celebration of Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re highlighting Mi Gente our newest ERG for Latinx, Hispanic and Basque employees and their allies.
nCino’s newest ERG, Mi Gente was founded in 2021 by Edwin Estrada and Alejandra O’Malley and chartered in 2022. Mi Gente’s mission is to build a space that creates belonging regardless of how you identify, where you’re from, or what language you speak and to support the empowerment, enrichment, advancement, and recruitment of Latinx, Hispanic, and Basque nCino employees. Aiming to bring cultural awareness and education to members and the broader nCino team, membership is open to all employees. “Mi Gente” translates to “my people,” with the hope being to create a community where members can enter a space and think “These are my people!”
“I started nCino as an intern in June 2021,” said now full-time Associate Software Engineer Alejandra O’Malley. “I wanted to find a group that shared experiences and backgrounds similar to my own. I was surprised to learn there wasn't yet a space specifically for Hispanic, Latinx, and Basque employees. When I voiced my interest in creating one, I was connected with Edwin, and within a week, we had a plan in place to charter Mi Gente.”
Mi Gente works with nCino senior leadership to assist in the recruiting, retention, and promotion of the Latinx, Hispanic, and Basque employee population, as well as to educate fellow employees on causes and celebrate events important to these cultures. The group act as liaisons to bring Latinx, Hispanic, and Basque cultural awareness to the nCino employee body, as well as the leadership team. Outside of the company, they participate in community service opportunities and outreach programs to help minorities and underserved populations within the Wilmington community.
“Mi Gente has provided me, and many others, with the opportunity to express our unique cultures and celebrate diversity at nCino,” said Associate Software Engineer, Felipe Orrego. “It's so important to feel represented, and I'm grateful to be part of a company that understands this.”
Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15 to October 15. Celebration begins on September 15 in honor of the anniversary of the independence for Latin America countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile observe their independence days on September 16 and 18, respectively. On Día de la Raza, which falls on October 12 (Columbus Day), many Spanish-speaking countries honor the cultures that were conquered by European explorers and fell under European colonization.
Hispanic: refers to Spanish-speaking people who are from, or descended from, Spanish-speaking countries. Hispanic includes Spain, but does not include Brazil. Hispanic is more focused on the language spoken rather than country of origin.
Latino/a: refers to people from Latin American countries, including Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Latino includes Brazil but does not include Spain. Latino is more focused on the country a person is from rather than the language they speak.
Latinx: a gender-neutral form of Latino and/or Latina
Basque: refers to people who trace their heritage to the Southwestern European region straddling the Pyrenees mountains between modern-day Spain and France. The Basque people speak Euskara, a language unrelated to any other existing world language.
The Wilmington chapter of the group plans to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month by sponsoring a Beach Cleanup event at Wrightsville Beach, followed by a breakfast at Los Portales, a local favorite.
They will also be hosting the third edition of En La Mesa (At the Table), which will feature presentations and in-person food tastings of traditional and popular cuisine from various Hispanic cultures and catering from various local Latino-owned businesses. Each speaker will share their heritage through stories of the foods they grew up cooking and enjoying as family, preparing their dish of choice in real time while explaining the cultural significance and sharing familial history and associated memories.
Earlier this year, Mi Gente hosted a Mexican Conchas Morning in nCino Headquarters’ Bitty and Beau’s café. Employees and affinity group members were invited to share concha pastries from Wilmington’s Los Portales with their morning coffee.
“Mi Gente means a lot to me and others like me because it shows Latinx, Hispanic, and Basque employees that we are important, recognized and represented,” said Edwin Estrada, Product Manager. “If we can gather around shared experiences through Mi Gente, we can build enough empathy between us so that we can even begin to talk about all the more complex issues we face, like racism, immigration and inequality.”
Related Articles
One nCino Day: Celebrating Company Culture
In early June, nCino employees gathered for One nCino Day, a global event that embodies our vibrant culture and celebrates the unique individuals who help shape it.
nCino Makes an Impact on Its Community
In honor of Global Volunteer Month, employees in nCino’s Wilmington and Lehi offices took part in a series of impactful events, each contributing to the company’s mission of making a positive difference in the community. Employees rallied to volunteer in the community, thanks in part to one of our favorite perks—16 paid hours of volunteer time each year,to help support our favorite causes.
Celebrating nCino's Employee Resource Groups: The Veteran's Network
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.
nCino’s 2023 Hackathon: Pushing the Boundaries of Innovation
At nCino, two of our core values are “Be a Winner” and “Have Fun,” and our annual Hackathon is one way we live these values while fostering friendly competition and pushing the boundaries of innovation.
A Hackathon is a social coding event where individuals or teams come together to collaborate on solving problems and creating innovative solutions to real problems facing bankers. Over the span of a short time frame, typically between a day and a week, participants use their skills and creativity to brainstorm ideas and build prototypes. At the end of the event, teams present their projects to the broader company, with focuses on themes such as coding, design, social impact, and artificial intelligence (AI).
During nCino’s Hackathons, employees are able to showcase their abilities and build platforms, products, and tools for networking, learning, and driving innovation. These events also encourage teamwork, experimentation, and rapid problem solving to foster a competitive yet collaborate environment.
