DEI at Cadence: Cadence Women Conference 2023 Recap Around the Globe

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are not just words but values that are exemplified through our One Cadence—One Team culture and the importance of sustaining it as we learn from diverse perspectives.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.“ – Helen Keller

“None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.“ – Mother Teresa

Cadence Women Conference Global

I was honored to participate in our very first global Cadence Women Conference (CWC), which took place in sunny San Diego, California, and brought together 250 attendees from 15 different countries. The program for this year's conference revolved around the theme of #bettertogether#, emphasizing that we are not just the sum of our parts but that our success is multiplied when we lift, support, and amplify each other.

This event showcased keynote speakers from academia and industry, as well as workshops, panels, networking, and mentorship. Additionally, it featured our signature "Voice" track, where employees shared their thoughts on workplace improvements.

CWC Recap Around the Globe

To continue the energy and extend the learnings to more people in our community, I worked with a passionate global team of volunteers to host in-person recap events around the globe. This included San Jose, Austin, Burlington, and Belo Horizonte in North and South America; Cork, Dublin, and Bracknell in Europe; Noida and Bangalore in India; and Seoul, Shanghai, Hsinchu, Beijing, Nanjing, and Singapore in Asia.

We had a blast at the recap events, where we got to hear from attendees about their experiences and insights from the global conference. It was even better because some amazing allies joined us for the learning and discussion sessions. At every site, we had featured agendas planned, including awesome summaries of the mentoring sessions, workshops, Voice, and clips from our inspiring speakers: Jodi Shelton, CEO of the Global Semiconductor Alliance; ML Krakauer, chair of the board at Cadence; and Asu Ozdaglar, MathWorks professor and department head of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT. We also included fun and community-giving activities. 16 site events created great opportunities for women and their allies to learn, network, and celebrate. We're thrilled to have had such an incredible experience!

Do One Thing for Yourself and One Thing for Others

The global recap events demonstrated Cadence's "#bettertogether# spirit by following the philosophy of "do one thing for yourself and do one thing for others." This is something that our executive sponsor, Yoon Kim, always asks of attendees. Here are some highlights.

Makeup Kit Packing: We collaborated with the Cadence Giving Foundation and volunteered with Dress for Success San Jose to assemble makeup kits and write notes of encouragement, which will be given to Dress for Success clients to help them feel confident for job interviews and new jobs.

Giving Back to Community: We received donations from across the Korea site to purchase goods, and our attendees worked together to package 42 sets of hopeFULL hygiene kits for teenage girls in the community. We spread joy through giving and inspire others to do the same together!

Aromatherapy DIY Station: In our fast-paced, technology-driven world, it can be easy to neglect yourself. Aromatherapy is the practice of using essential oils for therapeutic benefit. The U.S. attendees enjoyed creating an aromatherapy kit to take home for themselves and their loved ones.

CWC Post-it Wall: At the India site, a wonderful idea was introduced to reflect on one's actions. The idea was that everyone should write on colored post-its—green was for what you did for the community (C), orange was for what you did for yourself (W for "we"), and pink was for what you did for Cadence (C).

Conclusion

I cannot express enough how thankful I am to all the wonderful volunteers and participants who made this series of events a huge success! The dedication and passion demonstrated by everyone involved is truly inspiring. Cadence is taking great strides towards empowering women through initiatives such as CWC, post-event activities, and many more local events. I am confident that these efforts will make a significant impact in creating a stronger and more supportive community for women at Cadence. This is only the beginning, and I am excited to see what the future holds for our amazing women's community!