Tech for Good: Cadence Employees Volunteer in India

For the sixth year in a row, Cadence has partnered with Team4Tech to provide communities around the world with access to cutting edge tools and technologies. Together, Cadence employees and Team4Tech joined forces with a select nonprofit partner to engage in a three-month philanthropic project to improve the livelihood of communities using technology. With over 100 applicants for the Cadence and Team4Tech Spring 2023 project, 10 Cadence employees were selected for a volunteer project in India. This diverse team of employees came from eight Cadence sites around the globe, including offices in Brazil, Germany, India, Israel, the United Kingdom, and the United States. For the first time in our six-year history with Team4Tech, we partnered with an organization based in a country where Cadence operates—this was an especially unique opportunity for Cadence employees in India to make an impact in their very own communities!

Cadence’s team of volunteers had the pleasure of teaming up with Barefoot College International (BCI), a nonprofit based in India that provides rural communities, especially women and girls, around the world with programming and resources to become self-reliant. With a presence in over 90 countries, the Cadence team volunteered in BCI’s home nation to create innovative educational solutions that will improve the rate of positive learning outcomes for thousands of children and reintegrate hundreds of people who left school before completing their education back into formal education. Altogether, the project with BCI took 12 weeks to complete, which included a 10-day onsite trip to two of BCI’s sites:  Kishangarh in Rajasthan and Kisauli in Himachal Pradesh.

To accomplish the goal of improving educational solutions using technology and expertise, Cadence volunteers formed three sub-teams where each team was tasked with enhancing an area of BCI’s Digital Community Schools system. In partnership with BCI staff, two teams worked to “integrate cutting-edge technology into BCI's Digital Community School curriculum and rethink the BCI EduBox solution, a unique set of tools including a solar-powered projector and tablets designed to create an offline digital hub for education,” explained Team4Tech Program Director, Chris Meehan. The third team of volunteers worked to enhance BCI’s process to produce educational content more efficiently by introducing artificial intelligence (AI) tools, which significantly cut down time spent on their content creation process. Together, Cadence volunteers donated over 1,250 hours of labor while working alongside BCI staff, which has a pro bono consulting value of $262,000 (USD).

Throughout the project, Cadence volunteers worked closely with BCI staff to create a positive impact on the women and children served by their organization in rural areas. In keeping with Cadence’s culture, the employee volunteers embodied thoughtful collaboration when working alongside staff and community members. When describing her experience on working with Cadence volunteers, BCI’s Program Head of Wellness and Education Initiatives, Monalisa Padhee, explained, “My feedback is integrated in the way [things] are made or it is contextualized, [which] was a real highlight for me because we can talk about collaboration, but really seeing that collaboration is wonderful.” The work of Cadence volunteers and BCI staff will ultimately impact around 3,000 students and community members this year, culminating in approximately 50,000 individuals being positively impacted over the next five years!

The project not only yielded a positive impact on the community served by BCI, but it also proved to be a valuable leadership opportunity for Cadence volunteers. When describing her experience on the project, Cadence volunteer Radhika Chawla explained, “Volunteering is important because I think it gives us a perspective…[and] expands your horizons. It makes you see the world in a different way.” By truly embodying Cadence’s One Team culture, the team of volunteers was able to leverage their professional expertise and knowledge in technology to create lasting change for communities in need alongside nonprofit partners like BCI.

Read on to see how this trip impacted some of this project’s participants:

“That was the kind of mission I love—a mission with goals that are done in a unique way. Gathering 10 people from different countries who didn’t know one another in rural area with a sparkle in their eyes and a goal to make education better, expanding the span of knowledge to those in need.” – Tuval Biran, Sr. Account Executive, LinkedIn Post

“The amalgamation of witnessing diverse cultures and the tech exposure received by developing VR Games for their courses made this an enriching experience. Seeing the team's passion showed us how fast people can adapt and grow with the right opportunities and support.” –  Radhika Chawla, Software Engineer II,  LinkedIn Post

“After coming back from volunteering in India, I have been left with an ever-lasting enthusiasm to continue on this path. Equally, this has been a fantastic experience to meet new people and engage with different communities. My hope is to continue to form a long-lasting partnership with Team4Tech and Barefoot Collage International[.]” – Lucy Down, Technical Communications Manager, LinkedIn Post

“Our time in India has really reinforced my deep commitment to make a positive impact on the world through my work—a commitment I made several years ago. The journey with BCI has just begun, and we are eager to be a small part of creating a world where educational opportunities are abundant and accessible for all, while fostering leadership growth within our own team.” – Amy Migliori, Scientific Partnership Business Development, LinkedIn Post

“This experience with Cadence and BCI has reaffirmed my belief in the potential of technology to revolutionize education and create opportunities for learners around the world. It has ignited a passion within me to continue exploring innovative ways to merge technology and education, making a lasting impact on the lives of individuals and communities.”  – Renan Moreira, Software Engineer I, LinkedIn Post

“This program gave me opportunity to meet new people, learn about different cultures and work with a diverse team that has unique skills and different perspectives…I got [the] chance to really connect and spend time with the community and seeing first-hand how our small actions can make a difference in someone's life.”  – Minu Sachdeva, Sr. Principal Program Manager,  LinkedIn Post

“The dedicated teachers and staff at both Barefoot College International and Team4Tech showed us how we could have a meaningful impact on students that will affect their lives positively as well as their families for generations to come.“ – Linda Smyth, Principal Program Manager, LinkedIn Post

“It was amazing to see so many people from different backgrounds and cultures coming together to work towards such an important cause… I hope the partnership between #Cadence and #Team4Tech continue to bring benefits to other institutions and communities around the world.” – Luiza Trindade, Software Engineer, LinkedIn Post

To learn more about BCI’s work around the world and ways you can support their mission, visit their website.