Inclusion and Diversity

Proximity is like opening curtains on a bright, sunny day: the light comes in and shows you all the details of the room, especially the things you may not have noticed before.

Maria Martinez, Cisco Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, explains why Cisco is making a $150 million commitment to build an inclusive future and help HBCUs strategically recover and flourish.

There’s no doubt that life has been tough and we have all had to find our own ways of coping with a different way of living. How do we find ways to move from just about coping to thriving in this environment?

Shine your light further than you’ve shone before. Now that you can clearly see a list of your top talents and abilities, it’s time to get the word out there! Because if you don’t illuminate your core strengths, it’s unlikely others will on your behalf in this busy, fast-paced world of ours.

Ask yourself, when was the last time you were vulnerable, transparent, and authentic with someone different than you at work or in your personal life? Did it unlock new conversations or inspire others to action?

At Cisco we aspire to power an inclusive future for all, and that means opening our hearts and minds to difference, celebrating individuality and learning to walk in the shoes of those different from ourselves. To embrace the power of difference is to open the way for transformational change.

Since the murder of George Floyd, I’ve had friends and co-workers ask me: “What can I do to support the Black community?” I love the spirit and intention of this question. My initial response is that it’s about leveraging the Power of Proximity.

If given the chance, what advice would you give your younger self? Learn what successful practitioners say helped them to be successful in their cybersecurity career.

At Cisco, we're here to build connections to allow the best kinds of conversations to happen. See how Webex helped Reese Witherspoon and Dr. Anita Phillips “hear” one another on Hello Sunshine’s Shine On with Reese at Home.