AcumatiCares
We live in a world of continuous change, where the way we work has transformed and long-standing norms and practices are no longer accepted. Just look at the workforce: Decades ago, most professions were primarily occupied by men. Great strides have taken place over the years, and today we see 47% of the global workforce made up of women. Yet, the most significant catalyst for much of the change and transformation that is shaping our current work and social environment—the technology sector—is the one industry that is lagging on gender equity.
In a world of continuous change, there are some areas where maintaining the status quo is unacceptable. With only 26.7% of the tech workforce made up of women, a dramatic gender gap still exists.
How can we overcome this gender disparity in the tech industry?
At Acumatica, we believe an important part of the answer lies in building a culture of celebrating, inspiring, and uniting women in technology and creating processes and programs to sustain and grow these efforts. Beyond just words, our commitment is grounded in a rock-solid belief that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is not only something we should do, but also is an ideal that is embedded into who we are as a growing and evolving organization.
How Acumatica Is Addressing the Equality Gap
It starts with prioritizing fostering an inclusive work environment—thus ensuring that every person is valued for who they are and what they bring to the table. A key component of our AcumatiCares program is dedicated to promoting gender equality, by providing equal opportunity to qualified women and offering them the work-life balance so vital to finding success.
As Chief People Officer at Acumatica, I’ve had the privilege to hear from many of our female employees on what they need to thrive and succeed in today’s tech environment. The words they use and the experiences they share not only help shape our approach to gender issues, but also offer a compelling illustration of our programs and culture in support of women.
Through Flexibility and Support
For working mothers, juggling professional and personal responsibilities is challenging, and it requires flexible schedules. According to Irina Barber, Acumatica’s Director of Integrated Marketing and Demand Generation, the company is responsive to her unique needs.
I joined Acumatica two years ago, and this was one of the best decisions I made in my career. Along with my marketing role, I have another important job: I’m a mother of three little daughters. Though my family life keeps me very busy, I didn’t plan on slowing down my career, and Acumatica gave me a unique opportunity to be able to do these two exciting jobs well.
At Acumatica, we have an established culture of supporting mothers—from having great inspiring colleagues who are mothers and successful professionals to great policies to support mothers. For example, when I was expecting my third baby, the company invested in a state-of-the-art Mamava lactation station so that I and other mothers could come to the office when we wanted to and equally participate in business meetings.
Thanks to Acumatica, my three daughters are growing knowing that they don’t need to choose between motherhood and career.
Sonia Tanase, Talent Acquisition Manager, Acumatica, echoes Irina’s sentiment.
One of the things that I love about working at Acumatica is the flexibility. As a working mom with two young children, it is important to me to have flexibility and balance to be able to perform my job, and at the same time, to be able to take care of the needs of my family. I feel empowered in my role. I love that I have ownership of the projects I work on and that I am being recognized for the work I do. I love that I get to be creative, to think outside the box, be strategic and to come up with solutions. I truly see the impact of my work.
Tejal Rastogi, Marketing Manager, Demand Generation has carved out a “great career path” thanks to Acumatica’s flexibility and support.
What I love most about Acumatica is the flexibility to work from home and the ability to adjust my hours. This has been a great benefit for my family and allows me to be both a mother and to have a career. The company strives to give a good work-life balance, which as a new mom is very important for me. I can do my job nearly anywhere and can take the time I need for family items without question.
Through Empowerment
Empowerment is taking control of one’s life and growing confident in one’s abilities. That means providing women with the opportunities, training, and resources they need to succeed. Kim Plank, Customer Success Marketing Manager, has been at Acumatica for four-and-a-half years, and in that time, she’s taken advantage of these opportunities to establish herself as a strong marketing professional in the IT industry.
At Acumatica, I am challenged to be the best at my job that I can be, and I see a wealth of other women here doing the same thing. We cheer one another on and learn what others have accomplished. Knowing that I am a part of a company where responsibility to the greater community is also something that Acumatica cares about really resonates with me. The fact that it also aligns with empowering women and the next generation made me especially proud of the decision I made to come to join TEAM Acumatica—and continues to motivate me every day.
Jessica Pidgeon, Senior Manager, Partner Programs (who has been featured on CRN’s Women of the Channel List for two consecutive years), also credits Acumatica for enabling women to succeed in a male-dominated industry. She further believes that women must take advantage of opportunities and use their voices to elevate themselves.
I have felt very empowered as a female employee at Acumatica. Senior management has given me opportunities to grow in the organization as well as be visible in the greater ecosystem. The team embraces thought leadership and new ideas of how we can consistently improve the service we provide to our customers and partners.
I feel so fortunate to have an organization that embraces diversity, women, and the contributions we offer. We have a lot to say!
Divya Ganesh echoes Kim and Jessica’s thoughts on the importance of removing limitations. Starting her career in technology as a developer, Divya realized she was passionate about the business side of the equation and joined the Acumatica team three years ago. As Acumatica’s Senior Director, Product Marketing, she has been able to grow her team, expand her team’s charter, and energize Acumatica’s Product Marketing brand.
My title does not limit me; the only limiting factor is my confidence in my team’s capacity and ability to deliver. Statistics reveal that product-centric roles in technology are male-dominated sports. But, to Acumatica’s credit, my gender does not dictate what is possible or achievable—my work and my team’s work does. That is mighty empowering, and I am grateful to Acumatica for that.
Through Leadership Opportunities and Being an Essential Part of the Team
As a growing number of women are moving into leadership roles in every industry, Acumatica is passionate about advancing women in tech. Adriana Flores, Partner Marketing Program Manager, appreciates the opportunities for career advancement:
Acumatica is welcoming and embraces diversity and new voices. The team facilitates opportunities to build rapport and credibility within Acumatica and with partners. Seeing female peers getting promoted to senior roles in the last year is encouraging.
Stephanie Gamble, Business Administrative Assistant, echoes Adriana’s thoughts:
I enjoy seeing a number of women in leadership roles and being able to come to each of them in various situations for guidance and advice. I also value that my growth as a female employee is prioritized from the top down. Acumatica does a great job of highlighting the women of Acumatica and their many vital contributions to the company.
Sarah Kurpe, Major Partner Account Manager—who has been with Acumatica for five years—has ascended to a senior role at Acumatica. She encourages women to get rid of any limiting beliefs, to learn new things, to figure out what may be stopping them from moving forward, and to take on more with their roles.
Helping other women uncover more of their strengths and exploring this potential are often critical to success. Many women here at Acumatica have demonstrated this to me and continue to encourage me to adopt new ideas and expand my thinking. Our leadership team has encouraged me to work in areas outside my comfort zone, where I can really experience the most impact in my personal and professional life. This has ultimately empowered me to set high goals and hopefully encourage others to explore new opportunities for growth and advancement, too.
In addition to providing leadership opportunities, we at Acumatica believe that the hallmark of a winning team is that all members feel included and valued. When they do, they’re willing and able to collaborate with each other to reach a common goal. Acumatica works hard to build a welcoming and supportive team, and Mia Rodgers, Web Marketing Manager, says our hard work is paying off.
As a woman at Acumatica, I truly feel part of the team. Working with technology utilizes my creative side, my analytical side, and my competitive side. It is a medium that can easily be crafted, optimized, and gauged to create content pieces that are new, personal and continuously improved as they are viewed and utilized.
Making an Impact in the Broader Community
As a cloud ERP leader and rapidly growing organization, we understand our role and responsibility to have the processes in place to address gender discrimination and embrace gender equity. Our CEO John Case feels passionately about building a culture of equality and inclusivity—as evidenced through his thoughts in a recent press release announcing Acumatica’s sponsorship of Paretta Autosport, the first and only woman-owned, woman-driven, and woman-forward NTT INDYCAR team.
We are laser-focused on our AcumatiCares program, which aims to make the world a better, more inclusive place. Paretta Autosport’s commitment to training the next generation of women in STEM resonates deeply with us as we seek to create opportunities for women in our industry.
To make an impact, it takes fostering a culture of equality and inclusivity and putting the programs and processes in place to build and extend that culture. That is the idea behind our new Women in Tech (WiT) forum, which launches publicly this week. Leveraging the reach of our Acumatica Community site, which serves over 14,000 members, WiT is a mentorship resource for Acumatica’s female professionals and will be a dedicated space for them to learn, support their peers, and grow within the tech community.
The WiT launch builds on our women in tech initiatives that are featured at our annual Acumatica Summit. Our Women in Tech Luncheon event continues to attract huge crowds, so the luncheon at this year’s Summit (January 29 – February 3, 2022, at the Wynn Las Vegas) is going next level with an additional event that focuses on empowering women in tech and teaching new skills. Our host for both events will be Nada Lena, the Founder and CEO of Rise Up For You. These are do-not-miss events, and we expect sold-out crowds. (Stay tuned for more information on these events.)
Acumatica’s advocacy for women in tech and women in STEM is also evident in our support for Girls Who Code, a nonprofit organization that is determined to close the gender gap in technology through clubs, summer programs, college and career programs, and more. The organization helps women of all ages explore code, investigate tech jobs, and build community with other women in tech. With 14 billion engagements globally, Girls Who Code is on target to fulfill its mission, and we look forward to welcoming its members into the Acumatica community.
Even with these programs and the progress we are making in building an inclusive culture, we understand the importance of commitment and perseverance in making meaningful progress. While Acumatica currently, stands above the industry average with 37% of our workforce made up of women—29% of whom are people managers—we understand there is still work to do.
Acumatica will continue to invest in diversity and prioritize hiring talented women, and in spearheading a supportive and inclusive culture. As Jessica Pidgeon concisely put it, “It’s vital that you find a company that emphasizes women in leadership roles.”
We are taking the steps and building the culture to ensure Acumatica is that company. To learn more about what Acumatica stands for as well as about our award-winning cloud ERP software, contact our team today.
