As the year winds down, we’re reflecting on how we’ve kept the spirit of giving alive here at Axonius.
Last year was a unique one, and we adapted by finding creative ways to make an impact through nonprofit donations for virtual booth visits at Black Hat USA and for our The Great Debate series. This year, we continued to keep the spirit of giving alive through a variety of volunteer opportunities, nonprofit donations, programs, and employee-driven initiatives.
Remote Volunteering
The Axonius marketing team partnered with WeHero for two remote volunteer opportunities this year.
Through Packs of Inspiration on January 26, 2021, the team learned about the Somerville Homeless Coalition’s mission. Established in 1985, the organization was created as the local community’s grassroots response to the social crisis of homelessness in Somerville, Massachusetts.
Fourteen team members participated in the event for an estimated total of 21 volunteer hours contributed to the project. We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to support 42 food insecure individuals with food, hygiene items, and notes of inspiration.
On August 12, 2021, the marketing team incorporated a second volunteer opportunity into its quarterly virtual team offsite. They participated in an Art for Social Equality event where activist and artist Brandon Hawkins led the group in creating art that would directly benefit the work of National CARES. Brandon also highlighted his experience as one of the project managers for the Black Lives MatterCincinnati Mural. 23 volunteers participated in this event for an estimated total of 34.5 volunteer hours contributed to the project.
Nonprofit Donations
Another common thread woven throughout our mission to give back in 2021 is that we continued to swap disposable swag with donations to causes that we care about.
For each work anniversary on the marketing team, a donation is made to a nonprofit organization of that individual’s choosing. We also thanked guest speakers for joining internal events by making a donation to a nonprofit organization of their choice.
We’re eternally grateful to have had the opportunity to donate to Brooklyn Autism Center, Children’s Cancer Center, Every Mother Counts, Sandwich Food Pantry, and Reading Partners.
We Are Here
In October 2021, Hacker Valley Studio launched their We Are Here podcast series, which focuses on exploring Black excellence in cybersecurity. Over the course of Season 1, Chris Cochran and Ronald Eddings took listeners on an audio journey that dives deep into representation in the tech sector. The season culminated with a dedication to the DEI function at SANS. Season 2, which was released in November 2021, was done in collaboration with CrowdStrike.
Employee-Driven Initiatives
In February 2021, I had the opportunity to donate 60 handmade cards to the Valentines for Veterans and Vaccinators program led by U.S. representatives Antonio Delgado (NY-19) and Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18).
In fall 2021, Kaite Rosa, senior director of brand, started adding a small civic engagement effort to Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Board meetings. The board donated much-needed children's items to the Elizabeth Freeman Center, a Berkshires-based organization that offers services and shelter to survivors of domestic assault.
This month, Accounting Manager Peter Dieudonne led a drive to provide tablets for school children participating in remote learning in his home country of St. Lucia, which has been impacted by the lack of tourism as a result of the ongoing pandemic.
Axonius for Good
The initiatives above are part of the Axonius for Good program, which seeks to invest in future cybersecurity talent, cultivate industry engagement, and strengthen our communities.
Our areas of impact include:
- Investing in the next generation: We pledge to empower underrepresented youth to pursue a career in cybersecurity.
- Cultivating industry engagement: We pledge to offer industry peers with opportunities to be the change together.
- Strengthening our communities: We pledge to encourage our employees to create a lasting impact in their communities.
The spirit of paying it forward is woven into the company culture through our Volunteering and Charity Plan. Every employee is granted two volunteer days, and Axonius donates $25 to Cyversity for each volunteer day.
We look forward to organizing volunteer days at our two company sites, New York City and Tel Aviv, as soon as it’s safe to resume in-person activities.
Thank you to our partner organizations and industry peers in helping us achieve our giving goals this year. We can’t wait to make an even bigger impact in 2022!
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