Inclusion, Diversity & Belonging
Progress is an inclusive workplace where opportunities to succeed are available to everyone.
Our unique combination of perspectives inspires innovation, connects us to our customers and positively affects our communities.
What I really want is for employees to feel as though they have a vested interest in inclusion, equity and diversity. This work is not just for “underrepresented” groups. There’s something for everyone.
Dr. Shirley Knowles Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer
Pillars of an Inclusive Company
Progress strives to be a diverse, equitable and inclusive company where every employee– no matter their experience, perspective, identity, or belief–has a sense of belonging. Belonging is a deeply felt sense that you’re a part of something bigger. You are welcomed and a valued member of a group or community. It’s when you feel comfortable to bring your authentic, whole self to work, knowing you and your ideas will be respectfully seen and heard.
Education
We believe that Inclusion and Diversity (I&D) starts with education. It’s critical for employees to understand the “why” behind I&D before we ask them to do the “how”.
“The I&D training was extremely helpful, enlightening and valuable. It reinforced for me that Inclusion & Diversity is really about how we interact and treat each other so that everyone feels they are valued. Every single employee has a stake in helping to make us a more inclusive and diverse company. “
Michael Duncan
Values
Our I&D mission is engrained into our ProgressPROUD values, especially the “R”: respect differences and diversity.
“I found the Inclusion & Diversity trainings to be eye-opening, particularly around the concept of unconscious bias. While most people have good intentions and proper manners, we can unknowingly be influenced by automated thinking. I sent my team the link for an Implicit Association Test so we can become more aware of these biases.”
Tom Stevens
Community
It takes a village to maintain a successful inclusion and diversity program, which is why we see collaboration and accountability with this work between our senior leaders, managers, and individual contributors.
“The inclusion training created an amazingly safe space for the attendees to participate in discussions that can sometimes be uncomfortable. The instructors guided the conversation gently and used a number of tools that enabled the participants to share their experiences and ask questions to better understand different perspectives. “
ANGELA CAMPBELL
Our Active Progress ERGs
ASPIRE
Leaders - Koyin Shih and Soofia Shaik
Our mission:
- Connect APIs and allies to exchange ideas, share challenges, collaborate and provide support in a safe environment
- Celebrate and promote the unique cultures, traditions, voices, and viewpoints of the API community
- Counsel APIs in career growth and advancement, leadership and networking
Blacks@Progress
Leaders - Rochelle Wheeler and April Turner
Our mission:
- To foster and sustain an environment at Progress that will advocate for the recruitment, retention, and professional advancement of Black Progress employees at all job levels
- Create opportunities for leadership development, networking, mentoring education, service, and community outreach.
ENABLE
Leaders - Sheila Kelley, Maria Kabaivanova and Erica McShane
Our mission:
- Focus on education, collaboration, process, technology adoption and support to ensure Progress is a place where people with differing abilities feel welcome, safe and appreciated.
- We also endeavor to create a safe space for education, raising awareness among all employees about the challenges faced by those with disabilities. with the goal of overcoming stereotypes and stigmas.
Plus
Leaders - Mariyan Vasev and Todor Totev
Our mission:
- To foster an LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) community at Progress
- We aim to build bridges across the company to connect and represent the voices and stories of the LGBTQ+ Progressers
- We promote visibility and awareness into the social issues that affect us and ensure a space to discuss and inform into the I&D efforts at the company.
Progress for Her
Leaders - Jennette Skaggs, Angela Campbell and Terrie Butcher
Our mission:
- To empower women at Progress by providing leadership and networking opportunities, as well as the tools needed to create substantial influence both in and out of our professional network
- We create a supportive space to amplify women's ideas and concepts to ensure an inclusive environment within Progress and beyond.
Unidos en Progress
Leaders - Ramiro Millan and Fernanda Murillo
Our mission:
- To foster intercultural understanding and to empower Hispanics to overcome the challenges they face.
Veterans@Progress
Leaders - Glenn Mulno and Steve Southwell
Our mission:
- To foster an inclusive community of veterans, reserve servicemembers, and military families at Progress and in our local communities
- Through engaging with Veterans@Progress, our members will find a community where we are included and belong while also driving programs that support and encourage each other.
I&D Advisory Committee
Dimitrina Petrova
FINANCE DIRECTOR
Being part of different teams and divisions over the years, Dimitrina has a lot to share with fellow colleagues. She is passionate about communication and exploring new environments, being especially interested in understanding how people connect and interact. Dimi harnesses the power of numbers to optimize and improve what she does, always seeking to ensure the best customer experience. Her topics of interest are learning to lose and establishing trust. After work, she is always ready to discuss any topic over a glass of beer or wine.
Adi Hod
FINANCE DIRECTOR
Adi is currently the Manager of Facilities for the Northeast Region, working out of the Burlington HQ. He is currently responsible for the real estate/facilities maintenance and wellness upkeep. Since joining Progress in 2018, Adi played a large part in merging workforces from the acquisitions of Ipswitch and Kemp to Progress, working hard to make Day 1 experiences inclusive for employees. The mottos that Adi lives his life by are "People should treat others as they would want to be treated" and "PKR—Practice Radical Kindness," because spreading positivity into the world is noticed and appreciated by all. Adi believes that there is more that brings people together than separates them, and that by taking the time to understand each other's backgrounds and values creates a sense of inclusiveness that drives company momentum forward.
Zack Bunn
FINANCE DIRECTOR
Zack Bunn is a Business Generation Rep with Core A Growth Products. He started with Progress in December of 2021. Zack and his husband are active in their local community supporting LGBTQIA+ youth in Sturbridge, MA. Zack believes that everyone has something to learn from others, no matter the background, and that diversity should be celebrated.
Shravani Roy
FINANCE DIRECTOR
Diversity is a mix of differences, while inclusion is making the mix work. Sharavani believes it is through the process of inclusion that we learn different viewpoints and experiences—and, that this is what drives innovation. Shravani is part of the Chef Content Experience team in Core C. She likes to build stuff and loves to learn about new technologies. Shravani enjoys traveling and reading her way around the world, as well as doodling and painting for leisure.
Jason Williams
FINANCE DIRECTOR
Jason is the Director, Online Community, responsible for all things Core A community related.He is based in Northern Virginia and came to Progress by way of the Ipswitch acquisition.He has been with Ipswitch/Progress for 17 years and has held roles in tech support, QA, sales and product management.Jason strongly believes that if you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem.His goal within the I&D committee is to take a more active role in being a part of the solution.
Glenn Mulno
FINANCE DIRECTOR
Located in Burlington, MA USA, Glenn is a Senior Manager for Technical Support, working with the products of Sitefinity, iMail and MessageWay, and has been #ProgressProud for over 13 years combined. Glenn works on the Infrastructure Council within support, with a focus on all external and internal support content, as well as the hardware infrastructure for support (phones, Salesforce, etc). Glenn works with the Training Council to conduct soft skills training for new support engineers and other customer-facing people. Glenn is also one of the co-captains for the Veterans@Progress ERG. It is Glenn’s belief that everyone should question their assumptions about inclusion and diversity and strive to help foster an as welcoming and inclusive environment as we all can build together.
Mushkbar Khan
FINANCE DIRECTOR
Mushkbar has been a part of the People Experience Team since August 2021. I&D is very close to her heart since she completely believes in the concept. Being a part of the People Experience Team, Mushkbar wants to increase awareness towards the same through initiatives and actions. People should not only open their minds but also their hearts to foster change. She believes that inclusion and diversity is the key to success bringing together individuals with varied minds, experiences and passions to work towards organizational success together. Mushkbar is keen on knowing and deep diving into this concept a bit more. She also firmly believes that a progressive organization is the one that reduces bias, fosters inclusivity and creates feelings of belonging for employees of all backgrounds.
Michael Beatty
FINANCE DIRECTOR
Michael Beatty is originally from Rochester, NY and settled in St. Louis, Missouri in 2003. He is a US Navy Desert Storm Veteran, married with three children, a girl and two boys—one who works at Progress. Joining Progress Chef in April 2021, he believes that a strong inclusion and diversity strategy can help organizations attract top talent and drive innovative results. He is a dedicated supporter of the Little Dreams Foundation. Bonus fun fact: Michael has twin nieces who volunteered from Vet School (Michigan State) at Big Cat Rescue for Carole Baskin of “Tiger King” fame!
Daniela Dimitrova
FINANCE DIRECTOR
Daniela is a Senior Director, Software Engineering in IT, responsible for the Website & Application Development teams. She is based in Sofia and has been with the company since 2013. One of her core values, driving both her personal and professional life is the kaizen (Japanese word for continuous improvement) mindset. She thinks that integral parts of continuous improvement are different perspectives, a broad range of experiences and an open mind to learn from every situation and every person around you. And that everybody has something to share.
Iliyan Iliev
FINANCE DIRECTOR
liyan is an Engineering Manager based in Sofia since joining the company in 2012. Iliyan believes “that the only way to reach the best decisions and minimize potential risks is to include various points of view. We all fall victim to our biases and exclude that important opinion which could have changed the whole point of view.” He believes that everyone should be given the same opportunities for growth and talent expression.
Jocelyn Parfaite
FINANCE DIRECTOR
Jocelyn is the Office Coordinator/Facilities Support in the Alpharetta, Georgia office and joined Progress in 2019. She is an active volunteer and supports organizations such as Black Girls Code, Fulton County Senior Services and Meals on Wheels. Jocelyn believes we should all take the opportunity to learn, grow, support and celebrate all people and their differences.
Nichol Goldstein
FINANCE DIRECTOR
Nichol is the Community Engagement Specialist, responsible for Programs and Gamification for employees, partners, customers, and potential users within the Progress Core A Community. She is based in the Bedford office and has enjoyed being a Progresser since 2018. Nichol thinks that every perspective is worth hearing. There is a saying that goes, “You have two ears, but only one mouth, and this is for a reason,” and so she’s excited to learn more from her colleagues and support our efforts to be more diverse and inclusive.
Sam Basu
FINANCE DIRECTOR
Sam is a Developer Advocate in Core B/Telerik. He has been with Progress since 2013 and works remotely from his home in Erie, Pennsylvania. When it comes to inclusion and diversity, Sam says, “A diversified inclusive workplace empowers everyone to do their best. Empathy makes a lot of business sense.”
Shalini Thakkur
FINANCE DIRECTOR
Shalini is part of the Product Operations team in Core C. She firmly believes that every intellectual is uniquely talented and needs a forum to be their best. As part of the I&D committee, she wants to intentionally drive action that synergize and make Progress – A Great Place to Be! Every day she strives to keep everyone positive and draws inspiration from her network to improve herself and others around her.
Todd Karabatsos
FINANCE DIRECTOR
Todd is a Finance Director within the Corporate FP&A department based in Bedford, MA. Throughout his 10-year career at Progress, he’s had the opportunity to work across several different functions of the organization. It is through this experience that he’s reinforced his belief that diversity in people, culture and ideas creates the best environment for success.
Vivek Taparia
FINANCE DIRECTOR
Vivek is working as a Senior Engineering Manager with Core A Product Group. He is based in Hyderabad, India, and has been a part of Progress since Jan 2011. He believes that a strong inclusion and diversity strategy can help organizations attract top talent and drive innovative results.
Focus Areas
Take tangible action on leadership’s commitment to inclusion and diversity
To show our leaders are committed to this work, we have them commit to action items - like diversifying their talent pool - that shows their dedication. Currently, we have nearly 100% of our CEO Staff participating in our mentorship program.
Foster a connected culture of belonging
We believe it’s important for employees to feel seen and valued, which is directly tied to belonging. We are able to measure our success in a number of ways, including engagement surveys and listening tours as well as offering celebratory events and learning opportunities through our employee resource groups.
Leverage inclusion and diversity for brand reputation
Our employees know the work we’re doing in the inclusion and diversity space and we’d like to share that with the world. By spotlighting the work of our I&D team, our leaders and our employees, we are showing our external stakeholders, including candidates, that we are truly committed to this work.
Build an inclusive and diverse talent pipeline
We are constantly evolving our I&D strategy as we recruit, hire and develop our employees. We understand that diversity of background, thought, education, skillset and life experiences creates a talent pool better equipped to innovate, which makes us a stronger company.
ProgressPROUD Podcast
Episode 1:
Progress leadership talks inclusion & diversity
Episode 2:
Lessons learned from a double-lung transplant: How to move through life’s unexpected challenges and…
Listen all episodesRelated Resources
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