Life at Cadence Blogs

I grew up in a town where nearly 80% of the population identifies as Hispanic or Latino. Being proud of my culture and background is something that I continuously celebrate and carried with me when I started working in tech, where Hispanics and Latinos make up less than 7% of the population. I feel very fortunate to work at Cadence, a company whose culture, policies, and programs aim to create an inclusive employee base and support underrepresented groups including Hispanics and Latinos. Over the past year, I’ve been proud to see how Cadence made concerted efforts to support underrepresented employees, which has also shaped my own work experience and development.  

Mentorship

This year I was able to participate in Cadence’s Black and Latinx employee mentorship program that directly focuses on matching Black and Hispanic employees with leaders across the organization. I was matched with a thoughtful application engineer who has provided me with great insights into the importance of setting career goals, seeking new opportunities, and championing one’s own accomplishments. We meet up monthly to discuss career goals and his support and encouragement have given me new perspective on my own professional journey.

Cadencia Latinx Community

Additionally, employees and allies at Cadence are welcome to join inclusion groups where they can come together to support one another, learn from thought leaders, and find community within Cadence. According to Great Place to Work, inclusion groups play a pivotal role in supporting underrepresented employee groups as they “build high-trust relationships that help companies flourish. The groups foster a sense of belonging and inspire conversation, bring new ways to look at issues, and drive innovation.” Through Cadencia, Cadence’s inclusion group for Latinx employees and allies, I’ve participated in inspiring roundtables with civil rights leaders, as well as festive salsa dance classes as a fun way to connect to Latino culture. Being able to share these experiences and finding common cultural ground with others has added an extra sense of belonging to my time at Cadence.

Efforts to Support our Communities

Beyond the employee experience, it’s also inspiring to see how the company’s efforts have real-world impact on the future of the industry. Cadence offers a $5,000 Latinx Students in Technology scholarship (along with the Black Students in Technology and Women in Technology scholarships) to directly enable Latinx students in STEM to pursue their education and achieve their goals. Applications are currently open and all eligible Latinx or Hispanic students and interns should apply. This scholarship program highlights Cadence’s commitment to building a culture that fosters inclusion and embraces diverse backgrounds, experiences, and ideas.

Also pivotal in Cadence’s larger goals to support the Latinx community in STEM is their sponsorship of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), the nation’s largest association dedicated to fostering Hispanic leadership in the STEM field. SHPE changes lives by empowering the Hispanic community to realize its fullest potential and to impact the world through STEM awareness, access, support, and development.

Latinx Heritage Month

I’ve been at Cadence for five years, longer than any other company I’ve worked for, and I wouldn’t have stayed here all this time if I didn’t feel like the organization’s values aligned with my own, particularly embracing and supporting a diverse workforce made up of people from all ethnicities, cultures, orientations, expressions, and backgrounds. National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15) recognizes the contributions and influence of Hispanic-Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States, but what inspires me is how Cadence continues to support its Hispanic and Latino employees through several impactful ways, not only throughout this month, but year round.