WP Engine “Represents” at Diversity and Inclusion Happy Hour

At WP Engine, we believe in creating a workplace that fosters diversity and inclusion. We know this belief is intrinsically tied to progress and performance, it traces back to our Core Values, and it’s been a guiding light for our company since our founding in 2010.

In an effort to enshrine this belief across our company’s global footprint, WP Engine encourages the creation of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) that are able to advocate for each and every one of our team members.

One of those employee groups, Represents, was created in 2018 to, as their mission states, increase awareness of the different perspectives and experiences faced by underrepresented racial and ethnic groups within the tech industry today, all with a focus on increasing the number of opportunities for all.

Represents recently hosted its first happy hour at a popular bar and restaurant in downtown Austin, where the group spent time getting to know one another while discussing some of the unique situations they’ve experienced as employees with various backgrounds working in the world of tech.

“Represents is one of WP Engine’s first ERGs, and we couldn’t have been happier to host our first official event,” said Jathan Désir, a Senior Manager for WP Engine’s Premium Plus Technical Success team and one of Represents’ co-founders.

“This event helped promote one of our three key objectives—Engage Employees—as we were thrilled to have more than two dozen employees not only attend but actively engage with one another and share and learn.”

Hong Nga Nguyen, an Affiliate Manager, Associate on WP Engine’s Marketing team, who is also a member of Represent’s core team added that Represents is inclusive of all WP Engine employees, and the input they received at the happy hour would help shape future activities.

“As the name suggests, this group was created to represent all of our peers at WP Engine,” Désir said. “Everything we do points back to that mission.”

Members also used the happy hour to discuss what a more diverse workplace might look like, as well as some initiatives they could take on to help people from all backgrounds feel more comfortable at WP Engine.  

“I think there are a number of things we can do to make people from all walks of life feel more comfortable in the workplace,“ said Nakware Howard, who recently joined Represents. “A lot of it starts with looking at our own unconscious biases and then moving forward from there. I think a lot of people could make a huge impact by making a small adjustment like that.”

WP Engine will continue to build on groups like Represents and the initiatives these employees are spearheading. If you’re interested in learning more about being an employee at WP Engine, visit our Careers Page and stay tuned to the WP Engine blog for more about groups like Represents and the events they have scheduled.