Written by: Cordu Sock (US Chair - Blaccsara), Gwen Martin (ATL Events Manager - Blaccsara), Aliyah Morphis (SF Lead - Blaccsara)

Blaccsara was formed in 2018 with the mission of dedication to the unity and prosperity of Black and African individuals, as well as our allies, at Samsara and beyond. We strive to build a community that is uplifting, empowering, educational, healing, and most of all, fun. Over the past five years, our group has grown to 80+ members across our locations and remotely. During this time, Blaccsara has educated and engaged Samsara employees with impactful events and programming, acted as thought partners to Samsara’s leadership and People teams as our DEI goals and commitments have grown, and created space to hold transparent discussions on our employees’ life experiences and being Black in the tech industry.

Some of us are the first in our families—and even our social circles—to start careers in the tech industry. Although it’s empowering to blaze this trail, it can also be alienating to work in an environment without coworkers or customers that look like you. Furthermore, many Black employees working in tech do so without a strong support system that understands this experience. At Samsara, we’re lucky to have the support of the Blaccsara community, including the mentorship of many great Black leaders who graciously share their experience and guidance.

Building for the future: Blaccsara in 2023 and beyond

Blaccsara is kicking off the year with U.S. Black History Month celebrations that create awareness of Black history and the ways in which Black people have resisted oppression, discrimination, and prejudice. We are hosting several events to celebrate as a team, including Black history trivia, a game night, a yoga class focused on mental health, an inspirational fireside chat, and in-person happy hours at our San Francisco and Atlanta offices. 

Our efforts do not end after February—Blaccsara is dedicated to the inclusivity, career development, and engagement of Samsarians throughout the year. We’ll continue our efforts by partnering with other Samsara ERGs, hosting inclusive sourcing sessions with our Recruiting team, celebrating U.K. Black History Month in our London office during October, and more.

As we continue to organize thoughtful events to foster our community of members and allies, our goals remain to increase engagement and ensure a sense of belonging. Our members have shared that the events over the past year have provided them the opportunities to form camaraderie and friendship as well as to meet Black leaders in the company and foster long-lasting mentorships. While we build for the future and expand Blaccsara’s reach as Samsara grows, the pillars that inform our efforts are:

• Culture: Promote Black culture through education, social and wellness events.

• Talent: Encourage talent from our ERG member networks to apply for open roles through our referral program.

• Community: Organize external community volunteer initiatives and fundraising to support charity organizations such as the NAACP.

• Insights and Innovation: Provide strategic guidance and input for Samsara's key initiatives such as hiring and retaining diverse talent, and developing new products and strategies for connecting with our customers.

Prioritizing mental wellness and preventing burnout

In the fast-paced tech world, being from an underrepresented group and having low representation in the industry can be isolating at times. Furthermore, when events of hate and injustice happen in the world, it becomes clear that the importance of day-to-day tasks diminishes and mental health is paramount. 

Promoting open discussions and positive practices around mental health has always been a top priority of Blaccsara. As leaders in our organization, carving out time for ourselves and encouraging everyone to do the same is incredibly important. In addition to Blaccsara’s commitment to the mental health of our members, Samsara’s leadership prioritizes employee mental well-being and work flexibility with bi-annual company-wide mental health days, generous PTO, flexible work policy, and healthcare benefits that include therapy and coaching sessions.

For us to be fully present for our teams, customers, and our Blaccsara community, we take on the mindset that our health and wellbeing must come first.

Embodying our “Be Inclusive” value

As humans, we thrive when we feel a sense of value and belonging. Companies can best support Black employees by creating a work environment where belonging is ingrained in everything they do. Samsara has invested in multiple efforts to best support Black employees, from bias and microaggression mitigation training, recruiting efforts to diversify leadership, and mentorship opportunities that allow Black talent to grow their careers. As Samsara grows and expands these programs, we look forward to continuing to partner with leadership to be a voice for Black employees.

We joined Blaccsara’s leadership team because of the positive experiences we had as new members, and we are eager to have a hand in further building this community and amplifying the voices of Black employees here at Samsara. Our hope is to continue to create an inclusive workplace at Samsara and to make Black employees feel seen, heard, and empowered at work.

We are committed to diversity across our company and ensuring that Samsara is a place where people from all backgrounds can make an impact. We encourage you to check out our careers page to learn more about our teams and people.