2022-June-02

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Measurable Actions. Immeasurable Possibilities.

BY HELEN GALL WITH MELISSA USSERY

5 MINUTE READ · 8 MINUTE LISTEN

In 2020, as part of our commitment to powering an all inclusive future for all, Chuck Robbins made a promise to address injustice within the African American and Black community.  

One of our Social Justice actions is specifically designed to increase African American and Black representation at every level of the company.  

As part of that promise, Cisco is a founding member in OneTen — a multi-company initiative focusing on skills-first talent evaluations and less formal education.

OneTen is a coalition of leading companies who are coming together to upskill, hire, and advance one million African American and Black individuals in America over the next ten years into family-sustaining jobs with opportunities for advancement.  

“In our country, 60 percent of our workforce right now doesn't have a four-year degree. In the Black community, it's 78 percent. The American dream, the middle class has to be accessible for all if we're going to have a more perfect union.”

- OneTen CEO Maurice Jones

As a leader in this initiative, Cisco is doing its part by committing to hiring 500 Black employees over the next ten years.   

Hiring OneTen employees began in November 2021. These exceptional employees were welcomed by their hiring managers and teams, who value their unique skill sets and broader experiences.

Here are just a few of their stories.

Steven Cortez

Being from New York, Steven Cortez has always believed in challenging himself. When he was younger, he watched skaters at the X Games and said, “I can do that,” and he did. He took the leap. He put that energy into skating, which he did professionally and still enjoys recreationally today. 

While skating took him years of dedication, computers came naturally. Webcams and the first iPhone blew him away when they first came out, and his love for technology is still growing today.

Even as a food delivery driver, Steven took tech courses around his schedule. This is how he discovered OneTen, Cisco, and his current career as a project manager. 

Steven says his Cisco teammates are incredibly supportive, and are a testament to Cisco being the best place to work in the world.

His colleagues who have more than 10 years of experience in this industry continually remind him, “Cisco hired you because you have the skills to be here.” He took that leap, and it has been worth it ever since. 

Sarah Mason

Sarah began her career with Cisco as a CX lab resource. While attending Wake Tech Community College’s Network Management degree program, she obtained her Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT) certification. 

Once she had passed, her Network Management program team at Wake Tech encouraged her to apply for the contractor position at Cisco. She applied and got hired within two weeks of her final interview in December 2020. She learned about the OneTen program at Cisco and was offered the opportunity to become a technical consultant engineer as a full-time Cisco employee in November 2021. 

After high school, Sarah started on a traditional education path at North Carolina State University. A 17-year-old single mom, working two jobs while going to school, she felt she was in over her head and decided to put school on hold.

Subsequently, she got a job in logistics at Nortel Networks, and her love and passion for networking began. She was always looking for opportunities to learn more, do more, to be a part of problem-solving projects. Sarah says, “It’s one of the ways my brain works, understand it, and come up with creative ways to get to the goal.”

The OneTen program has offered mentorship and the resources to excel at what she loves doing daily. She notes, “For most of my life, I have worked in survival mode. OneTen offers me long-term value, financial stability, mental balance, and the opportunity to plan for a successful future.”

TJ Fisher

Growing up in the Bronx, TJ’s father was a police officer, and his mother worked for the New York Stock exchange. They moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2001 after 9/11.

TJ was never interested in getting a four-year degree.

He had people his life who excelled in their careers without a four-year degree, namely his parents. He had wanted to start his career as quickly as possible. So, he worked for a large bank as a loan manager, then became a digital project manager for a media company.  

These skills put TJ on the radar of Program Manager for Cisco OneTen and Leader of Diversity Programs Keyana Tyson. She saw how quickly he learned new skills in different industries. She reached out via LinkedIn and encouraged him to come to Cisco. 

At first, he could not believe his luck. He had wanted to make the move to a technology company because of a lack of diversity and racial insensitivity in his previous role.

But Cisco intimidated him because of its size. His current manager, Keyana Tyson — who also hired TJ, continues to tell him to this day “you belong here, and your voice matters.”

TJ says, “Joining the Cisco family has been a dream come true. Not only do I get to work under amazing leadership but with my role, I can give opportunities to Black talent that has been long overlooked.”

OneTen has changed TJ’s life. He says, “I am working for a company that practices what it preaches with diversity, and I have been truly empowered by my managers. The best thing about my job is that I get to tell Black talent what I was told when I came to Cisco: You belong here, and your voice matters.”

If you want to continue learning about Cisco’s OneTen program, check out these and other stories on Cisco’s OneTen site. Encourage your leaders to become a diverse hiring manager by contacting the Cisco OneTen team.

Related Links

• OneTen
• Aleta Howell champions diversity and the OneTen initiative to increase representation and inclusion
• Shari Slate: Driven by purpose and our commitment to social justice
• Powering an Inclusive Future: A message from CEO Chuck Robbins
• Building a Better Future with OneTen at Cisco
• Our Impact - CSR & Time2Give
• Cisco Purpose Report 2021
• Careers at Cisco

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