Power’s InspirASIAN Employee Resource Group Celebrates New Beginnings for 2nd Annual Emerge Event

Culture

Every year, each one of POWER’s employee resource groups (ERGs) hosts a weekend-long event to celebrate their respective community. In October, InspirASIAN — POWER’s ERG dedicated to the Asian and Pacific Islander communities and allies — held their annual “Emerge” bringing together employees from all across the county to empower and uplift the diverse Asian and Pacific Islander voices within the business.

Read on to learn how relationship-building, reflection, and community service shaped this unique and enriching employee experience.

Day One: A Warm Welcome

Day One's evening reception was a welcoming gathering for InspirASIAN members.

Day one of Emerge was all about welcoming attendees to POWER’s home turf of Philadelphia. As many of the attendees were newer employees of territory offices, it was important to give them an inside look into POWER’s Headquarters. A tour of the facility to observe other business units in action provided an understanding of how the business runs and an opportunity to meet and interact with teammates.

After concluding the tour on the 6th floor where the Business Technology department operates, the team was greeted with a welcome reception, which included a speed-dating style ice breaker to help attendees get to know one another.

To end the evening, some of POWER’s more senior InspirASIAN members, including Chief Production Officer and InspirASIAN’s executive sponsor, Rob Borislow, hosted a casual discussion panel to provide a more eye-opening experience for the newer attendees.

An Emerge attendee holds up a t-shirt with a patch of the flag of her native country. — *_{Tricia Helal is touched by the personalized swag that represents her culture.}*

“I think the most fulfilling thing about the event for me was just seeing how much our little details truly impacted the attendees,” said Kristina Gorman — a POWER photographer and Secretary of InspirASIAN. “The team and I put so much care into this event, and you can only hope that it translates through to the attendees, and it did. I heard attendee, David Maka, open up his flag from his country he represented and tell his coworker that this made him feel special. Same with Tricia Helal when she saw that the flag of the country she represented was printed on the sleeve of the t-shirt we created. Having a part in making our attendees feel special and seen truly impacted me.”

Day Two: Showing Up in the Community

POWER employees help one another bag leaves during volunteer project. — *_{InspirASIAN incorporates community services into every Emerge event.}*

Day two kicked off with a volunteer project at the Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center in Philadelphia — an embodiment of InpsirASIAN’s shared commitment to the environment and community service. The group helped with a large outdoor cleanup of the gardens, raking and bagging leaves which beautified the grounds.

After the cleanup, attendees participated in a group breakout session focusing on the event’s theme of “New Beginnings.” These open and heartfelt discussions help to cultivate genuine bonds among attendees, creating a greater sense of belonging and solidarity.

Power employees sit together for their group breakout session. — *_{Friday’s volunteer project concludes with a group breakout session, sharing experiences and deepening bonds with one another.}*

Next up on the agenda, was a group dinner at Mr. Pig — a Korean BBQ restaurant. Every element of our Emerge event is created with intention from ERG leaders and POWER’s People Experience department. Supporting Asian-owned establishments is another way in which the group is supporting their respective community outside of company walls.

Day Three: An Exploration of the City & Ourselves

Power employee points at a mural during a walking tour of Chinatown in Philadelphia. — *_{A tour of Chinatown offers Emerge attendees an inside look into the city’s rich Asian culture and the community’s resilience.}*

On Saturday, attendees started the morning off with breakfast at Reading Terminal Market, tasting the flavors of different Asian cuisines. Next up was a walking tour around Philadelphia’s Chinatown to learn more about the city’s rich Asian culture. After the tour concluded, attendees had time to reflect through a guided journaling session.

It was important for the Emerge event to represent varying cultural traditions of the large Asian diaspora. So after the journaling activity, attendees made their way to a local dance studio for a Bhangra dance class.

Emerge attendees closed out the day with dinner at a lively and delicious Indian restaurant, Sura, where the group had the opportunity to dress in traditional clothing or garb, representing their respective cultures. The weekend event wouldn’t be complete without some fun, late-night karaoke in Chinatown.

A Lasting Impact

POWER employees pose for a photo seated at dinner during the Emerge event. — *_{Karuna bonds with his fellow InspirASIAN members during dinner at the last night of Emerge.}*

First time Emerge attendee and a Craftsman in our Boston territory, Karuna Chiemruom, recounts just how much this experience meant to him:

The most impactful part of Emerge for me was the opportunity to connect with old and new friends. The forging of new meaningful relationships and the cultivating of existing ones will be something that stays with me forever. Doing this in a community centric environment like InspirASIAN and the volunteer opportunities makes it really special to me.”

If you’re looking for a not just a career, but a community, you can explore POWER’s open positions here.

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