Meet the BigCommerce Employee Resource Groups

Before I started at BigCommerce in 2021, I’d never worked at a company this large. The marketing department alone was more than five times the size of the last place I’d worked. It was pretty jarring to come into that environment. I wasn’t quite sure where I would fit in.

On the first day of my new-hire training, as I was going through one of many presentations and decks, I came upon a slide outlining the BigCommerce employee resource groups (ERGs). I joined the Slack channels for a few of these groups and started taking part in conversations. These were some of the earliest connections I made as a BigCommerce employee, and they immediately made me feel welcome, seen, and most importantly, valued. 

Fast forward to 2022 and I became a co-chair of BigFamily, our ERG dedicated to caregivers. As a member and co-chair of this ERG, I’ve been able to have a bigger impact on the company than I’d ever imagined. That’s in large part due to the strong group of volunteers that work with us to make a difference. But it’s also thanks to BigCommerce as a whole, and its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). 

At BigCommerce, ERGs are an important part of our culture. These groups provide a safe and open space for BigCommerce employees to connect and support, engage in conversation, learn about different lived experiences, and grow. 

What are ERGs? 

ERGs are employee-led networks of individuals within BigCommerce that form based on traditionally underrepresented and/or marginalized characteristics, backgrounds, and/or lived experiences. BigCommerce ERGs serve to support and empower our employees, connecting individuals with common goals, interests, or experiences. 

“This year, we will be putting more emphasis than ever on supporting, uplifting, and advancing our ERGs,” said Tom Bourdon, Vice President of DEI at BigCommerce. “These groups provide an incredible opportunity for all of our employees to connect and feel a sense of belonging. ERGs also help us identify and advance current and future leaders in our organization. The sky is truly the limit in terms of these groups and their impact. I’m so excited to see where our ERGs are headed in the upcoming year and in years to come.” 

There are five dedicated ERGs at BigCommerce, as well as separate DEI Champions chapters for international teams and subsidiaries. 

BCinColor

BCinColor is BigCommerce's global ERG for employees of color and allies. BCinColor’s mission is to create and sustain a safe and inclusive environment for people of color and their allies within the BigCommerce community that will support the recruitment, retention, and professional advancement of racially and ethnically-diverse employees at all levels.

_{BCinColor volunteers cleaning up a local park in Austin, Texas.}

As a BCinColor co-chair, Helen Febrie has seen firsthand the impact that ERGs can have on the people that work at BigCommerce. 

“BigCommerce ERGs do more than just foster an inclusive workplace,” Febrie explained. “They allow employees to be allies or gain better understanding of matters they might not be familiar with. They provide safe spaces for people to feel comfortable with bringing their authentic selves to work. And they illustrate BigCommerce’s commitment to diversity by attracting and retaining top talent from a wider pool of individuals and establishing BigCommerce as a workplace of choice across the globe.” 

BEmpowered

BEmpowered is BigCommerce's global ERG for women, non-binary people, and allies. BEmpowered strives to create a welcoming and inclusive space for all BigCommerce employees, to empower women and non-binary people through professional development, and to provide resources for helping these groups thrive within the tech community.

_{BEmpowered executive sponsor Veronica Servantez interviews BigCommerce board member Elen Siminoff at the annual BEmpowered Summit event.} 

Meg Desko, a BEmpowered co-chair, has been with BigCommerce for almost ten years. She has seen a few different iterations of the ERG, and views its role as vital to marginalized groups’ representation in the tech industry. 

​​”Our goal is to help folks connect with one another,” she said. “Many women and non-binary folks find that they are often the ‘onlies’ in the tech industry, so we think it’s really important to provide this space. BEmpowered also provides learning opportunities to help our members grow and flourish, whether they’re at BigCommerce, Feedonomics, or Makeswift.” 

BigFamily

BigFamily is BigCommerce's global ERG for employees who are caregivers and those who care about them. Whether you are a current or prospective caregiver, and whether your dependents are children, siblings, or elders, BigFamily is there to support and advocate for you at BigCommerce. 

_{BigFamily volunteers assembling care packages for our team in Ukraine.} 

Janet Houck is a co-founder of BigFamily and current co-chair. “We saw that there was a need for a separate ERG space for parents and other caregivers at BigCommerce,” she explained. Until then, there wasn’t really a dedicated space for us. 

“It's a role that everyone can identify with — either as a parent, a child of aging parents, a supportive sibling, or friend. We are caregivers to each other and to our community,” she continued. “We wanted to spotlight issues that so many families deal with, like health and wellness, neurodiversity, and disability, to create a space where parents and BigCommerce employees in general were welcome to share their whole selves, which includes their family; hence our name, ‘BigFamily’.” 

BProud

BProud is BigCommerce's global resource group for LGBTQ+ people and allies. BProud’s goal is to build a united community within BigCommerce, working to educate, give back to our community, and represent BigCommerce as an LGBTQ-friendly environment. 

BProud celebrates Pride Month at the BigCommerce Austin Headquarters. 

Taylor Benac, BProud co-chair, believes that the ERG’s main goal is to not only highlight issues surrounding the LGBTQ+ community, but also to highlight the people behind the letters. 

"We believe that an important part of pride is visibility, so our goal is to be out and about getting people excited about BProud,” they explained. “We welcome LGBTQ+ people and allies to elevate, celebrate, and support gay, trans, nonbinary, bisexual, queer, ace, and all people who want to be themselves without fear or shame."

B:United

B:United is BigCommerce's global resource group for veterans, first responders, and anyone interested in learning about or helping to support the transition from military to civilian life. B:United’s mission is to provide support for veterans and their families, both at BigCommerce and externally in our community.

"My passion for supporting our veteran and first responder community is something I've spent a lot of time on outside of the workplace, and I'm proud to work for a company that gives its employees outlets to bring their full selves to work,” said Christine Ziegler, B:United co-chair. 

_{B:United ERG members volunteering for Wreaths Across America.} 

“Bringing these two parts of my life together, giving the rest of our employees the opportunity to support/participate in this community, and being able to have an impact on the business at the same time is tremendously rewarding."

DEI Champions: EMEA, APAC, and Feedonomics

Diversity doesn’t stop at borders, and neither do our ERGs. In order to embrace our global culture, we’ve created our DEI Champions chapters, encouraging inclusion across the various teams and groups that make up BigCommerce. 

Each of our operating regions, EMEA and APAC, both have their own groups of DEI champions made up of individuals who are committed to DEI and want to help bring unique ERG programming to their regions. Feedonomics, acquired by BigCommerce in 2021, also has its own champions chapter where “Feedos”  can also add their own flavor to our BigCommerce community. 

The final word

ERGs provide so much value, not just to BigCommerce as a company, but to the individuals who work here and make up these communities. Whether you’re an ally, a community member, or just want to broaden your horizons, there’s a space for you at BigCommerce. 

Want to join the BigCommerce community and share your unique perspective? Check out our open positions here.