Youssef Beyhum, People Operations Specialist and EMEA Pride Employee Resource Group Lead, shares his views about the importance of Pride at Samsara year round and how it aligns with Samsara's company's values.

Pride Month is always a celebration of diversity, equity and inclusivity. For the millions of people who take part each year, it’s a time to party. To get involved in cultural events. To share stories. And celebrate the inclusion and diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community. 

For us at Samsara, this year’s Pride for All is a recognition that each and every one of us is an individual. It’s about what makes us special. Unique. 

Above all, our Pride events are about making sure that everyone is proud of who they are — no matter what their background. You can be sure that this year’s events—not just within Samsara but around the world—will be yet another colourful and ground-breaking success. For us, Pride is a year-round event. And this year, we have a particular focus on mental health and how we can best support one another. 

I’m sad to say that tolerance and acceptance are not universal

There is no question that we are lucky to work at a company that is so diverse and international. It means we have the freedom to discuss issues that are personal to us all. 

I know too many people who suffer from anxiety, depression, or a lack of self-love/empathy towards oneself—often brought about by the internal struggles around their own identity. The truth is, we’re all different. We relate to things differently. We experience things differently. And we react to things differently. 

And, as such, we must all respect that. 

This Pride, let’s all be kind 

As I said right from the outset, Pride is a celebration for each and every one of us as individuals. If people want to celebrate publicly and be visible—fantastic. But if you don't want to scream it from the balcony, that’s fine too.

You can be just as proud on the inside. Or you can simply share your pride with colleagues, friends or family. Regardless of how people wish to make their feelings felt, it’s up to us all to be mindful of their choices and make sure they are seen and heard the way they want to be. 

So, take a step back next time. Instead of telling people what to feel or think, listen to what they have to say instead. 

Start small. You’ll be amazed by what you can achieve simply by starting a conversation. 

How Pride aligns with Samsara’s values

To me, Pride embodies Samsara’s core values because it promotes how we should “be inclusive” and “win as a team”. After all, along with our other employee resource groups—Women of Samsara, Blaccsara, Veterans of Samsara, and Samswana (South West Asian & North African)—we’re all part of a community here at Samsara. And it’s only right that we should make people feel true to themselves.  

Our Pride events also lean towards our “adopt a growth mindset” value. Yes, it's great for people to think about diversity and inclusion. But that also has to be genuine. We want everyone to take part and not stand by on the fringes. In other words, we want to encourage people to adopt a growth mindset—as individuals and as a community.  For those of us who are members or allies of  Samsara’s Pride Employee Resource Group (ERG), Pride is not just something that is held once a year. For us, it’s a year-round effort as we remind people not to categorise others based on their identity but to remember that—at the end of the day—we're all just people.