Celebrating Diversity Month: A Personal Reflection and a Collective Commitment “Quest Colors Employee Resource Group – many cultures but one connection.”
Mission Statement:
“Quest Colors was established with the mission of fostering an inclusive and diverse workforce at Quest, aiming to be an employer of choice for individuals from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. We strive to extend Quest’s reach and impact within specific communities. Acknowledging the diverse experiences, challenges, cultural richness, and triumphs within each demographic and race, we are dedicated to creating an environment that values and celebrates these differences.”
I recently discovered that April is Diversity Month, a time officially recognized since 2004 to celebrate the richness of cultures, experiences, and perspectives that people from around the world bring to the table. This annual observance is more than just a calendar event — it’s a reminder of the power and importance of intentional inclusion in our personal and professional lives.
Diversity isn’t just about representation. It’s about recognizing humanity in one another, even when we come from different backgrounds, beliefs, or ways of life. History and psychology show us that people often default to tribalism when encountering unfamiliar groups. But one of the most effective ways to break down these barriers is through exposure, education, and empathy. Learning about different cultures, ethnicities, and lived experiences not only builds bridges, but it also strengthens communities.
It’s clear that if we want a better future, we need to build it together. And that means being deliberate about creating spaces where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued.
That’s why I’m proud to be a part of Quest Colors, one of the five Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) at Quest Software. For the past three years, I’ve been fortunate to witness firsthand how these groups make a real impact on our culture and workplace experience. Quest’s ERGs — including Quest Pride, Women@Quest, Quest Minds, Parents@Quest, and Quest Colors — represent a powerful commitment to fostering community, dialogue, and inclusion.
These groups go far beyond symbolic support. They’re active drivers of positive change, recommending books, participating in voluntary segments that create opportunities to share, learn, and better understand each other’s cultures. Through the work of the ERG’s we’ve created a more empathetic, connected, and productive environment where all employees can thrive and be their best.
At Quest, we don’t shy away from conversations about diversity — we embrace them. We believe in respecting what makes us different while also unifying around a shared purpose and vision. Diversity isn’t a challenge to overcome; it’s a strength to leverage.
Just a few of our favorite examples of these conversations include the Getting to know you segment, culture bytes, info bytes, along with exclusive regional and global awareness and celebrations. Let’s look back at our activities over the months in 2024,
- February – We honored Black History Month with a storytelling session from Janeth Bell
- March – We celebrated Ramadan by hearing personal testimonials from some of our Questies who were participating in the holy month.
- May – We learned about Black Ethnicity Month with a beautiful community spotlight from our Panama
- June – This month was dedicated to Juneteenth; we had a collaborative Info-byte produced internally with the Quest Pride ERG and one of the ERG’s officers attended a Juneteenth Festival held at Raymond James Stadium (Home of Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
- July – we partnered with IDF
- August – We witnessed an amazing Indian Puppet Show and live Indian classical music in collaboration with Gowri Priya Sethuram and Indian Shades performance on the Veena and Mrudhangam , in collaboration with through which we learnt about Ganesha Chaturthi, which is celebrated across many regions of the world.
- Sep-Oct – we celebrated National Hispanic Heritage Month with a Live Dance session in collaboration with Escuela de Bomba y Plena Tata Cepeda where step-by-step instructions were given to the various dance forms like: Merengue, Bachata, Salsa, with a special appearance of one of the officers of the ERG. Along with this we also learnt about the origin and history of the music and the dance forms. October we also honored UK black history month with some interesting internal discussions.
- November – We observed Native American Heritage month via a culture byte, and we participated in IDF’s Virtual Job Fair.
- Apart from this we have had several Culture bytes throughout the year that highlighted various cultures and celebrations of communities like Makar Sankranti, Muharram, National Indigenous day in Canada, Spotlight on various Indigenous communities across the globe, UK Black History month, Native American Heritage month, Chinese New Year, and so on!!
Over the years it’s been amazing to see our global teams come together and the participation only continues to grow for these activities across the 5 ERG’s. We are continuing to organize more events this year. For Black history month in 2025 we had with KEVIN D . WRIGHT who shared with us “Black History in Context: Yesterday’s Legacy, Today’s Leadership, Tomorrow’s Vision”. We had the opportunity to celebrate Ramadan this year vis a video culture byte. (https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7293333939232948225 ) 2025 has various initiatives and programs lined up that adds to the momentum and celebration of diversity and cultures across the globe.
To celebrate diversity month this year, we had our colleagues who shared their insights into the unique dynamics of blended and diverse families to create a more supportive and understanding workplace via an info byte produced internally.
These are just a few of the many initiatives that remind us that diversity is more than a value — it’s a verb. It requires action, reflection, and heart.
As we honor Diversity Month this April, I invite you to take a moment to learn something new about someone different from you. Ask a question. Share a story. Make space for a voice that may not always be heard.
Because when we celebrate our differences, we come together stronger.
#DiversityMonth #InclusionMatters #ERGsInAction #QuestColors #LifeAtQuest #DEI #TogetherWeThrive
Author: Travis Robbinson- Chairs, Quest Colors ERG
SW Prof Services Director – Consulting Services and Chair of the Quest Colors Employee Resource Group (ERG)