Meta and Indian Country Today will be hosting a virtual event Aug. 17 to learn more about the tech company and its Native@ community.
The event will be held from 12:00 to 12:45 p.m. ET.
Upon registration, attendees will have the opportunity to share their resumés and will learn about and could be considered for future opportunities at Meta.
ICT Editor Jourdan Bennett-Begaye, Diné, will give an introduction before event participants will hear from two Native women who work for the company.
One of those women is Kelsea Pullin, Chippewa Cree. She says she takes pride in working for the company and that they are actively “investing in and hiring Native people.”
“We are finally being seen after being the forgotten people for so long,” Pullin said. “It feels great to work for a company that is building strategies and providing opportunities for the Native community to succeed and demonstrate our full potential.”
Natasha Takeuchi Bunin, also works for Meta. She says investing in hiring Indigenous people is “amplifying the voices of the land.”
“Representation means having an active presence at the table, inclusion is having your voice heard and amplified by peers, and belonging is having a community to ground and support you,” Bunin said. “The more Native people we hire, the more we can give voice to our community and our issues, opportunities, and challenges.”
One of the things she enjoys most about working at Meta is that she feels valued every day.
“Whether I’m working with my team to navigate different perspectives for how to solve a problem or working with the Native@ Resource Group to gain alignment and prioritize initiatives, I am welcomed with open arms and an eagerness from my peers and managers to hear my thoughts and opinions,” Pullin said.
Bunin also echoed that sentiment.
“You can work in tech and be an advocate; you do not have to leave that part of you at home,” she said. “To bring my full self to work has been incredibly important for my own professional and personal growth.”
This is the first event where Meta is introducing themselves to Indian Country. It’s also part of a paid partnership by Meta focused on opportunities for the Native community.
Attendees will be able to take part in a Q&A session at the end “to get candid answers directly from two of our employees.”
Pullin wishes there were more events like these for Native professionals earlier in her career.
“I never thought I would be part of a professional community of Native people. I wish I had access to an event like this earlier in my career and had been exposed to more Native representation,” she said. “I hope participants walk away inspired and confident to pursue open roles at Meta and understand that their skills and passions could be exactly what we need!”
The event will be a resource for people who are curious about working at Meta or those considering a career in tech but don’t know where to start, Bunin says. She hopes people leave the event encouraged.
“I hope people leave this event inspired to know that change happens when the right tension of thought occurs. We achieve representation in part, by opening the doors wider and encouraging more people to apply.”
Registration for the event can be found here.
