athenahealth's AAPI ERG Runs Full Month of AAPI Heritage Programming

Programming example

This year I stepped in to lead our AAPI Employee Resource Group, and the best work we did wasn't in anyone's job description.

May is Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, and as we move into June, I wanted to highlight the amazing work athenahealth's AAPI ERG put together this past month.

Leading this team gave me the chance to direct and build programming alongside an ambitious, passionate, and dedicated group of athenahealth employees, all volunteering their time outside of their day-to-day roles. Together, we planned and executed a full month of programming: a hands-on Mahjong and networking event, curated AAPI snack tastings paired with the cultural stories behind them, the continuation of our AAPI Voices podcast series spotlighting athenahealth's AAPI voices and leaders, a wellness challenge with HR for Mental Health Awareness Month centered on practices rooted in AAPI cultures, from yoga and Tai Chi to meditation, and more. A highlight was hosting Colleen M. Nguyen, MPH, Executive Director of Asian Women for Health, for a powerful talk on inclusive design and building health technology that works for more people.

What stands out most isn't the list of events, it's what went into them. Every session was the result of months of behind-the-scenes coordination: scoping ideas, lining up speakers, problem-solving logistics, and showing up again and again to make each event land. This is a team of 20+ people who took on real work on top of already-full plates, not because it was assigned to them, but because they cared about building something meaningful for our community. That kind of effort doesn't happen by accident. It happens because people choose to give their time, energy, and creativity to something bigger than their day-to-day. Thank you to athenahealth AAPI ERG team. I'm proud of what we built together, and even prouder of how we did it. You showed up for each other and for this community all month long, and it showed in every event we ran.

As we move into Pride Month, I want to shout out everyone across athenahealth and beyond who keeps showing up to build this kind of programming. The ERG leaders and members pouring time, energy, and care into their communities, almost always outside of what's formally asked of them. It's some of the most meaningful work a company gets, and it rarely lives on a roadmap.

To everyone doing it: thank you, and keep going!

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Communities

• Asian & Pacific Islander

Observances

• AAPI Heritage Month
• Mental Health Awareness Month

Formats

• Cultural Potluck & Food Social
• Workshops
• Wellness Session
• Book Clubs
• Cultural Celebration

Goals

• Connect
• Grow